Did you know this about the carb CSL

[CSL 1973]

- The early carb CSLs were not badged with a CSL emblem on the trunk lid - only "3.0 CS"
- No CSL stripes
- Engine oil capacity 6,5 litres compared to 5,75 for the injection version
- Final drive ratio 3.45 compared to 3.25 for the injection version
- Basically delivered in three colors: Inka, Golf and Colorado
- Two cars with other colors (one client request + one Verona)
- Most of the new cars sold to Italy
- Six European countries (including Andorra) got one new car each
- Some few carbs were delivered directly to Alpina (B2-S)
- Other tuners of carbs were GS and Koepchen
- The last carb CSL was built after the first injection CSL (in the summer of 1972)
- Reduced price: from 31 950 DM in May 1972 to 31 245 DM in August 1972
- At the end of the sale period, same price for the carb-CSL as for the injection version (31 245 DM in August 1972 and 32 700 DM in February 1973)


Cheers
Henric

 

[feri]

This is quality info, thank you for sharing these !

 

[Yannick]

-

 

[roundel]

M-ah-1076

This car was indeed a carb CSL. With I think a very interesting history. Does it still exist.
Alex

 

[CSL 1973]

M-ah 1076

This car has got Black CSL stripes and "3,0 CSL" trunk lid emblems. If it's a carb, it might be a late one used as test/press car.

As regards Verona on carb, there are at least two carbs in Verona today. Non is Verona from factory. I think, the real Verona carb is resprayed to Polaris.

Cheers

Henric

 

[roundel]

M-ah-1076

It is 2211704, so about half way. But it was still kicking around Munich at the end of `74.
Another victim to rust I suspect....
Alex

 

[Yannick]

-

 

[CSL 1973]

M-ah 1076

After a quick check in my CSL archive, I have photos of M-AH 1076 both with and without CSL stripes (maybe the reg plates were used on different cars). I also think this car was used by Jochen Neerpash as "company car".

BTW, another press/test/company car, M-AH 1077 was used by Bob Lutz and had stripes without "3,0 CSL" letters integrated.

Happy 70s!

Cheers
Henric

 

[CSL 1973]

Yannick,

Thx for the clarification about the Verona carbs. Maybe the B2-S Verona is the referred "client reqest"? Therefore, actually there were two Verona carb from factory. I think it's the other Verona (the non client-request) that has been resprayed to Polaris.

/H

 

[Yannick]

-

 

[roundel]

M ah 1076

Absolutely correct, several CSLs - including 2211 704 - did use this registration plate !

Do you think this kind of thing happened at BMW ? I somehow doubt it. They seemed to be very careful with the rules. 2211704 seemed to be wearing M AH 1076 right through `73 & `74.

The Golf car Neerpasch used was a 2275+++. And it still survives in the USA I think.

Alex

 

[CSL 1973]

CSL company cars etc

Hi Alex,

Neerpasch used an early 2275- car (Golf), which currently lives in USA. I think that one had another reg plate (M-AH 1094) and was also used in the famous AMS test in 1972. Neerpasch is on several photos with the carb M-AH 1076.

Another interesting car is the ex Stuck 4355-bat (sold at the RM-Auction 2010). Chamonix with motorsport stripes. On some photos I have, Stuck is driving a Chamonix street Bat with a female passanger. That car has Black CSL stripes and a front left-wing antenna, which the 4355-bat does not have.

Another Stuck-company Bat?

On another photo, Stuck is on the race track with his race CSL and has parked his company Bat beside the race-bus. This street bat is Polaris. Yet another company Bat?

All in all, I know about at least 5-6 carb CSLs, 2-3 injection-CSLs and some 8-9 Bats used by BMW for Press/Test/Tuners/Company cars purpose.

The most interesting are:

- M-AH 1077: Bob Lutz injection 3003 prototype with AC, Power windows, city-pack (steel doors etc), CSL stripes without "3.0 CSL" letters integrated and with a 5-speed gearbox!

- M-AW 544: Bat Facelift prototype


Cheers
Henric

 

[Gerrit]

Registration plates

Hello,
Interesting thread...I also doubt plates were swaped: The plate number is listed on the title along with the VIN so it would be out of the question of moving a car on a public street or even on a trailer with "borrowed" plates for liability reasons. What then would be the reason for swaping plates on the factory grounds for press pictures? Also, if BMW had "revolving plates", one would find one particular plate number not only on different CSLs but also on various other models (02, E3, 6 or 7 series and so on) which I haven´t noticed yet.
Servus,
Gerrit

 

[Yannick]

-

 

[CSL 1973]

M-ah 1071 & m-ah 1076

Another interesting, but maybe not so well-known, fact is that BMW used a picture of M-AH 1071 on the cover of the early (Feb 1972) "CSL supplement owner's manual". In November 1972 the cover photo was replaced by M-AH 1076.

Both are carb cars but M-AH 1071 was without CSL stripes

Cheers

Henric

 

[2275xxx]

The most interesting are:

- M-AH 1077: Bob Lutz injection 3003 prototype with AC, Power windows, city-pack (steel doors etc), CSL stripes without "3.0 CSL" letters integrated and with a 5-speed gearbox!

- M-AW 544: Bat Facelift prototype


Cheers
Henric

Yes, interesting cars:



M-AH771

The car was shown in magazine published as early as August 1972 (Motor Trend - "Aluminium foil - CSR Coupé").
There is a very small chance that this car is one of the first injected CSLs, but I bet it is a dressed up CSi, with CSL panels and seats.
If you look closely at pictures you see details which tend to confirm this.


M-AW544

It is obviously not a "real" Bat - I mean a car with a VIN from 2275430 and upwards.
Pictures of this car were used for the homologation of the Bat kit.
The homologation forms and pictures were sent the ONS on May 8th, 1973.
And the first time a car with a Bat VIN was road-registered was in the end of June.

There are archive pictures showing that M-AW544 has the old-type heater console.
M-AW544 is likely a very early 2275 (it could be 2275004, which sold for 17'000 CHF at this auction in 1992 or 93).

In a flyer issued in September 1973 this interesting picture shows the car driven by Stuck and with what appears to be standard, non Scheel, headrests. Strange !
Also note the early BBS wheels.


Batmobile at IAA 1973 ?¨

While we are discussing the subject of press cars...
does anyone have a picture showing the Batmobile on display at the 1973 IAA in Frankfurt ?

I have a picture showing a race car but never managed to find a picture of the "street" Bat on the BMW stand !



Marc

 

[roundel]

Staff cars....

I know that in `73 the factory drivers were given CSL road cars, Amon had a RHD Inka csl. Which unfortunately has been crashed here recently. Hezemans had a white LHD CSL. I think they used Stuck as a test driver of road cars, if he could not break it they thought it would be OK to sell !
In `74 Ronnie Peterson had a 525, but fitted with a 3.0 Si engine.

alex

 

[CSL 1973]

Hi Marc,

Many thanks for the info.

M-AW 544:
Indeed the Bat facelift prototype is an interesting car. It differs a lot from the production one. I agree that it must be an early injection car, used by BMW for different try-outs.

BMW really tested different Motorsport stripes on this car. On the left side, it hade one type of stripes. Another style of stripes for the other side.

From the interior archive pictures, one could also see an additional meter (Volt?) below the dash to the right. It also had another steering wheel. The car was Polaris with silver ventilation grids on the bonnet and on the wings. It also had metal "3.0 CSL" emblem instead of the sticker on the rear spoiler.

M-AH 1077:
Bob Lutz Polaris injection prototype car. In addition to AC, 5-speed etc, it also had steel bumpers painted in Polaris! The rear bumper was without rubber. Furthermore, an Alpina B2-S style black front spoiler can be seen on the pictures. CSL stripes in black without any letters integrated. The picture I have is not so sharp, but it looks like an "3,0 CSi" emblem on the trunk lid.

As you pointed out, the front seat adjustment handles are the same as for CS and CSi. This was not available on CSL. It looks also as it has the normal E9 carpets and there is no map reading light on the dash.

M-CE 104:
Another interesting 2275-Bat Press car. If I got everything correct, it was also equipped from factory with City-pack, AC and 5-speed. I think you could perhaps confirm this ...

IAA 1973:
I only have a picture from the Karmann stand. Surrounded by some Porsche 914s, there was a lonely E9. I think it was a Taiga CS or CSi. But I do have the Pressemappe where the CSL Bat was introduced. Three pages where the Bat kit advantages is described in detail (Cw-value etc). It also says that the CSL will be delivered in Chamonix and Polaris. That was true for the 110 first Bats (actually 109 + 1 client request). The wast majority of these Bats were Polaris.

In this Pressemappe, the famous sentence can be found; "with reference to the Homologation, will this car (CSL) be built in a very limited production and therefore, very soon be a rare collectors item on the free market" ...

Alex:

It's a pitty if the ex Amon "early VIN 2285-CSL" was crashed (completely or ...). BTW, Ronnie Peterson also drove a Swedish Polaris 2275-Bat (which still lives in Sweden).

/Henric

 

[feri]

In case of anyone want to see more press car magazine pictures, i scanned some:

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/5527/84097575.jpg
http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/1429/25770236.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/5746/29819669.jpg
http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/8849/33908697.jpg
http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/3702/43587274.jpg

I haven't found 3.0 csl bat photo from IAA 1973, but it doesn't mean that it is not exist.

 

[roundel]

Amon CSL

Henric,
I think the Amon CSL will survive OK.

As well as telling us that the Bat would become a rare collectors item due to limited production, they should have mentioned also `extremeley rare due to rust`.
Alex