George Carlin’s 1996 BMW 850Ci Up For Grabs

Bring a Trailer has become one of the better sites to find unique vehicles. Another machine has popped up on the auction website and it belongs to one of the greatest comedians of all time. George Carlin’s ’96 BMW 850Ci is up for grabs and bidding is already doing very well.

Carlin made numerous jokes about being a terrible driver, which makes the fact that he owned a BMW kind of hilarious. And it wasn’t just any BMW, the 850Ci was a V12-powered beast of a sports car.

Carlin’s old 850Ci has 79,319 miles on the odometer and is one of just 363 examples that were delivered to North America. The vehicle is powered by a 5.4-liter V12 that cranks out 322 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque that’s paired to a five-speed automatic gearbox. While the engine is one of the more noteworthy features of the elegant coupe, the vehicle also came with Electronic Damper Control that could make the car’s ride sportier or more comfortable.

The elegant exterior, which still features pop-up headlights, is believed to be all-original, but some components have been refinished. The 18-inch five-spoke wheels still look great, but exhibit some curb rash. The black interior and wood trim has held up surprisingly well and shows minimal wear. Overall, the car looks like it has been well loved.

The listing claims that Carlin was the only individual that drove the car until his death in 2008, though his business partner was the one that purchased the vehicle new. Following his passing, Carlin’s daughter acquired the coupe and added an additional 11,000 miles on the vehicle.

While the 850Ci didn’t live up to BMW’s hopes in the sports car department, the vehicle was one heck of a grand tourer. Bidding at the time of writing is at $15,678 with seven days left to go. After a quick search on Hemmings, it looks like 850Ci coupes are going for between $18,000 and $35,000. With Carlin as one of the only owners, we expect the price of this example to sell for a little more.