Writing about the 1981 Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL sedan recently got me looking at what writers of the day thought were its competitors. I posted about the Jaguar XJ6 a couple of years ago—perhaps it’s time to finally finish this post about the 733i.
“Engineered for drivers, not onlookers.”
For 1982, BMW’s top-of-the-line 733i sedan received a slight horsepower bump. Otherwise, things changed little from 1981, when the significant upgrade had been the introduction of a five-speed overdrive manual. The general look and marketing of the 7-series remained about the same as it had been when BMW launched it in 1977.
The 733i’s standard powertrain was the M30B32 181 bhp 3.3 liter inline six coupled to the aforementioned five-speed manual. More than forty years later, the manuals are popular with collectors, but the smart money is that most 733i’s were ordered new with the three-speed automatic ($775). With the manual, 0-60 came in about eight seconds—crazy fast for a sedan in 1982, let alone one with a curb weight of almost 3,600 pounds. Fuel economy was rated at 19 city/29 highway mpg—with a 22.5-gallon gas tank, a 733i driver could expect a range of 395 to 435 miles with a 10% fuel reserve.
The $33,315 733i (about $114,700 in today’s dollars or almost what a 2025 760i xDrive sedan goes for) came well-equipped. Standard exterior and mechanical equipment included tinted glass, halogen high beam lights, an electric dual position sunroof, power assisted steering, power assisted four wheel disc brakes, and P205/70R14 steel-belted radial tires (a size still readily available) on 14-inch light alloy wheels. Inside, leather upholstery, fully adjustable front bucket seats, an adjustable telescopic steering column, electric windows, an electric central locking system, air conditioning, and an AM/FM stereo cassette radio with an electric antenna were included. The famous deluxe toolkit was integrated into the trunk.
The View From 2025
Like many BMWs, the 733i does attract collector interest, and there is support from BMW car clubs. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, all the money for a 1982 BMW 733i in #1/Concours condition is $32,200, with a more normal #3/Good condition car going for $8,400. 733i’s frequently appear for sale in the Hemming’s Motor News classifieds, on eBay Motors, and on Bring A Trailer.
Make mine New Polaris Metallic, please. I know silver is a BMW and other German car cliché, but sometimes a cliché is correct.
Other BMWs I have written about include the 1983 633CSi coupe, the 1984 325e coupe, the 1987 L6 coupe, the 1987 M6 coupe, the 1988 M3 coupe, and the 1988 750iL sedan. I should write about the 5-series at some point.
Last updated June 2025.
Eighties Cars 