• CUP 499L
• 900 PH
  

Model code: 3452

Mileage: 1996: more than 100,000

Original option: Alpina front spoiler. These spoilers were fitted to the early batch of UK delivered cars. In 1980, this CSL still has its early type Alpina front air dam fitted. Sadly this spoiler went missing some time in the early 80s.

History:

• January 2020: start of the restoration at Miklós Mészáros in Hungary.
• 2011 update:

  "After 28 years of searching, CSL enthusiast Richard Washer has finally found his dream BMW - and it's an ex-Sean Connery car to boot.

  "I found it on an online forum," said Washer. "On 25 July 1983 it was sold to Connery and registered in his name to a flat in Chelsea."

  Washer adds that Connery may have taken the 1972 lightweight to Ireland during the making of sci-fi film Zardoz, but it isn't yet clear how long he owned it.

  The car was also loaned to C&SC's predecessor Old Motor in 1980 for a feature by Roger Bell, and appeared in a 1997 issue of 007 Magazine.

  "A fellow enthusiast bought her in Scotland in 1999," said Washer. "He drove it to Suffolk and into his garage, then left it there."

   

• Frank Hedley was the owner late 1980 and the car was equipped with an Alpina front spoiler and had the UK registration plate "900 PH". Frank bought this CSL for his wife Pauline to use and fitted her number plate, 900 PH to it. This was the second plate that this car had been given.

History:

Model history - We have Anton Hille, the "live wire" MD of BMW Concessionairs GB to thank for the RHD CSL. The car was launched to the British market in October 1972, @ a list price of £6,299 ( rising to £7,499 by July 1973 ) the CSLs target market, was the well heeled professional, who enjoyed his motoring. Early owners included Heron groups Gerald Ronson who bought 2 new Verona red cars and BMW works driver Chris Amon who had an Inca orange one. A member of the 70s pop band 10CC also owned 2 Verona cars.

Sean Connery - In the early 1960s, whilst living in Nth West London, Connery was running a scruffy, early Porsche 356 coupe ( which remarkably has survived ) and in 1967, by then the worlds highest paid film star, he treated himself to a green 1964 Jensen CV-8, just after finishing filming of “ You Only Live Twice “ (and which is also currently for sale.)
At some point in the 60s, he also owned a grey Bentley S.2 and in the late 1980s a white BMW 635CSi.

But on July 25th 1973 and $$ flush, after being paid for his sixth 007 Bond film “Diamonds are Forever“ he took delivery of his new CSL, via BMW main distributors for Yorkshire, Pennine Motors, of Dewsbury Road, Leeds. He registered the car to his London flat, which was situated on the Embankment, over looking the river Thames, at Chelsea. At well over £7,000 (a huge sum of money then) he could have chosen any number of superb fast cars, but it says something, that he chose a CSL. 1973 was a difficult year for him, as his bitter divorce with Diane Cilento wasnt settled until September, but no doubt, his CSL gave him great pleasure.
We have been told that he took his CSL over to Ireland whilst filming Zardoz and that he also had a telephone fitted. It appears that he kept this car until some time in 1976, when ownership passed to a Brian Lewis Cartledge, of West Ewell Surrey.
Brian are you out there ? And can anyone shed any more light on its early history ? )

By the late 1970s, the car passed into the ownership of prominent northern businessman Frank Hedley, with his wife using it as her daily driver, carrying her personal number plate 900 PH. In October 1980, Frank lent their CSL to Motor magazines Editor / and former BMW Dealer Team UK 3.0Si race car driver, the very quick, Roger Bell, for what Bell described as “A week of fabulous motoring”. Bells definitive CSL feature, which he wrote for the October 1980 issue of Old Motor magazine (which today is Classic and Sportscar magazine) is the finest CSL article ever written and featured Connery’s old car.
Sadly, Frank Hedley passed away far too young, in the early 1990s.

This car has also featured in “Collecting Bond“ magazine in the late 90s and in several newspapers, including The Sun.

Its original / matching numbers 3 Litre straight six engine, was fully/professionally rebuilt by BMW at huge expense some years ago, the rebuild included the fitment of a new Shrick 282 camshaft and it has covered very little milage since.

The car is now dismantled to a rolling shell and work has started. A superb range of body repair panels, trim, mechanical and electrical parts are readily available for these cars via Walloth Nesch and BMW Classic. Supplied with this car, are a selection of new body repair panels.

Restoration:

• January 2020: start of the restoration at Miklós Mészáros in Hungary.

• 2009: waiting for restoration
  

Exterior color (paint code) :  Polaris metallic (060) with vinyl roof

Modifications:

• Sunroof
• 282 Cam
• 1978 (about): The vinyl roof was fitted by Frank Hedley
  

Publication: Published in Motor Magazine

Owner:

• Circa 2011: Undisclosed #1
• Circa 2010: Rohan
• 1999: owner bought her in Scotland, drove her straight back to Suffolk, parked her in a garage and there she sat until 2010
• 1996: Stewart Davidson (see above newspaper)
• John Samuel (Jaymic inventory)
• 1980's: Frank Headley in Newcastle. Bought the car for his wife Pauline, registration number 900 PH
• Bought it new -> in or before 1979: Sean Connery
• First registered in Britain in April 1973.
• Delivery: United Kingdom, on Nov 2nd 72 ( according to BMW ) she went to Pennine Motors in Leeds ) BMW main Dealers and Distributors for Yorkshire )
• Production: November 2nd 1972

Reference / Thank you:

https://www.classicandsportscar.com/news/discoveries/connery-csl-uncovered

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