George Manning’s 1997 E38-generation BMW 728i is a superb example of the breed – and that’s official. At the recent BMW 7 Event – a popular showcase for 7 Series of all generations organised by All Things Bavarian and held at The Hill, a Caffeine & Machine outpost in Warwickshire – it bagged the Best Overall award, voted for by visitors.
More remarkable still is that up to 150 7 Series of all ages were present, with awards also given for Best Restored, Best Modified and Best Kept.
Why did George’s car merit Best Overall? “I think what people liked was the fact that it has a Kenwood foldout TV in the centre of the dashboard that is period correct,” he says. “It was fitted three months after the car was bought new. I had the system playing a DVD of the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, which features a 1997 750i L. I’d be chatting with someone about the car and people would just be watching the film!”
Another reason George believes his car won is that it is, as he puts it, “a museum piece”, in the sense that it’s unmodified and in almost factory-fresh condition. What’s more, although it’s a humble 728i, it’s not without some very interesting factory-fitted extras, as George explains: “It has the contour seats, which are very rare for BMWs of this age and are the highest-spec seats you could then buy for the 7 Series.
They’re full leather but the ‘contour’ aspect is the way the whole of the backrest can be adjusted independently of the seat, so that it moulds to your back. Lower down it also has lumbar support with a small inflatable airbag that you can adjust as you like. They’re very comfortable seats.”
His car’s other interesting option is the soft-close doors and bootlid. “The bootlid is partially electrically powered,” says George. “You lower it and settle it down lightly and then just push it gently and it closes for you. The doors are soft-close in the sense that they have a very light mechanism. You don’t have to close them firmly. Instead, they shut with very little effort.”
George is the BMW’s third owner. Its first keeper had the car for around 15 years. The second owner was George’s father, who sold it to him five years ago. George describes his 728i as a “big boat” to drive. “It’s very soft and quite floaty in corners,” he says. “The steering feels nicely direct, though. It may be a big BMW saloon but it’s still a driver’s car.
"Put the five-speed automatic gearbox into Sport mode and kick down the accelerator and the engine responds with a real punch. The 728i’s 2.8-litre engine has a reputation for being strong and reliable so I have no worries about its future health.”
On that point, it couldn’t be in better hands. As an HGV technician, George knows his way around engines and treats his 728i to fresh oil and a filter every 6000 miles. Nothing’s forever, though, so has George any plans to sell it? “I’ll be buried with it, I think,” he says.
“It’s brilliant and, of course, as my father’s old car, it has a lot of sentimental value.” And lest ye forget: it’s an award winner.
