The one M car homologation hero you might not be familiar with...
A few extraordinary BMWs have been created in South Africa over the years. There was the 745i SA, for example, the M1-engined E23 7 Series that made an epic touring car, plus the stunning 333i - a 3.2-litre E30 developed with Alpina. BMW South Africa is still doing its own thing to this day, with a 330iS Edition available there and nowhere else. But it’s a less special prospect than what went before.
It was devised to achieve success in South Africa’s Modified Production Series, which it emphatically did, winning every single race of its first season. The MLE was so successful, in fact, that it campaigned in South African touring cars until 1985. Looking at the spec for the homologated road car it isn’t hard to see why the 530 made such a great racer.
The success and the spec make the MLE extremely collectible almost 50 years later, but that assumes one can be found. Even BMW struggled when it aimed to restore a 530 MLE back in 2019. Back before BMW M even existed, the need to keep a racy and rare 5 Series pristine wasn’t there; the desire to thrash a 1200kg, 3.0-litre BMW probably was.
Imported from SA in 2020, it’s described as ‘nothing short of sublime’ - there seems little reason to doubt that, given the apparent condition. Plenty of love has been lavished upon the 5 Series even in its couple of years here, including engine work, a brake overhaul, suspension refresh and refurbished wheels. Any E12 5 Series will look cool nowadays, but a 530 MLE this good - in white with those graphics that have become so iconic - is off the scale.
This is handy because what was once a humble 5 Series now has the price tag of classic exotica. Given the history, it makes sense, but any prospective buyer would surely give more thought to using an old-school BMW now it’s worth six figures. £114,950, to be exact. Which will see some tea splurted on keyboards, no doubt, given this is a car never sold in the UK.
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