Dream Car: Ex-Works 1976 BMW 3.5 CSL Group 5 ‘Batmobile’ For Sale
Images via Jan B. Lühn
This awesome ‘Batmobile’ 1976 BMW 3.5 CSL Group 5 is ex-Works and one of four factory-built Group 5 machines. It claimed two wins in the World Championship of Makes, and it’s up for sale through Jan B. Lühn.
The car, chassis 2275982, is one of four built by the BMW factory to Group 5 specification. It competed as a Works entry in the 1976 World Championship of Makes season, entered by Schnitzer Motorsport.
It got off to a somewhat inauspicious start, scoring a DNF at Mugello, with Brian Redman one of the pilots, then again at Vallelunga, Italy, and a third at Silverstone. From there things improved dramatically and it won the ADAC 1000 Kilometers of Nürburgring driven by Dieter Quester and Albrecht Krebs and the 1000 Kilometers of Österreichring with Quester joined by Formula 1 pilot Gunner Nilsson.
A fifth at Watkins Glen with Ronnie Peterson on board was followed by a retirement from the 24 Hours of Le Mans and sixth in the 6 hours of Dijon driven by Albrecht Krebs and Peterson. This performance made it the most successful BMW in the ’76 season and helped BMW claim second in the World Championship of Makes.
According to Jan B. Lühn, it’s also the only BMW driven in period by two Formula 1 drivers – Ronnie Peterson and Gunner Nilsson.
2275982 continued racing in 1977, driven by Sepp Manhalter for Memphis Racing in Austria, Germany and Czechoslovakia. From there it was sold to an Indonesian businessman, who took it to Jakarta. There it raced in, and won, the Indonesian Grand Prix in Bentol colours.
The car continued racing in Asia during 1978. During the season it developed issues with its motor and was put in a shed to rest. There it stayed for a quarter century, until it was uncovered by its current owner in 2002. They took the car to the United Kingdom and began a complete restoration with the assistance of BMW motorsport.
Thanks to its long hibernation, the car’s in impressively original condition and has many rare BMW Motorsport parts still fitted. Restoration completed, the matching-numbers car is in incredible original condition and still has its original engine, gearbox and differential fitted. Of the four cars from the BMW Motorsport factory, one is the BMW Calder Art Car, two are currently running and this machine is the only one to still feature its original motor.
Rare, storied and original, this Batmobile is one we’d love to see on circuits again soon. Head to Jan B. Lühn’s official website for the full details.
Images via Jan B. Lühn
