Super-rare 'sharknose' 7-Series, one of only around a dozen still surviving in UK; only 87k miles indicated; exceptionally sound and original; new wheels and tyres which cost £2,000; original wheels also included; find another one!Launched in 1977 to replace the luxurious E3 saloon, the E23 was BMW’s first ever 7 Series and signified that the makers of ‘The Ultimate Driving Machine’ finally had the confidence to truly challenge the Mercedes S-Class head on.

In truth, it wasn’t quite as exclusive as the Merc, but what it lacked in image it more than made up for in driver appeal.Styled by Paul Bracq, the E23 had the classic ‘sharknose’ front-end styling that was the hallmark of BMW cars in the late-Sixties and Seventies, with slender pillars and a low beltline that gave it a pleasingly airy cabin.

It also had the famous ‘Hofmeister kink’ that emphasised the structural strength of the C-pillar, curving forward to draw the viewer’s eyes down toward the rear wheels that delivered the powe...