Few car brands are as emotive as BMW, the Bavarian purveyor of what was once so aptly described as “Pure Driving Pleasure”. Nowhere has this passion been stronger than in South Africa, thanks to the offering of beautifully styled and engineered cars that drew on a strong motorsport heritage that exists to this day.
On Thursday, March 27 from 6.30 pm, Creative Rides will be offering six of the most iconic BMWs of all time at its auction taking place at its showroom in Main Road, Bryanston. These six machines head a line-up of 33 cars from all parts of the world, that include a wide variety of genres and countries of origin.
Other top makes coming under the hammer include a number elegant and rare Mercedes-Benz models, Porsches, two Ferraris, Alfa Romeos, an ultra-rare 1940s Cadillac convertible, Ford convertibles from the 1960s, a rare 1958 MGA Twin Cam, and many more.
“We are particularly thrilled to be offering these iconic BMWs to the public,” says Kevin Derrick, CEO of Creative Rides. “Each of these cars represents a unique chapter in BMW’s history, and we expect a strong turnout from passionate collectors.”
1972 BMW 3.0 CSL E9
In the early 1970s, large BMW coupes were a rarity in South Africa, as they were subject to large import duties. But one event that increased BMW’s public awareness to a huge degree was the 1976 victory at the Wynn’s 1000 km endurance race at Kyalami by a BMW 3.0 CSL, driven by our international motorsport hero, Jody Scheckter. Elsewhere the big six-cylinder car had achieved huge prominence by being all but unbeatable in the European Touring Car Championship, and giving rise to the famed be-winged versions known as the “Batmobile”.
The road-going 1972 example up for grabs on March 27 is finished in an eye-catching yellow with black pin-striping and is immaculately presented. A total of 1 265 3.0 CSLs were built, of which 500 of them were right-hand-drive models.
1985 BMW M635CSi
The coupe successor to the 1970s CSL model, the first 635 CSi, was introduced here in late 1980 as a special import, costing more than twice the price of the 733i sedan, which used the same 3,2-litre straight-six M30 engine. In 1984 the M635CSi was introduced with a 24-valve version of the engine. Which had also been enlarged to 3 453 cc. This was known as the M88 engine by BMW aficionados and it produced 210 kW. A total of 5 855 M635CSi models were produced from 1984 to 1989.
1987 BMW E30 333i
The 3,2-litre M30 straight-six engine as used in the 733i sedan was a lot bigger than the 2,5-litre six as employed in the top E30 3 Series model of the mid-1980s. The 333i was South Africa’s answer to the hot four-cylinder M3 version of the E30, which was never available here, and it used the big straight six 12-valve M30 engine in conjunction with a Getrag five-speed gearbox.
Suspension was modified, Alpina alloy rims became a trademark feature and Alpina bodywork trims, such as side-skirts, a boot wing and nose spoiler were fitted.
The 333i was planned as a homologation special for racing, although unfortunately various rule changes saw it have a very limited competition career. It was rated with a top speed of over 230 km/h and just 210 examples were built by BMW SA between 1985 and 1987.
The example on offer at Creative Rides is eye-catching in red, with subtle BMW Motorsport striping.
1988 BMW M5 E28 series
The first series of the famous M5 model name, this car used the same 210 kW 24-valve straight-six motor as used in the M635CSi coupe. It was one of the quickest five-seater sedans in the world in the late 1980s, and it paved the way for all future generations of the famous M5.
BMW didn’t build many of them and just 2 241 were produced, making this car extremely collectable today, with a global appeal amongst enthusiasts. This example is finished in appealing Aero Silver and its BBS alloy rims are perfectly presented.
1991 and 1993 BMW 325iS Evo
There are two BMW 325iS examples on auction on March 27, which is a rarity indeed. Just over 500 renditions of this South African racing homologation special were built by BMW SA. The car used a 2,7-litre version of BMW’s 325i straight-six engine and had a distinctive nose spoiler and a bow-shaped rear wing, as well as deeper side skirts.
Wheels were BBS examples of criss-cross spoke pattern, and the whole idea behind the car’s existence was to win the South African Group N production car title. This it duly did in 1993 with Robbie Smith driving a JSN-sponsored car.
2005 BMW M3 CSL E46
There are many BMW fans who rate the E46 series BMW M3 as the best of all. And of these, the undoubted kingpin is the CSL version, (Coupe Sport Leichtbau, or lightweight sport coupe) as built by BMW’s M Sport division in Munich. The special M3 used many components made of carbon fibre, including the roof panel, and a potent version of the S54 six-cylinder engine. The car on offer at Creative Rides is finished in an attractive yellow colour, which is very unusual.
The light overall weight and a special version of the paddle-shift gearbox gave the M3 CSL brilliant acceleration and an unmatched driveability for the time.
“As a lifelong automotive enthusiast, I can say without a doubt that this auction is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” concludes Kevin Derrick. “These cars are not just investments; they are rolling pieces of history that continue to captivate drivers and collectors around the world.”
Mouth-watering Mercedes-Benz models
BMW’s great German rival, Mercedes-Benz, will be represented by quite a number of highly collectable examples at Creative Rides showroom on March 27. All with a stately elegance, quite different from the BMW’s dynamism.
These are:
A 1952 Mercedes-Benz W187 series sedan
A 1956 Mercedes-Benz 190SL
A 1957 Mercedes-Benz 180D Ponton bakkie
A 1963 Mercedes-Benz 220SE Cabriolet
A 1965 Mercedes-Benz Coupe, W111 series
A 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda
A 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda
A 1969 Mercedes-Benz 250CE Coupe
And a 1972 Mercedes-Benz 350SL R107 series
Completing the German contingent will be a 1980 Porsche 911 Targa and a 2006 996.2 series 911 Turbo S. The final Mercedes in the line-up is a more modern 2003 CL500 coupe.
Italian classics will be well-represented, primarily by a replica of a very rare Alfa Romeo, a 1970 GTA 1300 Junior. This is the only 1300 GTA replica in South Africa, although there have been a handful of 1600 GTAs that have found their way here over the years. The GTA was a homologation special created by Alfas’ Autodelta division for racing purposes.
Other Alfas on auction include a desirable 1970 1750 GTV in very original condition and a 1976 2000 Spider in red.
Also representing Italy’s finest will be two Ferraris, a 1989 328 GTS and a 2000 550 Maranello. From Maserati there will be two examples, a 2007 Gransport and a 2015 Quattroporte GTs.
American cars are headlined by a pair of Mustangs, these being a 1965 convertible and a 1970 Boss 302 fastback example. From the mid-1960s era of big American cars is a pillar-less 1965 Pontiac Catalina, and absolutely eye-catching is a very rare 1948 Cadillac 62 Series convertible. Rounding up the American classics is a 1964 Ford Thunderbird, similar to the one used in the 1990s Thelma and Louise movie.
British cars are quite scarce in this Marques edition of the Creative Rides auction series. On March 27, UK car fans can choose between a sedate 1949 Jaguar Mark V sedan and a raucous 1958 MGA Twin Cam roadster.
The Creative Rides March Marques Auction starts at 6.30 pm on Thursday, March 27 at the showroom just off Bryanston Main Road. For more information go to www.creativerides.co.za
