An E39 BMW 530i, seen in January 2013 alongside the Liangma River in central Beijing. The Bimmer was in a fantastic shape, looking almost as new, and seemingly untouched by the muddy snow and ice.
The 530i was painted in a dark shade of black with darkened windows, it had the original alloy wheels and wasn’t modified in any ugly form.
The E39 BMW 5-Series was manufactured from 1995 until 2004 with a facelift in 2000. Our black car is a post-facelift example. Many believe it was the prettiest 5-Series ever made, and I tend to agree. Design was pure and simple, unlike the over complicated cars that came later.
The 530i was the most powerful six-cylinder version of the E39. The 3.0 straight six engine had an output of 228 hp and 300 Nm. The engine was mated to a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, sending horses to the rear wheels.
The windows were darkened so much that it was hard to take a pic of the interior. It seemed to be in a fine shape, with relatively rare cloth seats, the original radio-CD player, and the automatic ‘box.
The E39 BMW 5-Series was not officially sold in China but it was quite common anyway. There was some semi-official import where Chinese trade companies bought entire batches, which were sold to private buyers on general car markets. State-owned companies also imported some to China, and yet others came in via diplomatic channels. Sadly, today it is not easy to find a good one. Many have died due to a lack of parts and emission regulations have eliminated these great sedans from most of the larger cities.