1:18 BMW 3.5 CSL – Walkinshaw/Fitzpatrick – 24H Le Mans 1976

Description

About the Car

CSL standing for “coupe, sports and lightweight” was the brainchild of Gerhard Richter.  Built as a homologation special the BMW 3.0 CSL was to make the car eligible for racing in the European Touring Car Championship.  With the “L” standing for “light” it was accomplished by using thinner steel to build the body and using aluminum alloy doors, hood, and truck lids, deleting trim and soundproofing.  The BMW 3.5 CSL was built for the Group 5 racing in 1976.  The car had an upright 3.5L 24 valve M49 engine.

Tom Walkinshaw, born in 1946 and died in 2010, was British racing car driver from Scotland.  He began racing MG Midgets in 1968.  In 1975 he founded “Tom Walkinshaw Racing” manufacturing and designing racing and road cars.

John Fitzpatrick, born in 1943, is an English former racing driver.  He currently works in motorsports as a consultant.  He partnered with Tom Walkinshaw in 1976.  Unfortunately, they did not finish in the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the oldest active endurance racing event.  It is held annually near the town of Le Mans, France.  It is one leg of the Triple Crown of Motorsport with the Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix as the other two legs.  In 1976, the 44^th Grand Prix Endurance was held in June with FIA introducing a new Group 5 and Group 6 regulations, and open to nine distinct classes.  However, it was still not part of the World Championship seasons.

About the Brand

BMW is a German multinational company, founded in 1916 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. BMW

produces luxury vehicles and motorcycles. Its headquarters are in Germany’s capital, Munich,

and supplies the vehicles worldwide. A major emphasis of BMW is based on product innovation and

development, and quality and reliability.

About the Manufacturer

Minichamps was founded in 1990 as a die-cast car producer in Aachen, Germany under the name of Paul’s Model Art GmbH.   The original company was the Danhausen, a trade company that made 1:43 scale models and sold them over the counter and mail order.  From 1971 to 1993 the company published the famous Danhausen World Model Car Book.  Danhausen was owned by the grandsons of Emma Danhausen – Hans Peter and Paul Gunter Lang.  There was a dispute between the brothers in the late 1980’s.  That is when Paul formed the Paul’s Model Art.  Diecast models were made more for the adult clientele and holding their value was a big question that needed to be answered.  Minichamps’ excellent quality has been noticed by Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Opel, and BMW.