1972 BMW 3.0 CSA | Projects

1972 BMW 3.0 CSA

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The Project

This 1972 BMW 3.0 CS Automatic (E9) arrived into the Carrosserie workshop in September 2022 for a full restoration, including bodywork and mechanical.

Updates

17th February 2023: Brand new floor installed. Repair to footwell and inner sills. Replacing outer sills. New door skins to be added.

7th December 2023: New boot floor and door skins installed. Various fabrication repair works to parts of the doors, boot, and rear of the car.

3rd July 2024: Fabrication works have been carried out to repair the front panel and splash guard.

> More updates to follow.

History

The BMW 3.0 CS is a stylish coupe from the golden era of BMWs ‘New Class’ design language. It is powered by a smooth and characterful 180bhp 3.0-litre M30 straight-six engine on twin carburettors and is coupled to a three-speed automatic transmission.

BMW was on a roll in the 1960s, introducing bigger, more sophisticated models. Its recovery began with the 700, followed by the sporty Neue Klasse saloons. For the NK coupés, the 2000 C/CS of 1965, design chief Wilhelm Hofmeister and Manfred Rennen took their cues from the Giugiaro-penned 3200 CS.

The shape was deftly facelifted on a longer wheelbase to become the E9, launched as the 2800 CS in ’68.

At full capacity making mainstream saloons, BMW decided to have the low-volume coupés built by Karmann.

The E9 CS was nicely finished and expensive – indeed, the 3.0 CSA cost more in the UK than an Aston Martin DBS or a Jensen Interceptor. Good though build quality and equipment levels were – there was even a drop-down tray full of tools and spares in the panelled boot lid – under the skin the news was not so good.

Karmann’s rust protection was minimal.

Values fell to rock bottom in the 1980s when many cars were neglected. Finally, the rare, homologation special CSL began to attract attention. Just 1265 were made, using thinner steel throughout, plus aluminium bonnet, boot lid and door skins. It is now highly collectable, the ultimate being the 3.2-litre ‘Batmobile’.

Friendly, helpful, extremely knowledgeable, patient enough to explain the processes and reasons for doing things and highlighted even more how approachable the team are. They tried to accommodate our needs and requests to get our beloved old riley back on the road as soon as possible despite the ups and downs that were thrown our way and into the teams path! We could not have wished to deal with a more personable company after encountering some other teams that really made a botch of stuff, seemed uncommitted and were not professional at all. Carrosserie as a team were totally the opposite . . would we recommend them ? ABSOLUTELY !!! We would not go anywhere else now, THANK YOU TO Steve, Neil, Graham and Nicola . . Oh and Karen who spilled the beans about the the birthday surprised to my partner (whose car it is ) . but made the experience all the more special when a bottle of wine was presented as well as a treat to Simon for his birthday AND made it all the more worth dealing with the team ! THANK YOU AGAIN !!!

My car was the subject of some body and paint repairs here in Spring 2024, to address corrosion plus some substandard paintwork. An annual service was also carried out. There was good responsive communications, advice, and attention to detail throughout, to ensure a high quality, durable result, with the final paintwork being indistinguishable from factory finish, and easily better than any franchised dealership repairs. If you are invested in your classic car, want to make it last, with an exemplary finish to be proud of, then you need look no further.

I can't recommend Carrosserie highly enough, the service was exemplary from start to finish and the workmanship is second to none. I highly recommend giving the team a call for any work you need doing to your classic car, no matter what it is, you will not be disappointed!