Very rare
Among 1997 cars still registered
Rarer than 96% of other 1997 vehicles still registered.
How rare is a 1997 BMW 540?
1997 BMW 540
64
still registered in Oz
Very rare
Rarer than 99% of cars still registered
How rare is yours?Oz rare cars
Rarity here means how many are still registered today — not how many were built.
About 64 BMW 540 vehicles made in 1997 were still registered in Australia on 31 January 2025. Cars made in 1997 are 6.7% of every BMW 540 still registered (about 957 across all years). By count, 1997 ranks 5th of 21 build years for the 540. The busiest year is 2017 (about 160 still registered); 1997 has about 40% as many. That is about 129% more than 1996. On 31 January 2021 there were about 93 — down about 31% since. Rarer than 96% of other 1997 vehicles still registered.
At a glance
Still registered on Aussie roads · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
40%
Versus the busiest 540 year
1997 has about 40% as many still registered as 2017 (about 160).
6.7%
Share of this 540 fleet
About 64 of about 957 540 vehicles still registered, all years together.
31%
Registered in VIC
About 20 of about 64 are registered in VIC. State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Still registered, year by year: 1997 BMW 540
How many of this exact car were still registered on 31 January each year (2021–2025). Not new sales in those calendar years.
Tap a point for its count.
BITRE snapshots. Later releases can revise earlier years. Pre-2021 figures are not on this chart.
View counts as a table
| Date | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 31 Jan 2021 | About 93 |
| 31 Jan 2022 | About 78 |
| 31 Jan 2023 | About 70 |
| 31 Jan 2024 | About 72 |
| 31 Jan 2025 | About 64 |
1997 BMW 540 vs peak and average years
Above the average manufacture year for this model — tap bars for counts.
1997 540
Peak year (2017)
Average manufacture year
Still registered counts for this model · BITRE as at 31 Jan 2025
540 manufacture years by registered count
Manufacture years for the 540, with your year highlighted. Tap a bar for its count.
You
View counts as a table
| Year made | Still registered |
|---|---|
| 1993 | About 26 |
| 1994 | About 56 |
| 1995 | About 57 |
| 1996 | About 28 |
| 1997 | About 64 |
| 1998 | About 71 |
| 1999 | About 45 |
| 2000 | About 62 |
| 2001 | About 67 |
| 2002 | About 44 |
| 2003 | About 15 |
| 2005 | About 8 |
| 2006 | About 58 |
| 2007 | About 38 |
| 2008 | About 14 |
| 2010 | About 3 |
| 2016 | About 6 |
| 2017 | About 160 |
| 2018 | About 66 |
| 2019 | About 28 |
| 2024 | About 41 |
1997 BMW 540 registrations by state
Where these still-registered vehicles are recorded by state/territory
NSW
VIC
QLD
WA
SA
TAS
ACT
NT
Tap a bar for its count.
View counts as a table
| State | Still registered |
|---|---|
| NSW | About 17 |
| VIC | About 20 |
| QLD | About 9 |
| WA | About 11 |
| SA | About 3 |
| TAS | About 4 |
| ACT | Not published |
| NT | Not published |
Most common colour: Black
Victorian registrations of this model, all years. National colour isn’t published.
Power / fuel
This year of manufacture.
- PetrolAbout 63 registered
- LPG / AutogasAbout 3 registered
What a fill might cost· tap to enter your postcode
A typical sedan tank is about 60 L — edit if you know yours.
Estimate only. Nearby pump prices from public fuel-price feeds. Not a valuation.
How likely are you to spot one?
About 219,000 cars
Watch this many cars go by and it’s a 50-50 chance one is a 1997 BMW 540.
Spot a 1997 BMW 540Under 1%
Spot any BMW 540, any yearAbout 2%
A rough guide, based on official registration numbers.
Questions about the 1997 BMW 540
- How does 1997 rank among 540 build years?
- 5th of 21 build years by count. About 64 still registered in Australia.
- How many 540 vehicles still registered were made in 1997?
- 6.7% — about 64 of about 957 across all years.
- How rare is it among all 1997 cars still registered?
- Rarer than 96% of other 1997 vehicles still registered.
- Which manufacture year has the most 540 still registered?
- 2017. The model page has every build year side by side.
- Which states have the most registered?
- VIC (About 20); NSW (About 17). State figures come from a separate BITRE table, so they can differ slightly from the national count.
Based on BITRE Road Vehicles Australia, January 2021–2025 (CC BY 3.0 AU; the January 2024 release is CC BY 2.5 AU). Colour: Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Whole Fleet Vehicle Registration Snapshot by Model, Q4 2024 (CC BY 4.0). Oz rare cars is not affiliated with or endorsed by BITRE, the Australian Government or the Victorian Government. Registration counts are not sales, not a valuation, and not advice. Method