Tim Harvey Labatt’s Livery ex-BTCC 1991 BMW E30 M3 Racer is available in the UK
The BMW E30 M3 is a very collectable car that has been increasing in value over the past several years. ‘Excellent’ to ‘good’ examples are exchanging hands at an average of $59 to $79,000, according to Hagerty.com. Prices continue to increase as well.
On November 12, 2016, a BMW M3 E30 Evo III is going up for auction at the NEC Classic Motor Show in Birmingham England. It is one of 600 examples produced between 1989 and 1990. It was available in either red or black and came with a modified front bumper and rear wing, the S14 engine with an increased engine displacement of 2.5 liters, and a five-speed Getrag 265 manual transmission. Enhancements were topped off with a limited slip differential, and special brake calipers and rotors all the way around the vehicle. This particular example has only been driven a tad over 65,000 miles and is expected to sell for between $115,000 and $140,000. This is serious money no matter which way you look at it.
An Incredibly Rare BMW E30 M3 For Sale
Amspeed out of the UK has a 1 of 5 1991 BMW E30 M3 ex-British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) racer for sale. Built by Vic Lee Motorsports for the 1991 Season and sponsored by Labatt’s, the vehicle was piloted to victory by Tim Harvey on multiple occasions. The vehicle took first at the series finale at Silverstone and two podiums on the way to taking 8th place in the Championship.
A Change in Regulations
In 1991, BTCC regulations changed from Group A regulations to a new 2-liter formula. This attracted many new manufacturers to the series, making for an incredibly competitive and exciting racing season.
The approach that many teams took to the change in requirements was to add weight to their Group A racers and reduce engine displacement. Vic Lee Motorsport opted to take a different approach to the change in regulations.
Modifications included relocation of the fuel cell to optimize the vehicle’s center of gravity, side exhausts, and a flat floor section. Vic Lee Motorsports took it upon themselves to improve upon the vehicle’s suspension geometry in addition to using a Hollinger 6-speed dogleg transmission. The result was a very competitive vehicle for the 1991 season that resulted in Tim Harvey’s teammate, Will Hoy taking the championship that year.
Vehicle History Since Retirement
Since the vehicle’s retirement from racing, it has maintained its original livery transferring through several different private collections over the years. Recently, the car has been competing in the HSCC Super Touring Car Challenge battling other M3s from the era as well as newer Bavarian machinery.
The car is currently available for sale at 150K GBP, which translates to about $182,000 at current exchange rates. While one is limited in the number of venues where the car can be driven, this seems to me to be the closest thing I have seen to a ‘sure thing’.