1984 FIA Group A BMW 635 CSi, Ex DTM, Destroyed By Fire, Reborn By Vink Motorsport
This stunning 1984 FIA ‘Group A’ BMW 635 CSi wasn’t always this way. Most ex motorsport cars need attention, rebuilds or see signs of wear. This one has a rather different story and is due to go on sale at the season opener for Silverstone Auctions at the RAF Museum in London on the 5th and 6th March.
Originally being built as a BMW Motorsport car in 1984, RA-2-49 was sold to privateer Herr Fritz Möller who competed with it in DTM and endurance races. Which means this car has raced at the 24 hours of Spa and the Nürburgring for three years between 1984 and 1986 in his ownership.
The car has now been built to the high standard you see by BMW expert Ton Vink of Vink Motorsport, it in this condition before. All race cars have their incidents, and many have been rebuilt several times over and probably have very little, if anything of the original car left. But it carries the all-important FIA HTP (Class CT40) tags until 31/12/2030 and really you’re good to go.
However, it wasn’t a racing accident that put this car off the track and in need of repair, it was much more unfortunate than that. The 635 changed hands back in 2005 when it was bought by Michael Bonk Motorsports (MBM), who were the team mechanics for Fritz in his DTM days and had a great deal of knowledge about the car.
They restored the chassis, and the BMW went to Joseph Kolliker who completed the remaining parts of the restoration. Here is where things go wrong and in an unfortunate workshop fire, the car was severely damaged and remained untouched for many years.
Th car was thankfully saved when it was purchased and sent to Tom Vink in Amsterdam to realise the potential that was still there. Vink got together with bodywork specialists Matter Motorsport who decided that the only way to proceed was to replace the body. A pity, but it was too far gone. Remember what I said about racing cars being rebuilt.
The car was built from the bottom up as if it was being done as new in period. this was going to be a world standard in 635 Group A preparation, and it really does show.
Bosch Tuning joined in rebuilding the engine to modern standards and now produces a health 320 bhp and 400 Nm of torque. The gearbox was also rebuilt with brand new homologated internals from Samsonas.
The restoration was completed a couple of years ago and the CSi has been campaigned in the Peter Auto Series with some success too coming in a very impressive second place.
The BMW is now ready to move on to the next owner and looks like it will make a fantastic historic racer. These look and sound superb in action.
The guide price for the upcoming auction is £120,000 to £140,000, which isn’t cheap, but is likely to represent good value when you consider what the build must have cost. But to have a genuine, albeit rebuilt, DTM and endurance racer that has a competition history including Spa and the Nürburgring is pretty rare.
If you want it, and I can’t see why you don’t, have a look at the Silverstone Auctions website.
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