BMW Individual Aubergine on Purple E39 540i Appears on Marketplace

What: 1997 BMW 540i
Color: BMW Individual Aubergine (aubergine; non-metallic UNI; 348; BMW)
VIN: unknown
Mileage: 115,000 miles
Price: $11,000
CarFax: N/A
Window Sticker: N/A
Location: Fair Lawn, NJ
Listing: Link

We’re fond of tone on tone cars, wearing the same color on the inside as they do on the outside. White on white was popular in the 80s, blue on blue isn’t that uncommon, F40s were red on red, and green on green happens. Purple on purple though, that’s almost never seen… and yet here one is in the form of a 1997 BMW 540i that is purple inside and out.

Technically, this color is Aubergine, the BMW version and not the Porsche version that appears to be darker. Some quick research shows remarkably that this wasn’t the only one built to this spec. Even still, it sounds like two or three may have been sold here in the USA. Even that begs the question on how two or three buyers would have landed on a color combination so unique. They all appear to be 540i configurations, though not all have automatic transmissions as does this car.

Is there more to the story? We haven’t found it yet, but suspect there is. In the meantime, this car is an excellent example of an affordable tailored driver. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine a car this unique at an approachable price, but they happen and this purple on purple E39 is proof positive of that.

Bonus points to the seller for both knowing the paint name and sharing a photo of the factory decal confirming it.