This original, unabashed 6 shows why the design is woth celebrating half a century on

The E24 BMW 6 Series was arguably the most evocative coupé of its era. Now, 50 years on since its inception we see how BMW cemented its legend

Year of manufacture 1970 Recorded mileage 58,940km Asking price €59,500 Vendor Gallery Aaldering, Brummen, The Netherlands; 0031 0575 564055; gallery-aaldering.com WHEN IT WAS NEW Price £5342 (1972) M

50 years ago, the 6 Series was launched into a market that didn’t understand it. But then the Eighties happened. We drive an M635CSi in London’s financial district to celebrate the car that changed BMW forever

This ‘brutal’ Bentley makes more of a cost-conscious Aston alternative which, if you buy right, shouldn’t cost any more than a Silver Spirit or Brooklands to run. What’s not to like?

A vision of a time 11 years before the M3 opened – and when Ford Prefects, Austin Cambridges and telegraph poles were everyday sights