1973 BMW 3.0 CSL

As an original UK right-hand drive CSL, this resplendent example was shipped – as most were – with the ‘City Package’. This was an option on all CSLs but was almost the default choice for UK cars. It consisted of a mechanical and interior package that reinstated a lot of the comfort options from the 3.0 CSi including power steering, front and rear bumpers, additional sound deadening, rear window defrost, velour carpeting and more. However, as so many CSLs came with a custom specification – due to the myriad of options offered – there’s no accepted base specification.

This 3.0 CSL (chassis 2285469) comes with an enviable history folder spanning most of the car’s existence, right back to its pre-delivery in 1973. A year later, with 24k miles recorded, it once again returned to the supplying dealer (Bates Motors, Maldon) before annual servicing was entrusted to Fairfield Garage – a BMW franchised dealership to this day – in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex. Last MoT’d in 2019, there’s a pile of pass certificates going back to 1981, with a similarly generous selection of tax discs from the 1990s to 2015.

In addition to all the easily traced older history, there are a good deal of recent invoices charting on-going care, as the vendor’s been the car’s custodian since 2004. Bills for welding repairs in the past decade sit alongside a substantial engine overhaul in 2017. The vendor also reports that he’s used the car for trips to the Le Mans Classic and for family jaunts around Cornwall, Scotland and his native Wales, with a round trip down to Goodwood and across to Abingdon recently completed without incident.

Striking Taiga Green Metallic paint allows this 3.0 CSL to seriously stand out in a crowd. Not that you’ll often see a gathering of similar CSLs, as only 500 were shipped in right-hand drive, with DVLA figures currently suggesting that a mere 137 of those remain registered (83 on the road, 54 on SORN). The finish of this 51-year-old coupe remains excellent with the paint emitting a highly reflective shine from a period when metallic paint was often an expensive optional extra on ‘lesser’ machines.

In profile, this CSL’s good panel gaps and decals are crowned by a generous glass house, itself boasting that stand-out Hoffmeister kink. Trim (both blacked out and chromed) look excellent, however there are a few little scuffs and dings here and there (most notably on the grille). The front splitter also seems to have been refitted a little haphazardly, and it’s also missing a few bolts, with those that remain not aligned.

While we’re on the subject of minor imperfections – which seems to be all that this car carries – there are some tiny rust bubbles on the base of the offside rear three-quarter panel (low down, just aft of the door), some lifting paint on the nearside rear wheel arch and another similar spot of bubbling behind the offside front wing grille.

Elsewhere, there is some period patina, like the minor scuffs to the wheels – shod with budget rubber up front and ten-year-old Falken Ziex tyres on the back – plus a little missing paint on the rear BMW badge. Frankly, these hardly impact what’s otherwise an extremely well presented machine.

The vendor tells us that he had the front seats re-upholstered a few years ago (invoice from March 2017 for £552 from West Country Trimmers). He “kept the original cord fabric, which still looks fantastic. Very few CSLs retain their original interiors.” We couldn’t agree more, the stylish cabin in any E9 is certainly a wonderful place to be, but this one feels even more special. The right mix of patina and restoration has been deployed here, with some wear still visible without anything looking too tatty. The veneer peeling on the top of the door cards is pushing that aesthetic a little, however. 

Further trifling things like the aftermarket CD player and its accompanying speakers in the door cards (lacking grilles) could be sorted quickly. Similarly, a re-dye of the fabric around the gear lever and touch-up of the missing paint on the steering column (around the wiper stalk/ignition barrel) are the matter of a weekend’s work; if they even bother you enough to address that is. 

The dashboard looks very good without the hot climate cracking found on many left-hand drive CSLs, the headlining also looks superb. The original tool kit is complete, and in the boot we also found an indoor car cover, jack and spare wheel under the carpet, with the metal of the boot floor and rear inner wings looking solid and tidy. The vendor also reports that he tends not to open the boot, as it’s been tricky in the past.

These cars are all about the drive and it’s certainly reassuring to hear from the vendor that the car is currently running well. This is likely down to the huge stack of invoices in the history file, showing plenty of expense spent on keeping things under the bonnet and body in fine fettle. The engine was apparently taken out and rebuilt – according to a £4,747.33 receipt from J.J Griffiths in Llandrindod Wells – in 2017. The work listed includes new bearings, timing chain, valve stem oil seals, gaskets, cylinders bored, and new liners fitted, along with a crank lapping and plenty more ancillary work. Although carried out seven years ago, the engine bay and the block still look very clean and tidy.

The only thing we noticed under the bonnet was a fraying breather pipe from the intake manifold. The cooling fan and radiator look like fairly recent additions, and there are plenty of shiny clamps and clips that reinforce a level of care commensurate with such a rare and historically significant coupe. Underneath, this CSL looks solid with the history file again showing several repairs seemingly carried out to a very high standard.

This car’s history folder is one of the most comprehensive we’ve seen lately. The care schedule it references goes back to the beginning in 1973 and barely shows any significant gaps up to the present. Therefore, there’s far too much to list here, so we’ll just endeavour to cover the abridged highlights instead... 

The car’s care in the past two decades has largely been entrusted to the vendor’s local garage in Llandrindod Wells, J.J Griffiths, however, there are also a few trips to marque specialist Munich Legends listed. The latter firm supplied an injection nozzle in April 2021 (£435.15) and, in November 2021, the same East Sussex concern changed the ignition components, checked and adjusted the valve clearances, tuned the car and carried out various electrical fixes all to the tune of £2,179.07.

The most up-to-date oil change came in September 2023 (Crossing Garage, Llandrindod Wells £143.86), with regular maintenance between 2006 and 2020 (far too many to list, mostly servicing) also from J.J Griffiths, including the aforementioned engine overhaul in December 2017, with a rear exhaust box courtesy of Classic Heroes in 2014 (£572.50).

New metal was needed (between 2013-14 according to the vendor) for the inner and outer sills, nearside front foot well and bulkhead, plus the rear top mounts, with an invoice for £3,408 from King of Cool Classic Cars the result. With a host of other paperwork going back decades further, there’s a real sense of continuous care that accompanies this CSL, which is reassuring to say the least.

The 3.0 CSL is about as legendary as a BMW gets, with its genesis helping to spawn M Power in the first place; incidentally it was one of the first Munich machines to gain the famous blue, purple and red warpaint. Its ancestry also includes Alpina and those countless ETCC victories. This right-hand drive UK version is a little less extreme than some of its even ‘leichter’ racier continental cousins, but that merely makes it more user friendly. It’s still powered by the same 203bhp straight-six engine. 

We’ll let the vendor have the last word to sum up why he’s parting with this sublime slice of motoring history. “I purchased the car in 2004 from a dealer at the NEC Classic Car Show. Under the lights at the show, the car looked stunning in Taiga Green, with the chrome wheel arches beautifully reflecting the bright lights… In my 20 years of owning the car, it has always been dependable. Naturally, with a vehicle of this age, there have been some maintenance issues, but nothing major. After 20 years of enjoying this car, it's time to move on. With my recent business sale, I'm considering purchasing a convertible and embarking on some road trips to the Alps and Pyrenees. This marks a new chapter in my car ownership journey.”

We estimate that this car will sell for £50,000-£60,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.