Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2024 - Cars on Saturday the 9th of November, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. Penned by Henrik Fisker, the BMW Z8 was initially a concept styling exercise to evoke and pay homage to the stunning BMW 507 produced in the late 1950s. Due to the sensation it caused at the 1997 Tokyo Auto Show, BMW decided to go into production and production ran from 1999 to 2003 for a total run of 5, 703 cars with approximately half going to the USA, the rest to continental Europe and fewer than 150 cars supplied to the UK.
An engineering indulgence by BMW, it featured an aluminium space frame body and the famous 5-litre DOHC 32-valve V8 engine produced 400bhp, situated behind the line of the front axle, giving the Z8 virtually perfect 50/ 50 weight distribution and enabling it to out-perform its contemporary benchmark rivals in all departments. The contemporaneous Ferrari 360 Modena was left inadequate in terms of performance, handling and braking. Road tests by period magazines frequently better the quoted 0-60mph times supplied by BMW and many achieved figures of c. four seconds. Most remarkable was its pure driving pleasure and its effortless 'Grand Tourer' capabilities. BMW's mantra of 'The Ultimate Driving Machine' was certainly appropriate when it came to the Z8.
Having been a mainstay of the Bond series for four decades, Desmond Llewelyn retired as 'Q' in the 1999 film The World is Not Enough where, in his poignant final scene, he issued Piers Brosnan’s James Bond with a BMW Z8. Whilst entering the James Bond Car Hall of Fame, helped somewhat with filling the order books, it's universally agreed that it is the Z8’s capability as a modern supercar that was responsible for its success. Delivered only in left-hand drive, fewer than 150 cars were supplied new to the UK.
The Rydale/ Rybrook name has been associated as a family business with strong BMW connections from 1972 until 2024 and over the years, the company has continually expanded through various Midlands-based franchise dealerships, including Oldbury, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Evesham, Wolverhampton and Warwick. This year, the company was sold and is now owned by the Sytner Group under the chairmanship of American petrolhead, Roger Penske. This BMW Z8 was acquired in 2005 by the dealership group as a significant and interesting milestone in the development of BMW. Its unique design and features as an early convertible BMW high-performance sports car, including the combination of the incredible engine from the M5, coupled to a 6-speed manual gearbox, made this rare and exciting car an icon of the marque. Its looks evolved from the BMW 503/ 507 Series of the 1950s which, when finished in the classic colour combination of Titanium Silver with red leather upholstery, evoke a period style that set the trend for many future BMW sports cars to follow. It has been used for showroom display and occasional exhibitions and parades, enjoying a cosseted indoor life with annual maintenance and MOTs carried out and a minimal annual mileage covered. The total indicated mileage at time of cataloguing of 12, 529 today can be warranted by the MOT and service history. It's a UK-supplied car from new, has been enjoyed by just two owners and comes complete with a factory hardtop and original book pack.
A rare and very exciting opportunity today and we encourage close inspection at our sale at the 2024 NEC Classic Motor Show.
