One to Buy: ex-Roberto Ravaglia / Schnitzer Motorsport 1990 BMW E30 M3 Gr.A
Among the litany of machines that contested Group A Touring Car championships between the early 1980s and early 1990s, perhaps the most successful was BMW’s E30-based M3.
Despite having been created to race in the Division 2 category for cars with engines of less than 2.5-litres, the M3 frequently outpaced Ford’s turbocharged Division 1 Sierra Cosworth on account of its superior chassis dynamics, lighter weight and a driver roster that included some of the finest names in the business.
Following a successful debut season in 1987, BMW went on to scoop myriad international and domestic Touring Car titles during the next few years, several of which were scored in the prestigious Italian series which for 1990 was renamed the Campianato Italiano Superturismo.
That season, Roberto Ravaglia recorded seven wins from 20 outings driving a Schnitzer-prepared M3 Sport Evolution as he swept to BMW’s third Italian title in four years.
Currently on offer with Duncan Hamilton ROFGO is Roberto Ravaglia’s very machine from that 1990 campaign: chassis M3/1-154.
Thanks to a trio of wins at Monza, a brace at Imola and single victories at Varano and Misano, Ravaglia accrued 264 points during the 1990 season and secured the title in dominant fashion having scored 124 more than his Schnitzer team-mate and championship runner-up, Emanuele Pirro.
After its successful 1990 campaign (which also included an outing at the season-ending Macau Guia street race), chassis M3/1-154 was sold to Thierry Tassin who used it in the Belgian Procar series between 1991 and ‘92.
Today this significant piece of BMW Motorsport history is presented in superb condition fresh from a recent restoration by marque expert, Christian Löhr.
Reprinted below is Duncan Hamilton ROFGO’s description:
Chassis M3/1-154 was built by Schnitzer Motorsport for the BMW Works team to full Group A specification to contest the 1990 Italian Superturismo Championship (Campionato Italiano Superturismo). Roberto Ravaglia was the driver nominated by the BMW factory to drive chassis '154', and over the 10 double-header weekends of the 1990 championship, the Italian managed a dominant 7 overall wins and 9 podiums, taking the overall championship win.
Also driven by former motorcycle world champion, F1 driver and touring car legend Johnny Cecotto in that same year, 154's next success came at the 1990 Macau Guia race, driven by Emanuele Pirro and Joachim Winkelhock, who came second overall, winning their class.
Subsequently sold to Thierry Tassin who used the car to compete in the 1991 and 1992 Belgian Procar Championship, under the 'Batibouw BMW' banner.
In recent years, the car was restored by BMW M3 Group A/DTM expert Christian Löhr during his time at Zakspeed.
An extremely rare opportunity to acquire an ex-works, championship-winning BMW M3, with unquestionable history.
