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Despite not being a well-known Bimmer outside of South Africa, the BMW 530 MLE remains one of the most important cars in the brand’s history. Even though it wasn’t a proper M car, the 530 MLE is considered a precursor to the BMW M5, as it’s also based on the E12 5 Series chassis. A car engineered by the M Division for racing and later on, sold for road use. It also made history as one of th most iconic cars in South Africa.
The BMW 530 MLE had a production run of just over 100 cars, and Cars.co.za made a video of the very rare and amazingly restored version of this. It appears in a white paint and M Division uniform, and it looks incredibly stunning! Over time, we get to see the E12 5 Series becoming more appreciated, and the 530 MLE is the closest and best example of it.
Luis Malhou of Custom Restorations in Vereeniging found and restored this specific model. He had a long list of already restored 530 MLEs in the past and has become well-known in this craft. In coordination with BMW Classic, this resto-job made the car looked like it rolled off the showroom for yesterday. This is despite originally being on sale almost five decades ago.
The 530 MLE carries an M30 3.0-liter inline-six engine, mated to a dog-leg five-speed manual gearbox, distributing the power on the rear wheels alone. It also generates a superb motorsport inline-six noise that you can’t just ignore. The 530 MLE made a name in South Africa and the whole BMW, creating a history. Beyond that, it’s a brilliant car to look at and listen to. Check out the video and see for yourself.
