Mattel aquired Corgi's parent company Toyco in 1989 and started using Corgi castings in their 'Auto City ' line in the early 1990's. Some models were never used again after Auto City, but some ended up working their way into the regular 'mainline' in 1996. The BMW 850i debuted in the mainline in 1996 in metallic silver with a red interior and only stayed in production until 1997. In addition to the mainline, it was included in the FAO Schwarz Gold Series Collection III Set, which comprised entirely of ex-Corgi castings.

Although similar to Hot Wheels' own BMW 850i casting, this Corgi version has opening doors.