BMW Classic Center Opens With 3.0 CSi Restoration
By OR Staff, Photography courtesy of BMW
BMW is built on both fan loyalty and on the branding of an exciting driving experience. Their cars and, more importantly, their advertising play up the fun-to-drive nature of BMW vehicles and is supported at even the corporate level.
BMW’s new Classic Center restoration house recently unveiled its first completed project, a 1972 BMW CSi. The BMW Classic Center was pleased at having successfully completed its first full restoration since the opening of the BMW Classic Customer Workshop, while the delivery location, BMW Welt, marked the first occasion on which a classic BMW – rather than a brand-new car – was delivered to a customer.
In this case, the customer wanted his BMW 3.0 CSi transformed into a perfect blank original slate. He also asked for its four-speed manual gearbox to be converted into an automatic, something that had previously been done only with two prototypes of the BMW 3.0 CSi. Based on close collaboration with the BMW Group Archive, which provided the relevant documentation, the “large Coupé” underwent an authentic conversion process.
It was fitted with an automatic transmission from a BMW 2.8 CS. The refit and complete overhaul of the vehicle required months of research and countless hours of manual labor. If you thought that your local BMW mechanic was thorough, you should take a look at what authentic BMW engineers can do.
The experts at the BMW Classic Center not only had to repair substantial bodywork damage, but also iron out technical and electronic defects as well as thoroughly overhaul the interior fittings. The vehicle is now in A1 condition.
BMW Classic’s Customer Workshop is a response to the growing desire among numerous BMW enthusiasts to own an authentic vehicle that is as true as possible to its original state and in the best possible condition. “This workshop is a key element in the realignment of BMW Classic and our orientation towards customers in the classic vehicle market,” says Karl Baumer, Director of BMW Group Classic.
In parallel with this, the supply and remanufacturing of components is being further expanded. Other areas have also been added, such as the purchase and sale of vehicles, authentication certificates, advice to buyers, and a worldwide collection and delivery service. The principal advantage of the BMW Classic Center is that it offers all its services under one roof.
