What Ever Happened To Tupac's Infamous BMW 7 Series
In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was gunned down at the height of his career, a few blocks from the glittering Las Vegas Strip in front of the then-Maxim Hotel and Casino. There are many theories about the who and why behind the shooting, but the gist is that following a Mike Tyson fight, Tupac was cruising as a passenger in a car driven by music executive Suge Knight when a man in a white Cadillac pulled alongside and started shooting. Although Shakur didn't immediately die from his injuries, he did eventually perish six days later.
The car in which Tupac was riding wasn't actually owned by the rapper. While he most certainly was a gearhead, having owned, among others; a Rolls-Royce Corniche convertible, Hummer H1, and of course, the yellow 1961 Chevy Impala that starred in his "To Live & Die in L.A." music video. However, the 1996 BMW 750iL involved in the shooting, appearing all stock except for aftermarket wheels and tires, was owned or leased by his record label Death Row Records.
According to its Carfax vehicle history report, the V12-powered BMW sedan was inactive for several years following the shooting, which isn't surprising considering that it was likely a major focal point in the police investigation. What is a bit of a shocker is that the car was eventually cleaned, the bullet holes repaired, and pressed back into service with Death Rows Records in 1999.
The price is a cool $1.75 million
According to the Carfax report, Death Row relinquished the car in 2002 to a series of new owners who racked up approximately 120,000 miles over the years. In 2017, the 750iL was acquired by an outfit called Celebrity Cars in Las Vegas that, unlike previous owners, intended to capitalize on the car's macabre past.
Shortly after Celebrity Cars bought the 7-Series, it was featured on an episode of reality show Pawn Stars, where it was offered to pawn shop owner Rick Harrison and his sidekick Chumlee for the princely sum of $1.5 million. The collector car experts that examined the car for the Pawn Stars had differing opinions of the value, but none were able to justify the $1.5 million asking price.
Now, approximately six years later, the infamous 7-series is still for sale at the same dealership with a current price tag of $1.75 million. Both auto enthusiasts and Tupac fans alike have opinions why the car hasn't sold.
Many think that once the bullet holes were repaired and the car was driven regularly again, the connection to the murder became blurred. Also, many celebrity cars that fetch high prices were enjoyed under happier circumstances. Perhaps the elephant in the room is that the asking price is simply too high, which could be by design to generate publicity at the dealership.
If you happen to have almost $2 million to spend on a well-used car, know that at least the Tupac 7-series has a clean title and has never been involved in accident. Well, not that kind of accident, anyway.