Stock #1560 VIN: 2211xxx** ENG #2211xxx** Numbers Matching 104,100 Kilometers / 64,600 Miles 14k Kilometers / 8,700 Miles on Mechanical Restorations Inka Orange (022 71) on Black Leatherette/Corduroy 4-Speed Manual Gearbox SoCal Car for 20+ Years Clean and Clear Florida Title BMW Certificate of Authenticity (copy) BMWCCA Member Owned Vehicle Signed by Hans Stuck and Brian Redman
The BMW 3.0 CSL was developed by BMW’s Motorsport Division (later to become ///M) in conjunction with Alpina. This car was homologated for European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) competition. 169 of these special extra lightweight cars were built. There are estimates of fewer than 50 remaining today as most were used for competition. Due to aluminum panels, Plexiglass and other weight-saving measures, these 1st series cars were 440lbs lighter than regular E9s and nearly 300lbs lighter than a CSL “City Pack” car. Only 69 of the homologated lightweight vehicles were built in Inka Orange.
Unique differences of these early homologated CSL cars include:
- Aluminum doors, hood, and trunk lid
- Thinner gauge steel on the unibody
- Unique hood and trunk lid metal prop sticks
- Special hood clips with pins
- Plexiglas rear side windows and rear windscreen
- Rear windows fixed and roll-up front windows (no electric windows)
- Lightweight glass
- Plastic composite rear bumper and no front bumper
- Lightweight Scheel-Mann fiberglass bucket seats
- Lightweight interior
- Bilstein suspension
- Special springs and 20mm reduced ride height
- 7×14 Alpina alloy wheels (7×16 Alpina alloy wheels currently installed)
- Chrome fender lip extensions (not with car at this time)
- Black vinyl side stripes with “3.0 CSL” text
- Trunk lock and tool kit deleted
The CSL trunk lip spoiler and front air dam were added at a later date.
This CSL was built on November 24th, 1971 and was sold new by Automobiles Pyrénées of Andorre-La-Vieille, Andorra (between France and Spain) on March 27th, 1972.
The first owner was Steve Van der Lan, a Dutch diplomat living in Spain. In the late ‘80s, the car was imported to the Netherlands by George Ditvoorst. The car stayed in the Netherlands for the next 15 years until it was imported to the U.S. in April 2003 with 89k km by Chris P., a California enthusiast. It was found to be an original survivor example that had not been in competition and was wearing all of its original metal panels.
For the next 5 years, Chris worked to further improve the car including a mechanical and undercarriage refurbishment by Casey Motorsports of Petaluma, California. The process was well documented with many photos. Highlights of the work done during his care include:
- Original CSL Ducktail spoiler sourced
- Correct CSL sway bars (20mm front and 16mm rear) purchased and restored
- Complete engine rebuild
- Remove engine and completely tear it down
- Found cylinder #3 damage due to long-time sitting in storage
- No signs that the engine had ever been rebuilt
- Engine components sent to machine shop
- Block was bored out to 2nd over (89.mm + 0.50)
- Connecting rods reconditioned
- Rods balanced
- Crankshaft journals were polished
- Crank was spin balanced with flywheel and clutch
- New pistons, which were balanced with connecting rods
- Rebuilt cylinder head with updated guides and seals
- Valve job
- New rocker shafts and rockers
- Engine block refinished in correct black engine enamel
- Media blast all aluminum parts
- All new (or restored) hardware in correct finish
- All new bearings, timing chain/chain components, oil pump, gears, and seals
- Rebuilt starter and alternator
- Ignition wire set/Pertronix electronic ignition
- All cooling hoses and water pump replaced
- Radiator restored/upgraded to 3 core unit
- Carburetors disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt
- Air cleaner assembly powder coated to match original finish
- Front and center mufflers with other exhaust components
- Suspension refurbishment
- Remove front and rear subframes/disassemble
- Powder coat all necessary parts
- Zinc plate all hardware
- All new bushings
- Front control arms and idler arm
- Tie rods (left, right, and center)
- Upper strut bearings
- New Bilstein front struts with upper strut bearings and spring pad
- Original rear Bilstein shocks reused
- New wheel bearings and seals
- Install Alpina sway bars with new brackets and bushings
- Custom adjustable sway bar end links
- Custom alignment
- Axle half-shafts disassembled, cleaned, repacked, and refinished
- Differential removed, disassembled, media blasted, refinished, and resealed
- Transmission work
- Remove and disassemble
- Checked all internal parts
- Media blasted case
- Resealed entire transmission
- Installed new driveshaft flex disk and driveshaft center bearing
- Transmission mount
- Resurface flywheel
- Clutch kit
- Clutch slave and master cylinders
- All new hardware
- Brake work
- Disassemble brake components, clean, and media blast
- All hardware sent out for zinc plating
- New brake rotors/discs and brake pads
- New hard and flexible brake lines
- Brake fluid reservoir
- E-brake cable and brake shoes
- Brake master cylinder
- Rebuild front and rear brake calipers as well as refinished with high temp coating
- Underside chassis refurbishment
- Scrub down entire underside while on dolly
- Pressure washed
- Sanded and cleaned surface rust areas then treated/coated with Wurth
- Entire underside shot with Wurth stone guard undercoating
- All hardware cleaned and zinc plated
- While drivetrain was removed, the engine bay was refinished
- Cleaned wiring harness and rewrap
- All electrical components cleaned and restored
- Misc. engine hardware/brackets refinished
- Rear spoiler installed using special purpose 3M adhesive tape
- Front CSL spoiler refinished and reinstalled
The car was finished in June of 2005 and over $50k (in today’s dollars) was invested during this owner’s care. Chris sold the car to a Los Angeles developer in 2008. That owner only had the car for a year before he realized the impact of the financial crisis and had to sell it just a year later. It was sold to the current owner in 2009.
The current owner lives in Florida but kept this E9 here in Southern California for the past 16 years. During his ownership, fewer than 1,500 miles (2,500 km) were added. A couple of years after he purchased it, he decided he wanted the cosmetics to look as good as the mechanicals and underpinnings. The exterior was repainted in its correct factory color Inka Orange. Also, the carburetors were upgraded to Webers, and 16” factory Alpina wheels were installed. Despite not being driven much, the storage facility regularly exercised the car as well as performed routine fluid flush/services.
The exterior of this CSL is in excellent condition and looks very fresh. The paint just went through a multi-day paint correction with ceramic coating, which gives it a deep shine. There are minimal signs of use with no significant chips, scratches, or dents. All the body panels appear to be original with the correct factory aluminum hood, doors, and trunk lid. The steel parts of the body are thinner gauges specifically designed for the 169 ultralight homologated CSLs. The Plexiglas windows (rear and side rears) are original with correct stampings and minimal scratching. The front side windows and windshield are glass and in good shape with correct factory stampings as well. The brightwork is in good shape with no major blemishes and just some light pitting on some of the chrome parts. The rear bumper is the correct factory lightweight plastic unit and is mounted properly. The body gaps/panel fitment is quite good, especially considering the aluminum panels. All the exterior lights work. The 16” factory Alpina wheels (not reproductions) have been restored and have no signs of curb rash. They are wrapped in Yokohama tires with more than half-life remaining. However, they are dated 2003 and need to be replaced soon. They show no signs of age, which is a testament to the car being properly stored and lightly driven. The brakes have near full life remaining.
The interior is equally as nice with minimal signs of wear. The factory-correct Scheel buckets have no tears or rips. The rear seats look unused. The headliner has no stains, tears, or sagging issues. The carpet has no major wear or stains. The door panels look fresh with good fitment. The dash has no cracks and all the gauges work. The wood accents have no delamination and are wearing the correct satin finish. The sun visors appear to be original and not too puffy. The correct leather-wrapped 380mm Momo Alpina steering wheel is in excellent shape.
The trunk, engine compartment, and underside all look fresh. The trunk has the correct (extremely rare) trunk lid support prop. A trunk lock has been added for functionality. The trunk floor panels are not warped and properly finished in grey vinyl. The spare tire well shows no signs of corrosion and the fuel tank is in similar condition. The engine compartment is very tidy with no signs of leaks or any other issues. Proper factory engine decals have been ordered and will be installed by a marque expert upon arrival. The wiring is tidy and all the components look correct and in their proper finishes. The underside is immaculate as well with no signs of any prior damage or repairs. It is very dry and correct.
This E9 drives amazingly, and the massive weight reduction is easily felt. Thanks to electronic ignition, it starts easily on the first try, even after sitting for a few days. At operating temperature, it holds an even idle. The power is surprisingly good with strong acceleration throughout the rev range with no hesitation. Thanks to the Weber carburetor update, the power delivery feels more powerful, especially on the lower end of the range. The 4-speed manual transmission shifts smoothly through all the gears with no grinding. The clutch engages properly as well. The brakes have excellent initial bite with no fading or pulling. The handling is crisp and direct, yet it easily handles uneven road surfaces with no tramlining. Overall, this example is very comfortable and a fun experience. It would be a joy on any appropriate driving event.
This BMW is currently registered in Florida but is legal in CA and is smog-exempt.
This CSL comes with 1 main key that works the ignition and door locks, 1 key for the trunk, BMW Certificate of Authenticity (copy), spare wheel with tire, set of 4 custom Cocomats, 1 driver original rubber floor mat, jack, 2 CDs with photos of the restoration, and a pair of 3–ring binders with documentation (reference articles, service receipts, email copies of communication with prior owner, importation paperwork).
In 1971, BMW went on a crash diet.
Throughout the late ‘60s, BMW watched tuners like Alpina and Schnitzer successfully race early E9 (CS coupe) cars. However, weight was their nemesis.
In some events like Belgium’s Spa, these cars would devour over 40 race tires in one race weekend.
The newly founded BMW Motorsports division had an answer. In May of 1971, the first CSL (Coupe Sport or Competition Sport Lightweight/Leicht) was built.
Only 169 of these ultra-lightweight coupes were homologated for the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) between May 1971 and June 1972.
BMW went on to win 5 ETCC series and remained competitive for several years after being replaced with the 6-series cars.
The weight savings were dramatic. Ultimately, they shaved 440 lbs from the regular CS bringing their weight to just over 2,500 lbs.
Even the later “Batmobile” CSLs weighed nearly 300 lbs more than these first-series ultra-lightweight cars.
Sadly, the majority of these early CSLs were campaigned and fewer than 50 examples remain. Of those, how many still have their original aluminum panels, special lightweight components, and numbers matching engine?
In celebration of this 38th-built CSL, the previous owner had winning CSL drivers Brian Redman and Hans Stuck sign the sun visor.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Paul at 714-335-4911 or [email protected]
This vehicle is sold “as-is” with no warranty, written or implied. In some cases, the vehicle does have the remaining factory warranty still in place and will be described above if that is the case. All taxes and fees are the responsibility of the buyer and are not included in the listed price. All vehicle sales will require a $170 administration fee. The vehicle listed is described to the best of our ability. The information is based on our own research and statements made to us by the previous owner(s). To the best of our knowledge, the above information is accurate. We are not responsible for errors in our description of options or any other details. The above-mentioned vehicle is used and can be expected to show some wear and tear. It is not a brand-new vehicle. We do welcome all local pre-purchase inspections on vehicles to verify their condition. For payment, we accept bank transfers, cashier’s checks, or cash. Checks take up to 10 business days to clear. The vehicle and title will be held until all funds are cleared and verified. Bank transfers usually only take 24 hours.
Note: For out-of-state buyers, California does not offer temporary tags/registration. Each State typically has a grace period to allow buyers to drive their new out-of-state acquisition to their local DMV for registration. Please check your State’s DMV website for more details. Also, California requires us to surrender standard plates less than 30 years old back to the state and will not be delivered with the vehicle. Personalized plates stay with the seller.