Fendi? Chanel? No. Karl’s Favorite was BMW.
Karl Lagerfeld — the man who sculpted Chanel and Fendi into empires, made silence on the runway louder than words and dressed a century in black. The mastermind behind iconic collections and eternal silhouettes.
But the real icon?
It was his taste beneath those black leather gloves and dark sunglasses. And that taste did not stop at couture. While the world watched his runways, Karl made a quieter move — one that would rewrite the rules of automotive luxury. Not with a Bentley. Not with a Mercedes-Benz. With a BMW.
But not just any BMW — his BMW. From one German icon to another.
The BMW 750iL (E32). Custom, not Courtesy of Hertz.
Forget the usual suspect — the S-Class. Because a man who wore fingerless gloves to dinner was not going to drive an ‘everyone’s favorite’ S-Class. No. Karl Lagerfeld’s taste demanded more.
And in 1992, BMW gave it to him.
A custom-built 750iL (E32), not the standard one. Handled not by a dealer, but by BMW AG in Munich itself. Two-tone, black over grey exterior, long-wheelbase — subtle, serious, and unmistakably tailored.
Inside?
A full-leather interior, draped across the cabin like one of his Chanel coats. The center console, the dash, the doors — all wrapped. No plastic.
A fax machine in the back, because that is Karl in the rear. And champagne flutes, waiting for Dom Pérignon and an unscheduled celebration.
Under the hood?
A 5.0L V12 engine. A mechanical symphony ready for fashion emergencies at 250 km/h.
As you might expect, this car did not come from a brochure. It came from vision. Not just Karl’s — but BMW’s. His request was more than a commission. It was a provocation. What if bespoke did not end at tailoring? What if a car could be couture?
And suddenly, the question echoed: How do I get what Karl got?
BMW took notes. And with it, an idea formed — not a trim level, not an upgrade, but a philosophy. Not mass production. Individualization. His 750iL, though never advertised, became the unofficial prototype of what would soon become the BMW Individual Program — a department for those who, like Karl, saw luxury.
Funny, isn’t it? Today, everyone remembers the BMW L7 he had.
But this E32? This was the first.
And Karl — well, he was already sketching the next one.
The BMW L7 (E38): One-Off, Not One of Many
As if the E32 was not enough, he did it again —this time, in a longer form.
Enter the BMW L7.
Yes, we know you heard the 730d, 740i. But this one… No, not the long-wheelbase “iL” the diplomats settled for. This was the longer one — the limousine. A stretch not of metal, but of imagination. Just 899 were ever made. But this is the only one glowed in Goldorange Metallic — a BMW Individual color that refuses to pick a side between red and orange.
And inside?
Not beige, not black. Chocolate. Leather the shade of an Italian espresso, wrapped around every inch. There were champagne flutes, a rear entertainment system and a fax machine, again. But this was not just a repeat. This time, there was a plaque. “Designed by Karl Lagerfeld.”. A signature.
So why this car? Why now?
Some say it was not Karl who asked. It was BMW who offered. A quiet thank-you, slipped under the table — for what he started with his E32. But also a statement.
This was not a test vehicle. This was a showcase. A rolling portfolio for BMW. A “what if” made real.
What if your car could look like this? What if luxury was made for you?
BMW never ran a campaign. They just let Karl drive it. And drive it he did. Through Paris, through Monaco. Not behind the wheel, of course. Behind a partition wall, cutting him off from the world like a closing curtain.
Yes, it had a V12. But the real engine was atmosphere. It wasn’t fast. It didn’t need to be. It was already ahead — parked outside the Ritz.
And when he was done with it, he did not sell it. Do you know what he did?
He donated it. To the BMW Museum in Munich. Yes.
Why?
Because this belonged in history. It is a one-off in every sense. Not rare because of numbers. Rare because only one wore Karl’s name.
Danke Karl
Do you still think the BMW Individual program was born from the Quandt family craving customization?
No. It was Karl’s vision — his 7 Series — that whispered something louder: what if automotive luxury could be singular?
He taught BMW — and us — that true luxury is not about options.
It is about signature.
Not ubiquity, but rarity.
Not conformity, but rebellion.
We do not just thank Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel or Fendi.
We thank him for proving that true luxury turns heads — even behind tinted glass.
And at Gallemar, every day, we miss visionaries like him.
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