1972 BMW 3.0 CSL

The 1970s were landmark years for BMW. With the introduction of the fabled 3.0-litre CSL in 1971, the Munich-based automaker dominated international motorsport. Winning the European Touring Car Championship six times with names like Hans and Dieter thundering around Spa and the Nürburgring, ripping through an atmosphere that was equal parts oil, lager, and BBQed sausages, the 3.0L CSL raced against the likes of the 911 2.7 RS and 3.0L Ford Capri, whose like-for-like homologation models now sell for well into the millions.

Known popularly as the ‘Batmobile’, the 3.0-litre CSL (Coupé Sport Leicht) was essentially BMW’s first M car produced especially for homologation regulations between 1972 and 1975. Just 500 cars were ever built in right-hand-drive, a minuscule production number and were made available in both the standard, spartan “Lightweight” guise or with the optional “City Package” that was designed to make the car more usable every day, adding power-steering, rear window defroster, sound deadening, electric windows, and velour carpeting.

A sports classic statement of style, heritage, and racing success, available here is one of the very few surviving original right-hand-drive BMW 3.0-litre CSLs and one of just a handful in the country. Numbers matching, factory-fitted with the optional City Package, and presented in its original combination of Polaris Silver on Black corduroy trim, this car was delivered new by BMW Concessionaires G.B Ltd. in the UK.

Released from an extensive private collection, this 3.0-litre CSL still features important and rare original parts like its correct and impossible-to-find Scheel racing bucket seats, aluminum bonnet, boot lid, and door skins as well as correct 14-inch Alpina lightweight alloy wheels.

Accompanying the car is a detailed history file holding restoration receipts, ownership history, spare keys, and a photographic log of its restoration partnered with a letter from Jeffrey Dutton appraising the quality of the restoration in early 1995. Offering a uber-unique opportunity to own, drive, and invest in a seriously rare and collectible racing legend, this peerless 3.0-litre CSL is a must-experience.

Eligible for the Le Mans Classic and the Tour Auto, this original right-hand-drive 3.0-litre CSL would suit the most fastidious collector. One of the finest we’ve ever seen, worldwide.