Gregor Wenner
Specialist Consultant
LOT 152
1978 Schnitzer BMW E21 1.4-litre Turbocharged Group 5 Turbo Chassis no. E21-R1-26
Estimate: €750,000 - €950,000
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
1978 Schnitzer BMW E21 1.4-litre Turbocharged Group 5 Turbo
1978 Schnitzer BMW E21 1.4-litre Turbocharged Group 5 Turbo
Chassis no. E21-R1-26
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.
• 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.
Footnotes
Ex-Harald Ertl vainqueur du championnat national d'Allemagne,
Ex-Manfred Winkelhock et Hans-Joachim Stuck
1978 BMW E21 Schnitzer 1,4 litre turbo
Châssis n° E21-R1-26
• Voiture de tourisme Groupe 5 du Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft (DRM)
• Un des deux exemplaires 1,4 litre turbo sur les 32 BMW E21 construites par BMW Motorsport aux spécifications du Groupe 5
• Extraordinaire carrière sportive
• Restaurée au plus haut niveau d'exigence
• Entièrement documentée, y compris sa licence d'origine (1978-80)
• Présentée sans titre d'immatriculation
Bonhams est ravi de proposer cette extraordinaire BMW turbo de compétition qui n'est pas seulement le modèle victorieux du championnat national d'Allemagne, mais un modèle qui - d'une façon générale – a connu une remarquable carrière en compétition qui s'étale sur plus de onze saisons, de 1978 à 1988 inclus.
Ce modèle était la seconde BMW E21 « R-car » confiée par le dynamique et novateur préparateur Schnitzer à la fin de la saison de compétition du championnat national allemand au journaliste et ancien pilote privé de Formule 1 (1975-80) Harald Ertl. Le pilote d'écurie à la barbe et à la moustache luxuriante remporta de fait cinq des onze épreuves de qualification du Deutsche Rennsport- Meisterschaft cette année-là, devenant le premier et seul tenant de ce titre prestigieux sur BMW.
Le moteur 1,4 litre turbo construit par Schnitzer avait fait merveille. Cet exemplaire, châssis E21-R1-26 - animé par le puissant 4 cylindres turbo à double arbre à cames – fut la voiture de tête de l'écurie que Harald Ertl pilota dans les quatre derniers rounds de la série. Au début, au Westfalen-Pokal à Zolder, en Belgique, le 20 août 1978, Harald Ertl terminait en deuxième position dans l'épreuve de Division 2, malgré une collision avec la BMW 320 de l'équipe Wurth pilotée par Manfred Winkelhock et des problèmes de boîte de vitesses qui le ralentirent. Le 17 septembre au Norisring, il remporta sa course de Division 2 et au décisif Super Sprint du Nürburgring le 1er octobre, il accrochait enfin ce titre du DRM tant mérité et convoité pour lui-même et pour Schnitzer BMW.
Au cours de l'année 1979 la voiture R1-26 que nous proposons ici, engagée par l'écurie Schnitzer, était pilotée par Manfred Winkelhock, Harald Ertl étant parti chez Ford Motorsport avec son sponsor Sachs.
Soutenue par la société d'optique Rodenstock, R1-26 brilla encore aux mains de Winkelhock, remportant deux des épreuves de qualification de Division 2 au Norisring et à Zandvoort en Hollande, se plaçant second à Hockenheim, sur la prestigieuse Nordschleife au Nürburgring et au Westfalen à Zolder, puis troisième à Mayence-Finthen. Au cours des essais à Zolder, Walter Nussbaumer avait tourné sur cette BMW Schnitzer avant de la passer à Manfred pour la course, alors qu'au Nürburgring la star de l'endurance Walter Brun pilotait R1-26 pendant la course, tandis que Winkelhock emmenait la dernière BMW « low deck » de Schnitzer à la troisième place – s'assurant une troisième place au classement général du championnat DRM de cette année- là.
En 1980, Harald Grohs et Willi Siller pilotèrent R1-26 dans les épreuves du DRM, à Salzburg, deux fois à Hockenheim et au Nürburgring Super Sprint. La voiture fit une apparition dans une livrée Meisterfoto et Korting pour Grohs, et aux couleurs Unipart pour Siller qui termina cinquième à son volant au Salzburgring.
Pour le Grand Prix de Macau en Extrême-Orient, le moteur 1,4 litre Turbo fut remplacé par une version atmosphérique pour répondre au règlement local. S'ensuivit un drame lorsque le moteur 2 litre explosa aux essais avec le nouveau pilote Hans-Joachim Stuck aux commandes. Il fut remplacé le samedi soir quand le mécanicien de l'écurie Franz Klinger le rapporta à temps pour la course après avoir affronté la circulation chaotique de Macau. Stuck prit la tête au quatrième tour et l'emporta facilement.
La voiture fut vendue sur place à Macau et entra dans l'écurie de trois voitures Schnitzer BMW engagées pour le Grand Prix sponsorisé par le groupe Viceroy Hotel en 1981. Alors que Manfred Winkelhock l'emportait au classement général pour l'écurie, le propriétaire/pilote local Francis Cheung amenait R1-26 à la septième place. En 1982, au Grand Prix pour voiture de tourisme de Macau M. Cheung se distingua à nouveau en finissant quatrième.
En 1983, cette guerrière bien entretenue et durement sollicitée fut vendue à son nouveau propriétaire, Ian Grey qui la conserva jusqu'en 1996. En 1984 il la rééquipa d'un moteur Schnitzer 1,4 litre turbo, comme à l'origine. M. Grey engagea la voiture en Thaïlande, en Malaisie et en Australie, ses sponsors successifs étant John Player Special en 1983-84, Akai en 1984, Pier21 en 1985-87 et Rothmans en 1988.
Finalement, cette très valeureuse voiture victorieuse du championnat DRM fut acquise après Ian Grey par Qvick, le spécialiste de la restauration et de la préparation des BMW basé à Zevekote, au sud d'Ostende, en Belgique. Nous la proposons ici entièrement restaurée au plus haut niveau par ce spécialiste, sa finition et sa livrée Sachs Rodenstock commémorant celle utilisée lors de la saison 1978 du championnat DRM, lorsqu'elle fut si magnifiquement pilotée par feu Harald Ertl, qui périt dans un tragique accident à bord de son avion privé en Allemagne en 1982.
Il s'agit de l'un des deux seuls exemplaires à moteur 1,4 litre turbo sur les 32 BMW E21 construites par BMW Motorsport aux spécifications du Groupe 5. Le 3e exemplaire existant a été construit en 1979 à partir d'une voiture de route, sans numéro de châssis BMW Motorsport. Son historique est entièrement documentée, y compris le Wagenpass allemand original et elle est vendue prête à courir après avoir bénéficié de l'inspection de routine de sa préparation.
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