1972 BMW 3.0 CSL

OVERVIEW

1972 BMW 3.0 CSL
VIN: 2275097
14,391 miles = 23,160 kilometers

One of 1,265 CSLs ever built
Complete concours-level cosmetic and mechanical restoration
Restoration carried out by BMW marque expert Ray Korman
23,160 original kilometers
Matching numbers engine and transmission
All original body panels
Has all correct lightweight panels
Created by BMW to race in the European Touring Car Championship

Built on November 9th, 1972, this BMW 3.0 CSL was first delivered to Palazzolo (Verona), Italy on November 21st, 1972. Spec'd with Polaris Metallic paint, the car arrived at the BMW Italia S.p.A dealership.

Jim Walker, owner of Lynchburg BMW of Virginia and the second owner of the CSL, would acquire the car and set the BMW on a path that would see the car receiving a world-class restoration. Wanting the best for the CSL, Jim went to Ray Korman, a BMW genius and marque expert and the go-to source for CSL-related projects, and would then begin a 2-year, no expense spared restoration.

All parts of the car were removed before removing the car of its paint, with careful attention to not damage any of the original lightweight body panels. The matching numbers engine and transmission were removed, along with all of the suspension. With the drivetrain and body panels removed, the interior was then carefully removed and cataloged.

All of the mechanicals of the CSL were addressed, including the entire drivetrain of the car being completely rebuilt. All of the suspension components were rebuilt and refinished to better-than-new condition. All of the proper lightweight panels were restored, with special care being made to the rare fiberglass front and rear bumpers. It was noted that the car's original body panels were all intact. The replacement aluminum lightweight hood purchased from BMW was allegedly the last OEM lightweight hood left in their inventory. Once prepped and ready, the 3.0 would receive its original Polaris Metallic silver paint.

With an emphasis on period-correct finishes, the interior was the next major stage during the restoration. The wood dash was removed and completely refinished, the gauges were removed, cleaned and rebuilt to ensure perfect operation. The cloth Recaro seats were retrimmed by Scheel, using OEM cloth just like the BMW factory would have in '72. The rest of the interior was restored in a similar fashion, with all of the surfaces and finishes brought to concours-levels.

After finishing the CSLs restoration in 2009, Ray would sell the car for Jim Walker where the car would then go to its most recent owner.
Upon arriving at Canepa, the entire car was thoroughly inspected and confirmed to be one of the finest examples of a 3.0 CSL Canepa has ever seen. The car, in impeccable condition, only required a light cleaning by hand of its exterior, interior and underside to bring it back to as-new condition. Now this homologation special, with its matching numbers engine and transmission, matching lightweight panels, its world-class restoration carried out by a marque expert and the heritage that follows along the CSL name, is sure to be one of the finest early BMW 3.0 CSLs in existence.

MORE ABOUT THE 3.0 CSL:

Built to meet the homologation requirements set by the racing body that ran the European Touring Car Championship, BMW released the 3.0 CSL in May of 1972. "L" in the designation meant leicht (light) instead of the usual designation that BMW had used in the past meaning lang (long). With a clever enlargement of the engine from 3.0 liters to 3,003cc, BMW was eligible to race the car in the "over three litre" category, thus allowing for some increase in displacement in their racing cars. Thinner sheet metal, aluminum hood and decklid, and fiberglass front and rear bumpers were examples of the lightweight objective that BMW sought after. With only 1,265 ever made for the public, the CSL is an instantly recognizable piece of BMW's history and a representation of its heritage for street car-based racing cars.