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BMW 3.0CSL 16536
Note: unlike all the pages in this website, this one has the chronology from top to bottom.
Possibly at Hockenheim in November 1976. There is a German marked lorry in the background and 16536 does not have a purple stripe.
History as narrated by John Castle:
In 1975 the BMW Motorsport Team made a shell available to Joseph Schnitzer for him to use as a development car for the turbo car he had been contracted to develop. The shell was modified by Schnitzer with its radiators in the rear wheel arches, the massive extended front “cow catcher” front spoiler and sweeping rear fins and wing, and it was used for testing to prove the concept and to allow Motorsport to build 2275981 as the official World Series of Makes Group 5 team car. When the development program ended, Joseph Schnitzer returned the car to BMW who made it available to Bepp Meyer, an experienced amateur BMW racer, who had started his career in 1971 and was competing in German nation championship races. There are no records I can find as to which engine was fitted but probably an M49/3, the vertically mounted final version of the 24 valve unit which by then was dominating the “over 3 litre normally aspirated” classes. Bepp Meyer’s birthday was 16 May 1936 so the car was given the shell number 16536 and because it was not given a BMW Motorsport VIN which would have been 2275980 but was not, it has never been officially listed. The only record of Meyer’s use of the car is in November 1976 in the Hockenheim Finale, a German national competition, when it came second in its class.
When Mayer returned the car to BMW it was
then sold to Alf Gebhardt, the owner of
Tulsa Motor Works a prolific race car driver
in the USA and owner of Bavarian Motors
International. BMW told him the car was
fitted with a turbo engine, but would only
sell it to him with an M49/3 upright twin as
it could then be well supported with factory
parts. 16536 was still painted with the
wedge stripes, somewhat like the Peterson
factory car, although still without the
violet stripe. When Gebhardt brought the car
to the US its first race was the Sebring 12
Hours on 17 March 1979, co -driven with Hal
Davey, with race number 15 - but it did not
finish. This was an IMSA series which is
possibly why the car has lost its long
fishtail fins and wing.
More:
Turbo Article.pdf
16536 at Sebring possibly in 1980 (white stripe!) The photo shows 16536 as raced by Meyer. Note the 19 inch rear rims that only ever appeared on the Stella car and on this one
St. Louis in 1985. Violet stripe between
the red and blue
At some later point the violet stripe was restored but when Gebhardt and his partner Davey split their business, the car was repainted with gold metallic red paint and continued to be raced until 1988. When Arthur purchased the car in 1995 from storage it was still red.
As purchased by Arthur in 1995
By 1996, a year later, the car was restored to its original livery and raced regularly around the USA until Arthur sold the car to Brad Krause in 2000.
After the car got restored in 1995-1996
Circa 1998: Harley giving words of encouragement to Bill Brecht at Phoenix International Raceway
Since then it has been “restored” again including the removal of the fabulous original motorsport roll cage in favor of a NASCAR style beefy unit. Unfortunately, shortly after this last restoration the owner died and the car has disappeared into an unknown collection.
16536 as it is believed to be in 2017.
And so 2275980 probably survives, but not as we know it. The life of competition cars is invariably one of update and improvement including changing paint work to deal with different owners and sponsors requirements so the life of 16536 is not unusual. But of one thing we can now be certain – there is only one CSL Turbo, the Stella Art car, a sort of Mona Lisa in metal, son of 16536.
Comments from Arthur Porter:
980 was never stamped and I do not believe 980 exists. The group five car I restored was to have become 2276980 with Schnitzer (hand stamped by them as all of the later racing shells were). But the CSL program was scrapped in favor of the 320 before that happened. Schnitzer used the shell that they had (with no number on it) for testing of a workable turbo CSL. When the program was abandoned the shell was returned to BMW in Garching where it was sold to Bepp Meyer. His birthday is 16 May 1936. He stamped the shell with the number 16536. Arthur confirmed this history at BMW with Christian Eich and with Bepp Meyer’s mechanic. .
The car was then re sold by BMW to Alf Gebhardt. He purchased the car and a large cache of spares in Garching at BMW Motorsport HQ. It first raced in the US at Sebring. Then it was raced by him, and subsequently his former partner Hal Davey, until 1988. Hal sold the car to Richard Conway. Arthur Porter bought it from Richard and restored the car in 1995-1996. Subsequently it was repainted by its next owner. Fourth picture. It has not been seen by me since.
The car was and in 2017 is still fitted with the upright M49/3
.
2017, the car is in the USA and in very caring hands, albeit not being raced. Here it is as the STAR of the BMW CCA Foundation Motorsports Display which is open for viewing in South Carolina until at least Fall 2017
Identification:
- 2275981 vs 16536: two distinctive differences between 16536 and 2275981. 2275981 has an extended rear fender flare. The flare begins at the very front of the quarter panel. While the flare on 16536 is the 'standard group 5' flare that starts about 12" further back. The second is that 16536 has two oval shaped air inlets in the front below the headlights but above the air dam.
- 2275981 and 16536 versus all others: 2275981 and16536 were fitted with running boards. Arthur Porter replicated them and installed them on 16536 in the existing holes in the fenders and rockers. The subsequent owner removed them.
Specifications:
- Body:
- Col
- 3210ccDOHC Turbo.(750bhp)
Exterior color (paint code): currently Alpine White
Owners:
- Lance White
- 2000 ->: Brad Krause
- ->2000: Arthur Porter
- Richard Conway
- Alf Gebhardt
- Bepp Meyer
- 1975: Schnizer