One currently for sale

Johnny Cecotto, Gianfranco Brancatelli, Riccardo Patrese, Allan Grice, Denny Hulme and Paul Radisich: the list of drivers who raced this BMW M3 in period reads like a who’s who of touring car racing. And that’s not counting the likes of Jim Richards and Greg Murphy, who’ve taken the wheel during its second career in the historic ranks.

It is the first Group A M3, delivered and built by the Italian CiBiEmme squad for the 1987 WTCC. It won at the Monza series opener that year with Cecotto and Patrese, but lost victory to homologation irregularities. It kept the silverware when it won at Dijon and also racked up maximum points as the first WTCC-registered finisher at the Bathurst 1000. 

By then it was in the ownership of Kiwi entrant Mark Petch, though still run by CiBiEmme. It would go on to have a successful career Down Under in the New Zealand Touring Car Championship, winning the title with Brett Riley in 1991.

The car has been active in historic circles during the ownership of tin-top collector Peter Sturgeon. He describes it as a “unique piece of touring car history”. 

“It’s a significant car that’s in highly original but also pristine condition,” he says of the car now in its ’87 Bathurst livery. “It’s ready to go, and these are easy cars to run: you put fuel in, fire up and go.”

It’s up for sale through racecarsdirect.com at £230,000, although Singleton insists that he’s in no hurry to sell.

RaceCarsDirect. Tel: 07970 736644 racecarsdirect.com