Sited on the tiny Caribbean island of Bonaire was a beautiful European right hand drive 1999 E39 M5. It turns out the owner is a retired cruise ship Captain who appreciates fine machinery and has owned this beauty since new! With 183,000 km on the odometer, this M5 looks and drives like brand new according to Ships' Master Bjorg Kreingjhgold.
Captain Bjorg had his car shipped from Rotterdam and this beautiful jet black M5 has been garaged its entire life, even in Bonaire. The only time it's been off the island is after a ferry trip to Curacao and a month of vacationing on Curacao. As for parts, Bjorg said he's been lucky that he hasn't needed anything major for his E39 M5 while on Bonaire and does all his maintenance himself. If you think your parts are expensive, according to Bjorg Bonaire has an auto parts import tax of 20%, plus when you add in air freight, the parts cost are double what they normally would be in the states. He says he is on a first name basis with "Easy Man" at the parts department of Stewart BMW in Jamaica, who calls him "Captain M5". The longest time this Beast has been down was two weeks waiting for a power steering line to be shipped from Miami.
Amazingly, an auto supply store in Curacao carries Castrol 10w-60 and he can have it flown over in a day. He is a firm believer in a diet of TWS, frequent oil and fluid changes and monthly waxing because of the harsh salt air climate. His car is still on the original clutch, original exhaust system, and the interior is original and looks brand new. His other car is an American Jeep Wrangler for the many unpaved roads on the windward side of the island. If you want to catch Captain Bjorg on Bonaire you better move fast because he tells me he is thinking about a move to Curacao, where Bjorg says "they have more paved roads for my M5."
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