Comeback of the Legends. BMW Group Mobile Tradition at the Le Mans Classic.

Munich/Le Mans. The BMW Group is entering the Le Mans Classic for the
first time this year. This spectacular event in the honour of this
legendary highlight in motorsport is for all cars entered in the race
between 1923 and 1979, inviting them back to the north of France this
year for the third time. BMW Group Mobile Tradition, in response to the
invitation, is sending three outstanding racing cars with equally
outstanding drivers to this unique parade of manufacturers and clubs.
Particularly the BMW 328 Touring Coupé will make a comback, this
legendary car returning to the venue of its first triumph after no less
than 67 years: On 17 June 1939 this racing version of the BMW 328 made
its world debut in Le Mans. Built by Touring, the Italian coachwork
specialist, the BMW 328 Touring Coupé was the sensation right
from the beginning in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the car weighing just
780 kg or 1720 lb and with engine output of 136 bhp, the two drivers
Max Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe and Hans Wencher clearly dominated the
two-litre class, finishing a sensa¬tional fifth in the overall
ranking, ahead of much larger and more powerful competitors. This time
the Touring Coupé is being driven by the Director of BMW Mobile
Tradition, Holger Lapp. The legendary BMW M1 Group 4 "Munich
Car" is also making its comeback in Le Mans: When this BMW M1
entered the classic 24 Hours in 1981, it stood out in particular
through its exceptional paintwork: Where other cars were covered by the
large logos and the names of major sponsors, the BMW M1 beautifully
styled by paintwork artist Walter Maurer boasted hand-painted motifs of
old and traditional Munich inns and landmarks, creating a link unique
to this day between a car manufacturer, on the one hand, and local
sponsors, on the other. Like in 1981, this year's driver
will be Leopold Prince of Bavaria, a legendary racing expert and the
representative of Bayerische Motoren Werke, taking his seat in the
cockpit of this exceptional car. He himself refers to his years with
the BMW M1 as one of the greatest times he ever experienced in
motorsport. With the exception of Formula 1 and Formula 2, the Prince
of Bavaria, truly an old hand in motorsport, was active in all
disciplines and competitions. And contributing all his experience, he
has also been an active driver for BMW in historical motorsport since
1993. Recruiting Marc Surer for the event, BMW has been able to win
over yet another driver with lots of experience in Le Mans. Apart from
numerous touring car races, this Swiss driver, at the wheel of a BMW,
won the 1979 European Formula 2 Championship and various other events
before moving on to Formula 1 in the '80s. And now, in the Le Mans
Classic, Marc will once again be driving a BMW 320 Group 5, like in
1977. Upon entering the motorsport scene in 1977, the BMW 320 made its
appearance in the striped livery of the BMW 3.0 CSL Coupés raced
by BMW Motorsport GmbH founded in 1972, that is the legendary
Coupés which truly hit the headlines on international race
tracks in the early '70s. As a Group 5 racing car, the BMW 320 stands
out in particular through its extra-large wheel arches, the big front
spoiler and rear wing. And beneath the engine compartment lid the car
boasts a thoroughbred BMW Formula 2 racing engine, a two-litre
straight-four developing maximum output of 300 bhp. Obviously, only a
real racing suspension and numerous aerodynamic improvements are able
to get this kind of power on to the track. In the large pavilion in
the pitlane, BMW Group Mobile Tradition will be presenting not only
motorcycles and racing cars of the 1950s, but also the history of BMW's
success in 24-hour events. And near the pavilion BMW Club de France
will be proudly showing some selected classic BMWs.