Old, but as loud as ever.
Deafening engine noise, squealing tyres – the classic BMW racing cars and motorcycles that we send back out onto the race track today continue to thrill the crowds with their dynamism and power. Among the most impressive examples is the Brabham BMW BT52 Formula 1 car which Nelson Piquet drove to the 1983 World Championship title in the blue-riband category of motor racing.
In 1919, Franz Zeno Diemer flew to a new altitude world record. The daring pilot achieved an altitude of 9760 metres powered by the BMW IV engine. This was a record that he even managed to repeat.
Willy Wagner at the wheel of a BMW 3/15 PS together with his co-driver at the International Alpine Rally. This model was the first BMW automobile to win a race against international competition.
Ernst Henne succeeded in gaining his first victory in the sports-car class driving the brand-new BMW 328 at the Nürburgring in 1936. This was the beginning of a sensational success story for the BMW 328, which dominated the two-litre class at the time.
Georg “Schorsch” Meier was the first non-British rider to win the Senior TT on the Isle of Man riding a non-British motorcycle.
Hubert Hahne won the European Touring Car Championship driving a BMW 2000 TI.
When BMW Motorsport GmbH was established, the plant bundled its motor-sport activities. The first supremo was Jochen Neerpasch. He brought impressive successes with new ideas and a highly professional approach.
For the first time, a BMW Boxer won the legendary long-distance Paris-Dakar Rally. Rider Hubert Auriol repeated his victory in 1983. In the two subsequent years 1984 and 1985, Gaston Rahier succeeded in gaining victory for BMW. There is no better proof for the off-road qualities of the BMW Boxer engine.
BMW added a further landmark to its company history in 1983. The 1,400-horsepower Brabham BMW BT52 held off all-comers as Nelson Piquet and BMW made history with the Drivers’ World Championship title.
The history of the DTM began with the first race at Zolder on 11 March 1984. BMW occupied the top four places, with Harald Grohs crossing the finishing line first in a BMW 635 CSi. However, it was Volker Strycek of Team Gubin who secured the first title for BMW with fifth place in the season finale at the Nürburgring.
In 1992 BMW lined up with a works team in the DTM for the final time before taking a sabbatical from the series. Johnny Cecotto again finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship to end the season as the number one BMW driver. Roberto Ravaglia provided a magical moment in the season finale at Hockenheim on 11 October 1992, claiming two victories in the last DTM outing for a works BMW M3 for some time.
Overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the BMW V12 LMR. Joachim Winkelhock, Pierluigi Martini and Yannick Dalmas drove faster than all the other drivers. The Racing Director was Austrian former Formula 1 driver Gerhard Berger. This is the official souvenir photo showing the entire team.
BMW Motorsport achieved an awesome comeback in the driver, team and constructors’ standings, and a win in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM).
The 2015 season brought a number of changes. The new format, with two races per weekend, promised twice as much race action for drivers and fans alike. For BMW Motorsport, the season got off to a shaky start at Hockenheim, with the opening two races yielding a disappointing 38 points. And Lady Luck was not on the side of the Munich-based manufacturer at the Lausitzring or Norisring either. The goals set at the start of the season already looked unrealistic after just three rounds. However, BMW hit back at Zandvoort, an historic sweep of the top seven places in Saturday's race providing the turning point.
BMW Group Classic brings the glory days of BMW Motorsport back to life with the help of its classic racing cars and motorcycles. A hand-picked selection of vehicles regularly line up for the headline events on the classic calendar. The Highlights tab contains further information and details on the events.
