After nearly 25 years, the 8-Series BMW still attracts attention on the boulevards, due in no small part to its handsome styling – the fact that it has a healthy V-12 engine doesn’t hurt its reputation either.

The 8-Series was conceived by BMW as an upper class coupe during 1981, but the project would not be green-lighted until three years later. Design of the 8-Series began in 1984, with construction starting in 1986. BMW used CAD software, still unusual at the time, to design an all-new body. These efforts, combined with wind tunnel testing, resulted in the car having a drag coefficient of 0.29, a major improvement from the previous BMW M6/635CSi’s 0.39 rating.

The 8-Series debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) in early September 1989, while the testing was still in progress. The BMW 850i had a stunning success, 500 orders being placed within the eight days of the motor show. Production started in the beginning of February 1990, and if you had ordered a car at this time, you would have to wait three years for it to be delivered. It is reported that the production run of the 850Ci from 1992 to 1999 resulted in only 1,218 similar cars.

Finished in Jet Black, this BMW 850ci is powered by the aforementioned 5.0-liter, 296-hp V-12 engine that is mated to a six-speed manual transmission. It is presented in what is described as “original condition.” This series of BMW is well-optioned with radio, air conditioning; power windows, steering and four-wheel disc brakes. For 1993, a passenger-side airbag joined the original driver’s airbag, and the luxurious cabin gained maple trim. Rear seatbacks were now split and folded, and contained a new trunk pass-through for added convenience.

When it was introduced it served as the successor to BMW’s 635CSi coupe and cost even more than the 750iL.This was a continuation of a great BMW tradition and a new beginning at the same time.