George Manning's 1997 BMW 728i, an E38-generation saloon, has been named Best Overall at the BMW 7 Event, a showcase for 7 Series cars of every generation organised by All Things Bavarian. The award was voted for by visitors to the event, held at The Hill, a Caffeine & Machine outpost in Warwickshire. Up to 150 7 Series cars of all ages attended, and further awards were given for Best Restored, Best Modified and Best Kept, so the win places the car ahead of a large and varied field.
Manning says visitors were drawn to the car's period-correct Kenwood foldout television, fitted in the centre of the dashboard three months after the car was bought new. He ran a DVD of the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, which features a 1997 750i L, on the system during the event. He recalls that while he chatted with people about the car, many of them ended up watching the film instead. The car is also, in Manning's words, a museum piece, being unmodified and in almost factory-fresh condition.
Although the 728i is the humbler model in the range, it carries several interesting factory options. Manning highlights the contour seats, which he says are very rare for BMWs of this age and were the highest-specification seats available for the 7 Series at the time. They are full leather, with an adjustable backrest that moulds to the occupant's back, and lower down a small inflatable lumbar airbag that can be adjusted as desired. He describes them as very comfortable. The car also has soft-close doors and a partially electric bootlid. Manning explains that the bootlid is lowered and settled lightly, then gently pushed to close itself, while the doors shut with very little effort thanks to a light mechanism.
The car has had three owners. The first kept it for around 15 years, and the second was Manning's father, who sold it to him five years ago. Manning describes driving it as like piloting a big boat, with soft, floaty handling in corners, though he finds the steering nicely direct. He says the car remains a driver's car despite its size. Selecting Sport mode on the five-speed automatic gearbox and pressing the accelerator brings a real punch from the 2.8-litre engine, which has a reputation for strength and reliability, and he has no worries about its future health.
Manning works as an HGV technician, so he knows his way around engines, and he treats the 728i to fresh oil and a filter every 6,000 miles. Asked whether he would ever sell it, he said: «I'll be buried with it, I think». He added that it is brilliant to drive and that, as his father's old car, it carries a great deal of sentimental value. The award, he noted, is a further mark of the car's standing among owners who gathered to celebrate the 7 Series.