Description
This car is Lot 152 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at Les Grandes Marques du Monde à Paris Sale on 6 February, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Tuesday 4 February from 08:00 until 18:00 and Wednesday 5 February from 9 AM - 6 PM, at The Grand Palais Historique, Paris.
Lot 152
The Ex-Harald Ertl German National Championship-winning, Ex-Manfred Winkelhock, Hans-Joachim Stuck
1978 Schnitzer BMW E21 1. 4-litre Turbocharged Group 5 Turbo
Registration no.
Chassis no. E21-R1-26
Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft Group 5 Touring Car
One of only two 1. 4-litre turbocharged examples of the 32 BMW E21s originally built by BMW Motorsport to Group 5 regulations
Extraordinary racing career
Restored to the highest standard
Extensively documented including original Wagenpass (1978-80)
Offered without any registration document
Bonhams|Cars are delighted to offer this outstanding BMW turbo competition car, which is not only a German National Championship-winning machine, but one which - overall - has had an extraordinary racing career extending over eleven seasons, from 1978 to 1988 inclusive.
We understand that this was the second BMW E21 'R-car' used by the dynamic and progressive Schnitzer tuning company team towards the end of German racing journalist and past Formula 1 privateer (1975-80) Harald Ertl's national Championship-winning racing season. The luxuriantly-bearded and moustachioed team driver actually won five of that year's eleven Deutsche Rennsport- Meisterschaft qualifying rounds to become the first and only BMW holder of that prestigious title.
Schnitzer's self-built 1. 4-litre turbo engine had excelled. This example, chassis 'E21-R1-26' powered by the potent turbocharged 4-cylinder twin-cam unit - became the primary team car which Harald Ertl campaigned in the final four rounds of the series. In its debut at the Westfalen-Pokal event at Zolder, Belgium on August 20, 1978, Harald Ertl ran second in the Division 2 race despite having collided with Manfred Winkelhock's Wurth team BMW 320, then being slowed by gearbox problems. On September 17 at the Norisring he won his Division 2 race outright, and in the deciding Nürburgring Super Sprint on October 1, he deservedly clinched that coveted DRM title for himself, and for Schnitzer BMW.
Into 1979 car 'R1-26' now offered here was run by the Schnitzer team for Manfred Winkelhock, Harald Ertl having transferred to Ford Motorsport together with his original sponsor, Sachs.
With new backing from the Rodenstock ophthalmic lens company, 'R1-26' shone again in Winkelhock's hands, winning two of its Division 2 qualifying races, at the Norisring and at Zandvoort in the Netherlands, taking second places at Hockenheim, the majestic Nürburgring Nordschleife and at the Zolder Westfalen event, and a third place at Mainz-Finthen. During practice at Zolder Walter Nussbaumer had practised in this Schnitzer BMW before handing it back to Manfred for the race, while at the Nürburgring endurance star Walter Brun handled 'R1-26' in the race while Winkelhock drove the latest 'low deck' Schnitzer BMW into third place securing third place overall in the year's DRM Championship series.
For 1980, Harald Grohs and Willi Siller drove 'R1-26' in the DRM rounds, at Salzburg, twice at Hockenheim and in the Nürburgring Super Sprint. The car appeared in Meisterfoto and Korting livery for Grohs, and Unipart for Siller who finished fifth in it at the Salzburgring.
In time for the far-eastern Macau Grand Prix the 1. 4-litre Turbo engine was replaced by an atmospheric-induction unit to meet local regulation. Drama ensued as the 2-litre unit detonated during practice, with new driver Hans-Joachim Stuck in command. It was replaced by Saturday evening when team mechanic Franz Klinger drove it back to the course through Macau's chaotic city traffic. Stuck took the race lead on lap 4 and won convincingly.
The car was sold locally in Macau and became part of the Viceroy Hotel Group-sponsored Schnitzer BMW three-car team for the 1981 Grand Prix supporting event. While Manfred Winkelhock won overall for the team, local owner/ driver Francis Cheung drove 'R1-26' to finish seventh. For the 1982 Macau GP touring car race Mr Cheung had further success, finishing fourth.
In 1983 this beautifully maintained but hard-raced warrior was sold to new owner Ian Grey who would keep it until 1996. In 1984 he had re-fitted it with a Schnitzer 1. 4-litre turbo engine, as original. Mr Grey raced the car in Thailand, Malaysia and Australia, his and the car's sponsors in succession being John Player Special 1983-84, Akai 1984, Pier21 1985-87 and Rothmans 1988.
Ultimately, this extremely potent DRM Championship-winning car was acquired ex-Ian Grey by the Qvick specialist BMW restoration and preparation business based in Zevekote, just south of Ostend, Belgium. It is offered here now as painstakingly restored throughout to extremely high standards by the company, its finish and Sachs Rodenstock livery commemorating that worn during its DRM Championship-winning season of '78, when driven so very well by the late Harald Ertl, who lost his life in the tragic crash of a private aircraft in Germany in 1982.
We understand that it is one of only two 1. 4-litre turbocharged examples of the 32 BMW E21s originally built by BMW Motorsport to Group 5 regulations. The 3rd existing example was built in 1979 from a street car without a BMW Motorsport chassis number. Its history is extensively documented, including the original German Wagenpass, and it is offered here essentially race ready, subject to normal inspection and finish preparation.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
