BMW 635 CSi Group-C (E24) (1982)

1982 BMW E24 635 CSi Group-C / „The black Beauty” 

– Driver in period Jim Richards 

This car was originally conceived for the Australian Group C touring car class in 1982 at the John Player Special Terrey Hills facility. Its original specification was sub-350bhp courtesy of a 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine delivered through a five-speed Getrag transmission to the rear wheels, shifting 1,285kg. Group C was a long way off the featherweight festival of sophistication that was the Group A class to-come.It enjoyed some success, achieving a solitary top-10 position of 9th in the1982 Better Brakes AMSCAR series, before being upgraded to 24-valve circa-420bhp spec’ in mid-1983. This power boost, as well as more aero and tyre, took the car’s performance on some way, with Australian Touring Car ace Jim Richards taking the 635CSi Group C to 5th, 3rd and 2nd in various Australian enduros throughout 1983 and 1984. In 1985, however, the car would be overhauled ready for the world-wide Group A formula. In the opening round of the Australian Touring Car Championship, it would tail the victorious Jim in second making it a 1-2 for the 635CSis. Following that, as a Group A car, it would be sold off and remain in Group A spec for the next 30 years. Following active duty the car would pass through multiple owners’ hands before finding its current loving custodian, ChromeCars. The Black Beauty is now back in its original Group C configuration.