1974 BMW 3.0 CSL “Batmobile”

This car, Lot 118, sold for $443,917 (€402,500), including buyer’s premium, at Bonhams Cars’ sale in Knokke-Heist, BEL, on October 6, 2024.

In 1971, Alpina, the performance-tuning company closely associated with BMW, proposed a lightweight version of the E9 coupe to be developed into a competitive race car. Alpina built a prototype and presented it to BMW. Seeing the potential, the collaboration eventually led to the birth of the BMW 3.0 CSL (Coupe Sport Leichtbau), intended for both road and track use. To homologate the car for racing, BMW needed to produce at least 1,000 units. Just 169 cars were built initially, all equipped with carburetors and configured in ultra-lightweight form, using aluminum openings, thinner glass and stripped-down interiors.

While race teams were excited about the CSL, the car lacked homologation, and thus, couldn’t be raced legally. This led to a situation in early 1972 where teams would modify CSLs, disguising them as 2800CS or 3.0CS models, to get around the rules. On April 3, 1972, the Dutch National Racing Team sent a CSL (s/n 2211352) to Zandvoort for a race as a CSL, believing homologation was effective as of April 1. To its great disappointment, it was turned away and told to park the car with other spectators. (April fools!) For the rest of 1972, the CSL continued racing under the guise of being a CS.

Which is which?

BMW built another 429 left-hand-drive CSLs with fuel injection. These models, mainly in Town Pack (“Stadtepaket”) configuration, came with additional comfort features such as power windows, power steering, etc. This made the cars more practical for road use, but heavier compared to the earlier, ultra-lightweight CSLs. (As prices for these cars have risen over the years, some of the “Stadtepaket” models have resurfaced after restoration as “wannabe” ultra-lightweights; therefore, buyers must always check provenance before purchasing anything purporting to be an original ultra-lightweight.)

During this period, the British importer asked BMW why there were no right-hand-drive CSLs available. BMW’s response was that if 500 units were ordered, it would make them — and it did. So by the end of 1972, homologation requirements were met, allowing the CSL to be raced legally beginning in 1973.

Foundation of BMW Motorsport

There’s an important backstory involving Jochen Neerpasch, a former Ford executive who had played a pivotal role in the success of Ford’s Capri race cars. In 1972, Neerpasch was recruited by BMW to establish a new racing division. He agreed to join, but only under the condition that it be a separate entity. This led to the formation of BMW Motorsport, which would go on to dominate touring-car racing in the 1970s, especially with the CSL.

By early 1973, CSLs were actively racing, but the most famous version — the Batmobile — had yet to make its debut. On June 30, 1973, during a practice session at Mainz-Finthen in Germany, Hans-Joachim Stuck drove the first Werks CSL, chassis 2276000, with no Batmobile additions. That evening after practice, the car was taken to a local BMW dealership, where the aerodynamic kit was installed. The next day, Stuck raced it as a Batmobile for the first time; this marked a historic moment in BMW’s racing history and further solidified Stuck’s association with the CSL and Batmobile.

The first series of Batmobiles, consisting of 110 cars, were easily identifiable by the two uprights at the farthest edges of their rear wings, and all produced in Chamonix White or Polaris Silver (with one exception). The downforce generated by the rear wing was so intense that it often caused the wing to flex dramatically. To address this issue, BMW introduced 57 of a second series with an additional third upright in the center of the rear wing for more stability. These Batmobiles were built in a variety of colors.

Stuck up

Our subject car is one of the second-series Batmobiles. I have known of this particular car for many years. Yannick Bernat, who installed the Alpina engine, is a dear friend and informed me the original engine was long gone when he acquired the car. I can only imagine that some spirited driving on the Autobahn assisted in its demise.

Over the years, I would hear about this car, and while there was never any doubt Stuck drove it, there were no records with his name as an owner on it. He was not alone in driving a CSL that was loaned to him by the factory; as BMW struggled to sell these expensive cars, factory race drivers were free to have a little fun, leisurely cruising around showcasing the latest BMW. (Stuck was also loaned a first-series Batmobile.)

According to the auction company, however, the car’s history file contains a German TÜV document from 1990 with Stuck’s name entered as a previous owner. I hope the new owner has done their due diligence and is comfortable with that provenance.

Over the past decade, interest in homologation specials from the 1970s and 1980s has grown, with prices for Batmobiles rising steadily before recently plateauing. Street cars have a wide range of prices, with shiny cars needing work selling at around the $300k level. The top public sale of a Batmobile was at RM Sotheby’s Munich in 2022, where the last of the 57 second-series cars sold for $600k (SCM# 6956567). Privately, I know of one that sold at around $800k.

In the past 18 months, I had been offered our subject car by various European dealers looking to consign it, presumably for the consignor here. Eventually, it was offered for sale by a well-known European dealer at €475k (about $525k). Significantly less was achieved here, but the result was fair, with the edge going to the buyer. ♦