Better that we had 7 good years than a restyling.. (archive)

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I think Chris is correct when he describes it as a timing thing, but it is a timing deal on both ends of the production run. I don't think that the car can be called a "failure" nor should we consider that it did not succeed. Look at it this way: The 850 had its biggest production years between '91 and '93. Anyone that had the means to buy one new in that era, bought one during that time. Most people with the wherewithal to own one leased on and they were likely 36 or 48 month leases. So by the time '94 comes around, you have a fair amount of pre-owned cars coming onto the used market. Keep in mind that in '91 the car was so far advanced, there was not much BMW could do to raise the bar. We all bitch about automakers screwing us with "planned obsolence" but in this case BMW almost screwed themselves. If one were to step back and look at it from a different viewpoint, BMW for a 7-year period here in the US and never really changed too much about the car. Most series like the 3, 5 and 7 series go that long in between iterations and body changes. So if you look at it that way, they actually did us a favor by not continuing the car and creating a classic.

How many times has an automaker got it right and then blown it? They hit a home run and then rebody the car and all you can think about it when you see the new one is "YUCK!!!" Example: My second car is a '97 Eclipse. Mitsubishi got it right from '95-'99, but the 2000+ model is... well... YUCK!!

The way I see it, BMW pulled a Michael Jordan with the 8 series. They got out of the game while they were still on top and didn't embarass themselves. (I could list a bunch of athletes that have done so, but some probably drive 8's. There happens to be a future Hall of Famer in San Diego that owned an 850 who is staying in the game too long, IMHO)

Bmw actually tried to push the car through t.v. advertisement and magazine ads. How many ads do you see for the three and five series? Too many. I recently saw a t.v. spot for the 7 series. I was really shocked to see this since BMW doesn't really push their high end cars like Mercedes Benz does(Remember the 500sl racing Mercury and the cannon ball). Also, for those who bought their car new, was there a 8 in the show room or on the lot? Probably not. For years at the dealership in my area, in CT, I saw only two for sale, one new and one used. For some of the service that I can't do on my car myself, I take it to the dealership where everyone comes out to see the car. The manager asked me if I would like to sell my car for a good price or pay the difference on a 7. My response "Are You Crazy?" They know that the 8 is destined to be a classic.
I think that when they first created the car, they were fully ready to stand behind the car for the long haul. But, somewhere along the way, they seemed to lose interest in the car and what it stood for. Every technological advancement that BMW has in there cars today has come from the 8 series. You guys know what I mean when you drive down the street. How many people look with amazement at the car? It makes some people smile because they know what a fine car this is/was. I really know that all with a 8 sees either the envy or hatred of most 3,5 owners. Granted, not everyone can buy an 8 brand new, but there are some great used 8's out there. That's how I got mine. I wanted the 8 ever since I saw the concept version around 1988. I tell many that you can get a nice used one, but they seem afraid of it's mystique. Hey, my thought is why settle for less when you can get the best. Maybe with the 6 and 2002 coming back into production soon, the 8 will make a retro revival one day too. My advice, hold on to your original volume 1 of the 8 series. It is going to go down in history a masterpiece of automobile engineering and appearance.

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