Question about 1989 E34s

[G Feller]

I have heard that '89 535s have metal door handles. True? How about '89 525s?

What other differences in stock details, if any, are you aware of between the '89 model year and successive years of the E34?

Two reasons for this question. Okay, three:

1) I have heard the price of 535s dropped significantly after '89.

2) The '89 535 is appraised at a significant premium to other E34s in collector car guides.

3) I can't stop the compulsion to collect arcane E34 trivia.

Cheers,

Greg

[Phil Sanderson]

My Dec '88 build, 1989 Australian delivery 525i seems to have plastic-like inside door handles. I don't think I've seen anything different to this.

The only thing I have noticed that is different on earlier 1988 models is that the door latches - the ones bolted to the door pillars - are silver coloured bare metal whereas all later E34's (mine and later) have black plastic looking latches.

Apart from this the only other cosmetic changes inside the cabin on later model E34s, even up to the last production '95 amd '96s, were things such as different door sills, wood-grain and more electronic thingys. (I could be corrected about there being wood-grain in the early 5s, but I thought that it was exclusive to the '87, '88 E32s)

Phil