BMW 528E Touch Up Paint (18 OEM Colors)

The Color Breakdown

The BMW 528e is the quintessential "executive on a budget" classic, and its color palette followed suit. BMW recorded 18 different colors for this chassis, ranging from the legendary (and love-it-or-hate-it) Bronzit Beige Metallic to the sophisticated Delphin Metallic. While the 528e spent most of the '80s draped in professional shades of silver and gray like Salmon Silver and Glacier Blue, they occasionally let their hair down with gems like Calypso Red Pearl and Laguna Green. They really went for it with those pearl finishes, giving a "working class" engine a first-class wardrobe.

What to Watch For

Since these cars have been out in the wild for decades, the original finish has some stories to tell. If you have a metallic shade like Royal Blue or Cirrus Blue, keep a close eye on the horizontal surfaces-the hood and roof. The clear coat on these older BMWs can get a little shy and start to peel or flake away from the base color. For the solid colors like Alpine White or Bright Red, you might notice the paint looking a bit "chalky" or faded. Don't worry, it's not ruined; it's just thirsty for a little attention. You'll find your specific color code on a black sticker usually located on the driver's side strut tower under the hood, often written in German-so look for the word "Lack" followed by a three-digit number.

Driveway Repair Tip

When using your touch-up pen or brush, remember that those "Metallic" and "Pearl" names aren't just for show-they actually contain tiny flakes of metal or mica. These flakes like to settle at the bottom of the bottle while it sits in your drawer. To get a perfect match for colors like Sterling Silver, shake your paint bottle for a full 60 seconds longer than you think you need to. When applying, think "less is more." Use the tiniest dab possible to fill the chip. If the color looks a little thin, wait ten minutes and add a second tiny layer. It requires more patience than a standard white, but it's the secret to making that repair disappear into the original finish.