Before the Motorsport division became a household name thanks to the M1 in 1978, M5 in 1985, and M3 in 1986, the automaker’s office in South Africa produced the 530 MLE in 1976. No less than 110 examples of the Type 1 series were produced as homologation specials, and this is one of those ultra-rare sports sedans.
Based on the E12 generation of the 5 Series (1972 to 1981), the SA-only forgotten icon is currently restored by “the crew who helped create it.” The first Motorsport-developed 5 Series features a 3.0-liter inline-six engine with 197 horsepower (200 PS) on full song, capable of propelling the car to 60 miles per hour in 9.3 seconds.
Retaining the beautiful bodywork of Paul Bracq, the 530 MLE produces 204 pound-feet (277 Nm) at 4,300 rpm, sending the suck-squeeze-bang-blow to the rear wheels with the help of a five-speed manual transmission. Top speed is quoted at 129 mph (208 km/h), and in its lightest configuration, the car tips the scale at 1,233 kilograms (2,718 pounds).
Compared to the bone-stock model, the 530 MLE distinguishes itself from a visual standpoint through the Mahle lightweight wheels, front and rear spoilers, and widened fenders. This fellow here is chassis number 770100, translating to the 100th example of the breed.
The demand for the Type 1 was so overwhelming, BMW South Africa decided to build an additional batch of models known as Type 2 at the automaker’s Rosslyn plant. No less than 117 units were manufactured, working out to a total of 227 cars.
The holes drilled in the trunklid hinges, pedals, and various other panels? Those serve as weight-saving measures. The rear bench also lost its steel frame in the process of saving a few pounds here and there, and every vehicle was finished in white.
Chassis number 770100 belonged to Peter Kaye-Eddie, racing driver and 530 MLE team manager back in the day. BMW will post updates of the old-timer's careful restoration on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter under the hashtag #BMW530MLE.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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