Fancy Bidding On A BMW Z8 That Once Belonged To Steve Jobs?

With under 6000 built, retro-inspired styling and a role in one of the shonkier James Bond franchise installments, the Z8 is already an odd little bit of BMW’s history. This particular Z8 - up for auction soon - is quirkier still, as it was once owned by none other than Steve Jobs.

Yep, Apple co-founder, tech visionary and lover of turtle necks - who passed away in 2011 - took delivery of this very Z8 on 6 October 2000. He had the car until 2003, selling it on to the current owner in 2003.

It must have been tempting to park it up for good at that point and maximise investment potential, but to his credit, the Los Angeles-based owner is said to have driven the car “regularly.” It wasn’t driven far, though: it’s clocked 15,200 miles, equating to less than 1000 miles a year.

He initially only kept it a year, selling it in 2004. He apparently regretted the decision, and convinced owner number three to sell it back to him in April 2006.

This immaculate, well-maintained Z8 is being auction with the original hardtop plus stand, a cover, all the right manuals and service records, the navigation CDs and even a BMW-branded Motorola flip-phone. A phone which auction house RM Sotheby’s says Jobs was “known to have hated.” No big surprise there…

No BMW Z8 is cheap, but the historical connection here results in a particularly hefty estimate of $300,000 - $400,000. The car will go under the hammer at the RM Sotheby’s ‘New York - Icons’ event on 6 December.