If you ask a room full of BMW diehards which car deserves the title of “first M car,” prepare for a debate worthy of motorsport royalty. Some will swear by the mid-engine M1. Others will cite the South African 530 MLE from 1976. But peel the license plates away from the equation, look strictly at the origins of BMW Motorsport GmbH, and the real pioneer appears: the BMW 3.0 CSL.
And not just any CSL — the first one ever built, chassis E9/R1, the very machine that kicked off the M division’s 50-year dominance in performance engineering. That car is now offered for sale.
A Prototype Turned Motorsport Milestone
The 3.0 CSL arrived in 1973 as a homologation special of the elegant E9 coupe, just one year after BMW formally created its Motorsport division. Twenty-one lightweight CSLs were constructed for racing programs, but only eleven were run by the factory-backed team. E9/R1 was the earliest completed car—BMW Motorsport’s first real test bed.
Built between late 1972 and early 1973, this car served as a development mule during some very cold winter months, with legendary drivers Hans Stuck and Harald Menzel rotating behind the wheel. If BMW Motorsport had a first classroom, this was the chalkboard.
The car is now listed by UK dealer Dylan Miles Ltd on Classic Driver, with the price—expectedly—left blank. For something this historically loaded, the number is probably easier whispered than printed.
Where the Batmobile Was Born
If the CSL is iconic, the “Batmobile” CSL is mythical. But even that legend had humble beginnings. E9/R1 was originally raced without the outrageous aero package because homologation rules prohibited BMW from running parts not yet approved by the FIA.
Once the green light came, engineers scrambled to equip the CSL with its towering rear wing, deep chin spoiler, and boxy extensions. The transformation into the legendary “Batmobile” began right here, with this exact chassis as the starting point.
A Life After Competition
After its time with various racing teams, E9/R1 was pulled from competition and passed through the hands of several BMW collectors. A meticulous restoration brought the car back to its pre-Batmobile specification, and it made a high-profile return at the 2021 Goodwood Festival of Speed.
A few months later, the CSL reappeared—this time wearing the full Batmobile bodywork—at Salon Privé Concours d’Elegance at Blenheim Palace. In both forms, it drew crowds like a magnetic field.
The CSL Legacy Lives On
BMW itself paid homage to the CSL’s significance when M celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. The ultra-exclusive, 50-unit modern 3.0 CSL—based on the M4 CSL—packed 560 horsepower, a manual gearbox, and bodywork sculpted as a modern love letter to the Batmobile. With an unofficial price of around €750,000, it became the most expensive new car BMW has ever sold.
And yet, that still may not eclipse the value of the original.
What’s a First-of-Its-Kind M Car Worth?
With a provenance that includes Motorsport GmbH’s earliest days, testing by legendary drivers, the genesis of BMW’s most famous aero kit, and a beautifully documented restoration, E9/R1 stands alone.
A modern CSL commands three-quarters of a million euros. But the car that made BMW M what it is today?
Don’t be surprised if it sells for far, far more.
After all, they only made one “first M car.” And this is it.
Source: Classic Driver