The First Ever BMW M Car is For Sale: A Development 3.0 CSL ‘Werks’

The origin of the legendary BMW M division, created to boost factory racing, dates back to the 1970s. Today, the first unit of the historic BMW 3.0 CSL, a crucial

The 1970s were characterized by intense competition in the automotive industry, compelling automakers to innovate to stand out. For BMW, this meant starting a factory-backed race team. This idea, spearheaded by Bob Lutz, resulted in BMW’s first M car. The 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL Werks development car was the first car built by the then-newly developed BMW Motorsport division.

Development and Historical Racing Career

BMW M built the unit, identified as E9/R1, in late 1972 and early 1973. It became the first of 21 CSL Werks cars; of these, the factory team raced 11. The E9/R1 would also go on to help develop the famous “Batmobile” Aero kit. The car saw some competition. BMW Motorsport sold it to an American racing team for the 1974 IMSA championship at the end of the 1973 season.

Preservation and Recent Appearances

The American racing team sold the cars after its stint at IMSA, and it was later retired. The E9/R1 ended up in a BMW collection in the early 80s. The current private owner acquired the car in the mid-1990s. Since then, the vehicle has undergone an extensive restoration focused on preserving its originality. It is rare for a development vehicle like this to last this long with all its original parts still attached.

Technical Specifications and Modern Tribute

The car, which spent the better part of three decades behind closed doors, made a hill climb run at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed in its pre-homologation spec. Its most recent public appearance was at the Salon Prive Concours D’Elegance in August 2025, outfitted with the Batmobile kit. This development car has the larger 3.5-liter inline-six engine, which the listing says makes over 400 horsepower. BMW paid tribute to the CSLs just a few years ago with the limited-run 3.0 CSL. The automaker built only 50 of them, featuring a 553-horsepower version of the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine and a manual gearbox. The listing does not specify a price, which you receive upon application.