Description:

BMW 635CSi Group A Works-Built in 1983

Chassis RA1-08, privately run in the ETCC in 1983 & 1984.

Fully restored and race ready for Peter Auto, Masters, Motor Racing Legends, Belcar Historic and more.

In 2025, I have competed at the Zandvoort Historic GP and the Silverstone Festival. The car successfully finished both events and we ended up a very competitive 13th at Silverstone.

Entered into 8 races over the last few years at Silverstone, Donington, Assen and Zandvoort. All the equipment in the car is fully in date and ready to race after very comprehensive professional development over the last few years.

There have been extensive and exhaustive works completed in my ownership including: New ECU with new engine loom, reconditioned gearbox, new clutch, reconditioned LSD, reconditioned Bilstein dampers, new WOSP alternator, new oil cooler, properly set up rear suspension, new cell fuel tank, new fuel pumps, new seat and harness, new cooling fan, new brake master cylinders plus numerous debugging and improvements which now make the car reliable, competitive, ready to go and always an event- and crowd-favourite.

The engine has always been performing superbly, and reliably. A dyno sheet from the rolling road after fitting the new ECU shows a peak power of 310hp at the flywheel with 99 octane fuel. We know that the engine’s compression ratio is high and that peak power could be significantly improved if you choose to run high octane race fuel.

Current FIA HTP Passport.

Cosmetically in excellent condition as the car has only raced 7 times, all with no accidents, since its full restoration. The livery the car wears today has been painstakingly recreated from that it carried at the Donington 1983 ETCC. Most race cars can look a little tired, this is an exception, the condition is superb outside, inside and underneath. The cosmetic and engineering care this car has received during and since its restoration is superb.

History: BMW built approximately 50 Group A E24 635 chassis during this period when they dominated ETCC. This chassis was commissioned and prepared by Giuseppe Briozzo for use in Group A ETCC in 1983 and 1984. There was a pool of drivers (friends?) who raced with Briozzo in this car and into the future. The car was entered under both Italian and Swiss ‘flags’, many of the drivers were Swiss, and Eggenberger helped with some preparation and race support .

20.03.83 Monza 500km. #10 Quali 12th Placed 9th

10.04.83 Vallelunga 500km Quali 13th Placed 9th

01.05.83 Donington 500km #22 in the livery it now carries. Quali 12th DNF

15.05.83 Pergusa Quali 9th Placed 8th

22.05.83 Mugello Quali 9th DNF

12.06.83 Brno #21Quali 10th Placed 10th

26.06.83 Zeltweg Quali 9th DNF

11.09.83 Silverstone TT #12 Quali 27th Placed 21st

25.09.83 Zolder #12 entered but probably did not turn up!

In 1984 the ‘Briozzo team’ had more support from the Swiss Eggenberger team who also ran their own, very successful 635CSi race cars.

01.04.84 Monza #34 Quali 19th DNS/DNF?

08.04.84 Vallelunga Quali 20th Placed 14th

29.04.84 Donington #21 Entered but did not qualify

13.05.84 Pergusa Quali 13th DNF

10.06.84 Brno #9 Quali 18th Placed 15th

17.06.84 Zeltweg Quali 18th Placed 12th

01.07.84 Salzburgring Placed 15th

The team raced at the next event, the Silverstone TT, but I believe this may have been with a newer 635CSi from ‘Bavaria Automobiles’. The privateer Swiss/Italian team continued to race at many ETCC races through 1984, 1985 and 1986.

The car was subsequently occasionally used on Swiss hillclimbing events until it was bought and stored by an Italian businessman. It was then sold at the RM Sotheby’s Duemila Ruote auction in 2016 and brought back to the UK. The buyer asked experienced BMW preparer Geoff Steele Racing to restore this important race car back to its Group A specification, a process that was clearly done with care and diligence. The invoices in the history show that this restoration cost over £100,000 and was one of three 635CSi’s that Geoff Steele restored in this period.

I have had the privilege of owning and racing this wonderful 635 these last four years and it has been simply fabulous. It looks stunning, sounds superb and handles beautifully. The car is always very welcome at all historic events and generates interest wherever it enters. Racing at Silverstone Festival 2022 generated an article in Classic Car magazine, it has appeared in Top Gear, and there was always a wonderful reaction when we attended the major Historic GP weekends at Assen TT, Zandvoort and Donington. In the right hands, the car can run at the pace of E30 M3s, but is a much more interesting and unusual entrant and is much easier and less expensive to run than I believe the E30s can be. I have been brilliantly supported by Matt at Performance Assessments Ltd who has maintained and developed this car using his race experience, diligent engineering and research. He has essentially gone through the car with a fine-tooth comb. His detailed invoices since the car has been in my care clearly show this. I would be very happy to run anybody interested through these invoices and through my overall experience with the car.

All safety equipment is up to date and the car will include two sets of tyres, one of nearly new slicks purchased at Silverstone Festival in 2025, one of Dunlop wets. It is ready to entertain both driver and crowds.

Can also help with transport to Europe and shipping elsewhere.

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