*WINNER* 1993 BMW 850CSi - Tahmid Haque

It’s been more than thirty years since BMW launched the big 8 Series coupe, and the car we have here is considered the pinnacle of the range. Powered by a 5.6-litre V12 engine producing 380bhp, there is certainly no shortage of performance.

Tahmid’s example is even more special, being an ‘Individual’ model that is number sixteen of the one hundred and sixty right-hand drive cars produced. Featuring unique ‘Aqua Metallic’ paintwork, ‘Ice Blue with Champagne’ interior and every possible luxury, it cost more than £96,000 when new, including £30,000 of optional extras. 

What sets this car apart is that the first owner hand-picked the colour of the interior trim and materials. The car features leather for the dashboard, telephone cover, ashtray, and rear parcel shelf and an Alcantara roof lining.

“I’ve owned a number of these cars but it was the CSi I really wanted, and I bought it within two hours of seeing it for sale online. It had an excellent history, and with such a unique specification I just had to add it to my collection, but even though it was in good condition I’ve still done quite a lot of work on it.”

In search of perfection, that work included full wet sanding of the paintwork followed by ceramic coating, new tyres, a major service and a new clutch. The latter wasn’t straightforward as new items are no longer available from BMW, meaning Tahmid had to source one from a specialist at a cost of more than £2000.

All of the work has paid off, though, with the big coupe enjoying plenty of interest when it was displayed at this year’s London Concours and the Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court where it received the ‘Judges Favourite Award’.