Team Schnitzer

The motorsport team bearing their family name was founded in the early Sixties by Josef and Herbert Schnitzer.  It began as a development of the car sales/workshop business of their stepfather, Karl Lamm, in Freilassing, Germany, north-west of Salzburg.  This had been started by Herbert Schnitzer Snr. before WWII, developing over time into a dealership which represented both Ford and Opel, (and much later, Fiat).  Lamm took it over when Schnitzer died in the late Forties.  Of his stepsons, it was initially Josef who led the way on the track, in a Fiat Abarth 1000 Bialbero, competing in hill-climbing events during the ’63 season.   That included a victory at the OMK Junioren Pokal event at Freiburg, thus earning for Carlo Abarth one of the numerous win bonus payments from Fiat which were vital to Abarth throughout the Sixties – see https://davidbuckdenlooksback.blogspot.com/2026/04/one-last-fabulous-zagato-abarth-750.html   Already a BMW fan – he had briefly worked at the Munich factory in a vehicle proving role – Josef opted for a 1800 Ti in ’64.  Success with that encouraged the brothers to incorporate the BMW franchise into their business in ’65, while at the same time, running in the Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft, (DRM), he finished sixth in its championship.  In ’66, with a 2000 Ti, he attained his career peak by becoming joint champion, (with Herbert Schultze), driving an Alfa Romeo 1600 GTA.  He then did what can be a racing driver’s toughest challenge – he retired while ‘on top,’ turning his full attention to co-management, with Herbert, of Schnitzer Motorsport, the team’s name formally adopted in ’67.  This post refers only to the Freilassing-based team – the Aachen-located enterprise, AC Schnitzer, focused on automotive tuning and founded by Herbert Schnitzer and Willi Kohl in ’87, is not covered.

 

Schnitzer Motorsport swiftly confirmed its potential by running Ernst Furtmayr in the European Hillclimb Championship with such expertise that he took the championship in ’68 and ’69 with a 2002 Ti, switching to a 2800 CS for ’70 to clinch the title for the third year in a row. And for ’71, Walter Brun took over and also became the year’s champion in a Schnitzer 2800 CS.

Ernst Furtmayr, BMW 2002Ti  EHC, ’69  Courtesy Artur Fenzlau/Erwin Jelinek

Indeed, ’71 truly became a significant season for Schnitzer Motorsport, with increased competitiveness in the European Touring Car Championship, (ETCC), resulting from the teams’ adoption of and effective modification of the Group 2 BMW E9 coupe in compliance with the regulations for the championship’s Division 3, (utilising a 2,996 cc version of the 6 cylinder M52 engine, which developed around 15 bhp more than that extracted from Alpina’s version). The other upgraded competitiveness factor was the quality of the drivers eager to drive for Schnitzer having perceived the potential of the car – Dieter Quester, Rauno Aaltonen, Helmut Kelleners and Gerrard Larrousse, in addition to Ernst Furtmayr. Quester scored a landmark international victory for the team by taking the Zandvoort Trophy, defeating the Ford factory’s potent Capri RS 2600 squad.

Quester leads the Capris of Glemser and Marko, Zandvoort, August ’71  Courtesy Paul Rutten

As the decade progressed, Karl Lamm’s son, known as Charly, was appointed as Team Manager. Under his leadership Schnitzer continued to build expertise and its reputation as a leading team in the Touring Car domain.  However, its ambition had also developed, and by ’75 embraced a desire to succeed in the different realm of single-seater racing. Initially, this saw the team focused on the preparation of BMW engines for the Formula 2 category. This was facilitated by good synergies between the DRM cars programme and Schnitzer’s engine supplier role, both utilising the 2.0 litre BMW engine. This 4 cylinder powerplant, originally designated M10 and credited to Alex von Falkenhausen, started out with a 1.5 litre capacity in ’59, and it had gone into production in ’62. It was an integral part of the Neue Klasse models programme, commonly held to have ‘saved’ BMW. The M10 was updated by Paul Rosche, becoming an even more key feature for BMW as in its M12 guise it was capable to delivering exceptional power outputs, culminating in the turbocharged version which powered Nelson Piquet’s Brabham BT52 to the ’83 drivers F1 World Championship. Its M12/13 engine was said to be giving over 800 bhp in qualifying that season – and, subsequently, in ’86, around 1,450 bhp! For Formula 2, Schnitzer designed and made its own twin-cam, 16 valve cylinder head, creating the 20-4 engine. With Kugelfischer fuel injection, the 20-4 ran with a compression ratio of 11.3:1, making 285 bhp at 9,200 rpm and 353 Nm torque at 6,200 rpm. The engine was in ’75 highly successful in chassis made by Martini, Elf and March. French driver, Jacques Laffite won 7 of the 14 rounds in a Martini Mk.16, taking the title and confirming the dominance of the Schnitzer engine.

F2 Martini-Schnitzer of Jacques Laffite, ‘75  Courtesy Benoit Flandre

The following year, Schnitzer secured an agreement with Toyota to prepare engines for the Japanese manufacturer’s rally activities in Europe. With both parties satisfied with the results, Toyota committed to a programme geared to a European sales promotional objective – participation in the high profile German DRM series with a Schnitzer-developed, turbocharged Celica Liftback. Built by Schnitzer to Group 5 specification to race in the DRM’s 1st Division, its 2.0 litre engine was based on the 18R-G unit, though with modifications as well proven on the BMW-based 20-4, i.e. 16 valves and Kugelfischer injection. It was however the addition of a KKK turbocharger which gave rise to eager anticipation of on-track success, as this endowed the car with 560 bhp of propulsive power, while body/chassis modifications enabled a significantly lowered kerb weight of just 860 Kg.

Toyota Celica Liftback Turbo  Courtesy Fastestlaps.com

The ’77 DRM season was however over halfway through before the Celica was ready, making its debut at Hockenheim, with Harald Ertl at the wheel, in July.  That fact alone probably confirmed that the whole development/preparation process had been far too hurried, so it was not surprising that the car was clearly outpaced by the several Porsche 935s with which it was competing.  Equally, an early retirement, on lap 5, was not unexpected.  At the next round, at Zolder, Ertl was again an early race retirement.  Subsequently, at the Nurburgring, he was at least able to record the car’s first finish, but only in fourth place, again unable to match the speed of the 935 contingent.  

Undaunted, Schnitzer wheeled the Celica out for a second season in the DRM.  By the end of ’78, however, it could be concluded that it had been a half-hearted effort.  Of eleven rounds, the Toyota took part in only five.  Driver, Rolf Stommelen, got the car to the finish in only one – at Mainz-Finthen – taking 8^th place.  Meanwhile, Ertl, who had endured a similarly miserable time the year before, won five rounds in a Schnitzer 320 Turbo, enough to see him clinch the championship.

Toyota Celica Liftback Turbo, ‘78

Harald Ertl, BMW 320 Turbo, ’78 DRM champion  Courtesy Bonhams Cars

The 320 remained a competitive proposition as the new decade began.  Hans Joachim Stuck demonstrated this at the ’80 Macau Guia Race.  Schnitzer provided the car run the previous year for Manfred Winkelhock, but with a normally aspirated engine in place of the turbo unit.  It had been driven at some ’80 events by Harald Grohs while still turbocharged.  Stuck took over around mid-season and was entered for the Asian event in November.  He took pole and then, the day previous to the Guia race, experienced a major engine blow-up.  After replacement, however, the car ran well enough for victory in the race.

Hans Joachim Stuck, Macau, ‘80

 

As the Eighties progressed however, Schnitzer’s focus switched to the BMW 6 Series Coupe.  The team’s reworking of the 635 CSi as a Group A Touring Car proved highly successful.  By ’82 the TWR Jaguar was seen as the car to beat, so BMW set to work to get the E24 635 homologated with a build programme of 5,000 cars, (5,118 in the event).  The regulations allowed for substantial modifications, including to the engine, which in normal road trim generated around 215 bhp.  To compete in Group A an output of near 300 bhp was seen as necessary.  To meet this objective, BMW turned to Alpina for a pure race version of the M30, (while other road-orientated 635 CSis utilised M90 and M88/3 variants).  The Buchloe-based tuner responded with modifications which took power up to over 290 bhp.  As with the M1 programme, BMW managed the creation and running of the works cars by complementing the work assigned to M Sport Division (transmission/running gear).  This took the form of a co-ordination of contributory development and manufacturing work by ‘outside’ specialists: Alpina (engine), Karmann (chassis/body), and Schnitzer, (assembly, preparation, race running).

Seen below is chassis #RA1-07. As described by ultimatecarpage.com, it ‘debuted with an outright victory in the Monza 500 km in the hands of Carlo Rossi and Dieter Quester. A regular podium finisher, it won again at the Nürburgring round of the European Touring Car Championship with Quester and Manfred Winkelhock behind the wheel. Schnitzer ended the year as European Champions and this chassis was retired from contemporary racing.'

#RA-07, Monza, ’83, Quester/Rossi  Courtesy BMW  Courtesy BMW

Fielded for the factory in Original Teile livery by Schnitzer Motorsport, this 635 CSi became a regular podium finisher and it won again at the Nürburgring round of the European Touring Car Championship with Quester and Manfred Winkelhock behind the wheel. Schnitzer ended the year as European Champions and this chassis was retired from contemporary racing. Retained by BMW, it is today part of the BMW Classic collection and regularly shown and demonstrated at events all over Europe.  Schnitzer fielded a second 635 CSi for Stuck and Walter Brun, finishing the season in 5^th place.  For ’84 the Schnitzer driver pairings were Stuck/Quester and Roberto Ravaglia/Gerhard Berger.  Despite such a strong driver line-up, the previous season’s success was not repeated.  However, it was one of the team who would soon come to personify the 1980s strength and competitiveness of the Schnitzer name – Ravaglia.  It was his victory, (in partnership with Berger and Surer), in ’85 at Spa, that saw a further elevation in the team’s standing, it being its first in a 24 hour event.  Adding to the kudos, a second Schnitzer 635 CSi crewed by Quester, Cecotto and Markus Oestreich was second, albeit 4 laps behind.

Winner, Spa 24 Hours, ‘85  Courtesy BMW

 

’86 saw a robust bounce back in the ETCC, Ravaglia taking the title by a margin of 8 points from Win Percy, who with Tom Walkinshaw was highly competitive throughout the season in the Bastos Texaco Racing Team’s Rover Vitesse.  Meanwhile, Quester, Altfrid Heger and Thierry Tassin won a second successive Spa 24 Hours for Schnitzer.

'86 Spa 24 Hours – winner, Dieter Quester

’86 ETC champion, Ravaglia (with Emanuele Pirro)  Courtesy Forza Forums

With many excellent performances in both individual races and championships, there could be no complaints at Freilassing about the suitability of the E24 as a basis for a good performing/handling race car. However, there was a need for a further competitiveness upgrade for ’87, given the anticipated speed of the M3 model adopted by Linder Motorsport and the Ford Sierra RS Cosworths of both Eggenberger Motorsport and Jolly Club. Thus, Schnitzer also prepared BMW M3s for the new season. With one of these, Jean-Michel Martin, Didier Theys and Eric van de Poele gave Schnitzer its third successive Spa 24 Hours triumph, while Ravaglia and the team became Division 2 World Touring Car champions. The WTCC proved to be just a one-off in the era, mainly because of poor organisation which itself resulted in an unexpectedly small (15) field of entered cars, the main contenders being BMW, Ford and Alfa Romeo. The following year, focus reverted to the ETCC, and, again, Ravaglia was on top in the championship in a Schnitzer M3, and with Quester and Heger, chalked up yet another 24 Hours victory at Spa.

’87 WTCC – champion, Ravaglia, M3, at the Nurburgring  Courtesy BMW

’88 Ravaglia, M3 at Silverstone  Courtesy BMW

Schnitzer finished up the decade impressively. Ravaglia steered an M3 Evo to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, (DTM), championship and contributed to a 24 Hours of Nurburgring victory, while Johnny Cecotto became ‘89’s Italian Touring Car champion. There had been 11 rounds in the DTM and throughout Ravaglia had been in a close battle with the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth of Klaus Niedzwiedz, eventually outscoring the Team Eggenberger star by just 11 points, with fellow Team Schnitzer driver, Fabien Giroix, in third place.

’89 Ravaglia, BMW M3 Evo, DTM champion  Courtesy BMW

That year BMW made 480 Johnny Cecotto Edition M3s.  These had some race car-like features including a 200 + bhp version of the S14 engine, front and rear spoilers and lightweight glass.

Johnny Cecotto Edition M3, ’89  Courtesy Stance Works

If Schnitzer had been pleased with its on-track exploits in the Eighties, they may well have moved on to being ecstatic about the following decade’s achievements.  Especially satisfying were the 24 Hour race victories at Spa in ’90 and ’95, at the Nurburgring in ’91 and ’98, and, most of all, Le Mans in ’99, (BMW V12 LMR, driven by Winkelhock, Yannick Dalmas and Pierluigi Martini).  As to Touring Car championships, Schnitzer took the Italian in ’90 and ‘91, (Ravaglia), Asia-Pacific ’94, (Winkelhock), Japan ’95, (Steve Soper), German Super ’95, (Winkelhock) and ’98, (Cecotto).  Also notable was a 1-2-3 at the ‘92 Macau Guia, (Pirro, Winkelhock, Ravaglia), and victory at the ‘99 12 Hours of Sebring, (Jörg Müller, JJ Lehto, Tom Kristensen).

’90 Spa 24 Hours  Courtesy Glyn Parham

'91 Nurburgring – M3 Evo 2  Courtesy © 2023 dailysportscar.com

’92 Macau – M3 Evo – 1-2-3

’99 Le Mans. The winning BMW V12 LMR #  Courtesy BimmerLife

 

Showing how the business had grown, this view of the team in ’99 speaks for itself

That ’99 triumph at Circuit de la Sarthe was attributed to ‘BMW Motorsport.’  This had become the Schnitzer team’s name on race entries and would remain in use intermittently for the rest of its active existence.  As the full-blown factory team, BMW Motorsport switched some of its focus to GT class racing in the U.S. and this resulted in its securing of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 2001.

Subsequently, the team was once again seen competing as ‘BMW Team Germany’ in the WTCC from ’05-’09.  This proved to be a highly rewarding programme, with many race victories recorded by drivers, Jörg Müller, Dirk Müller, and Augusto Farfus.  In ’05 both Jörg and Dirk Müller won 3 races each, with Dirk 2^nd and Jörg 5^th in the championship at year end.  Champion in ’05 was the UK BMW team and it repeated this achievement in both ’06 and ’07.  However, BMW Team Germany chalked up 5 wins in both ’06 and ’07, 3 in ’08 and 6 in ’09. 

From ’12-’16 focus moved to the DTM. Schnitzer driver Bruno Spengler secured the series title for himself and the Team and Manufacturer’s titles for Schnitzer and BMW respectively. Subsequently, Schnitzer ran the factory entries in the International GT Challenge, continuing to perform strongly and consistently, with, for example, a highlight Farfus win in the FIA GT World Cup, Macau, in ‘18, in a Schnitzer BMW M6 GT3.

’18 Schnitzer BMW M6 GT3, Macau  Courtesy BMW

Following the Macau win, Herbert Schnitzer Jnr. took over the teams’ management from Charly Lamm.  In ’20, success seemed likely to be ongoing, evidenced, for example, by a third place finish in the Nurburgring 24 Hours with a BMW M6 GT3 in the hands of Farfus, Jens Klingmann, Sheldon van der Linde and Martin Tomczyk.  However, in December of that year it was announced that BMW’s association with Schnitzer was at an end.  At the same time, a similar decision was made in regard to Team RBM.  With immediate effect, the development of a new BMW M4 GT3 and its running as from ’21 would be undertaken by BMW Team RMG, founded by Stefan Reinhold in 2010 and based at Niederzissen.  For Schnitzer it was the end.  Through its long standing dedication to a single ‘client,’ it had left itself vulnerable in the event that the client should decide ‘to go elsewhere.’  Equally, nonetheless, that focus/dedication had made for a highly successful collaboration and had enabled BMW to bask in the glory of a great many race and championship victories – the Munich giant had certainly had value for money!

Soon after the forgoing account was finalised, it was announced on 7^th June 2026 that, sadly, Herbert had died.

Abarth 850 TC and 1000 Berlina - Sixties Supremacy

The Nuova 500 was launched by Fiat in mid-’57.  That Abarth should want to produce its own version was not surprising.  Whatever else might be said about the 500, its 13 bhp hardly made for good drivability characteristics.  Abarth’s modifications, upping power near twofold to 20 bhp, transformed the 500’s performance, which, Fiat-badged, initially struggled in terms of customer acceptance.  Unfortunately, the Tipo 105 Abarth 500 also failed to sell in the numbers planned, primarily because that increase in horsepower had come at the expense of a significantly higher price tag – 18% greater than that attached to the Fiat.  Carlo Abarth was quick to respond to the situation, ordering that a bespoke, 26 bhp version be made and adopted into his Monza circuit-based World Records programme instituted in ’56.  In February ’58, the car achieved a record by covering 18,186 km at an average speed over 7 days of 108.5 kph.  Fiat was impressed!  So impressed that Carlo was able to gain agreement from Fiat that it would make a payment to Abarth for every motor sport victory recorded by a Fiat-based Abarth product.  This arrangement proved to be extremely helpful over many years, primarily in supporting the development of new products and race activity at Corso Marche.  It is important to understand that in making the offer, Fiat’s Commercial Director, Lorenzo Brinatti, was firm in that only a race win would trigger each payment - any other placing was not to be recognised  This condition had effects which were not all totally desirable, the most significant being that Abarth’s view of what sort or races and classes it should concentrate on was perhaps overly slanted towards those in which its car could be considered favourite for the victory.

Three years on from the Monza record achievement and related ‘win bonus’ establishment, Abarth presented the first of a line of 850/1000 models which would be the most adept at garnering the best possible level of income from the agreement.  These models were based on the Fiat 600, which had begun production in ’55.  By the time of the Abarth 850’s unveiling, a million 600s had been made.  So, a success, certainly, but also a product that was due an updating.  This Fiat delivered with an increased displacement (767 cc) engine, designated 600 D – good for 29 bhp.  Abarth’s re-interpretation of the design included an uprating of engine output to 52 bhp in a model named 850 TC (Turismo Competizione) reflecting an increased cubic capacity of 847 cc.  Complementary specification changes also included Girling brake discs for the front axle and an additional radiator located midships under the floor.  An example of a 850 TC made in the first year of production is shown below.  #1022733, was raced in period by Gianpiero Raffa.  As offered in recent times by Woow Motors (Switzerland) it was in race trim with partial roll-cage and running on Cromodora alloy wheels.

850 TC, #1022733 Courtesy Woow Motors/Dyler

The 850 TC was priced at Lit. 850,000 and clearly marketed as a model to win incremental sales volume.  Equally, it was specified with race wins in mind and in its first year on track/hill courses it began to deliver in August at the Cesana-Sestriere hillclimb, and nine high profile event victories had been gained before the season’s end.  September’s 500 Km at the Nurburgring was especially rewarding, with Ernst Furtmayr winning the 850 class.  Moreover, 850 TCs finished 1-2-3 in class.  Thus the advertising department at Corso Marche was soon busy with celebratory ads in the specialist press publications, example below:

To capitalise on the success seen at the ‘Ring, Carlo called for a special version of the 850 TC to be developed and this was done at some speed, the launch of the Abarth 850 TC Nurburgring occurring in November ’61.  (Curiously, this model, with designation, Project 64, Sigla 114, is shown in factory records as having been introduced in January ’61, 9 months prior to the launch of the 850 TC itself!)  Whether or not the January event was organised with the assistance of a clairvoyant, the car added to the buoyancy of sales as a result of enthusiastic customer reception of its features including a boost in power to 55 bhp enabled by a modified camshaft, a five speed gearbox, and a price tag only Lit. 40,000 bigger than that of the 850 TC.

An early-built 850 TC Nurburgring, #1540906, is shown below:

#1540906 Courtesy Bonhams Cars

There was variation in the badging of the Nurburgring model.  On some extant examples, the lower right corner of the engine decklid carries a generic 850 TC chrome script – left, below.  However, on #1458387/3320, ‘ABARTH’ and ‘nurburgring’ are added – right, below:

Of course the engine deck lid badges were usually not readily seen because of the prevalent practice, (increasingly so as of ’62), of running with the lid propped open. This – in contemporary parlance – 'hack' was seen as a silver bullet, the aerodynamic ramifications being in terms of downforce (improving rear end stability) and enabling a higher top speed – some said as much as an additional 5 mph, all at the same time as helping preclude engine overheating and heat sink in the bay. 

The ‘Nurburgring’ was a success both on track and in dealer showrooms.  This was helped by very favourable advocacy in the press, Auto-Italiana for instance having this to say in ’63:  ‘The performance of this inspired Abarth is certainly superior to that of a car of almost double its cubic capacity.  We would say that its engine despite the power that permits excellent performance, is elastic to the point that there is good acceleration even at a medium speed of around 3,000 rpm.  This is another positive quality of the vehicle, which is really a sports car but still relatively economical.’  But Abarth was not inclined to rest on its laurels – the 850/1000 TC range was the subject of gradual improvement/performance uprating over several years.  Progressive homologation update appendices were effected with a number of supplementary items, registered especially for ‘67/’68.  The 1000 TC Berlina was Group 1 homologated in January ’63.  The ’67 updates saw the approval applied for the Group 2 Special Touring class.

 

Some confusion can arise because of the moniker ‘Corsa’ applied to some ‘Nurburgring’ 850 TCs.  The is because Abarth also released in ‘61 a model with the ‘Corsa’ designation, this being the first of a line powered by the bigger capacity (982 cc) Tipo 210 engine.  The 1000 TC Berlina Corsa (#114D) was rated at 60 bhp.  The Tipo 210, was at the same time utilised in the Monomille Scorpione GT coupe.  Other important changes were driveshafts with universal joints and the fitting of disc brakes to the rear as well as the front axle.  Shown below is a ’63 example, #1428998.  This 1000 TC Berlina Corsa was sold in recent times for €24,900 by Race Cars Direct:

#1428998 Courtesy Race Cars Direct

In early ’64, the Series 2 1000 TC Berlina Corsa’s power was up to 76 bhp.  Of significance, the underfloor radiator was relocated to the nose and housed within a newly designed protective nacelle with the appearance of a very heavy duty bumper, conferring a distinctive/aggressive ‘look’ to the car’s front end. 

The ’64-effective additional homologation features defining a Corsa version vis-à-vis the Berlina, included engine uprating, (12.2:1 compression ratio and 36 mm Weber), to a maximum of 80 bhp, 5 speed gearbox, discs all round, revised suspension and larger front radiator.  By ’64, the Berlina Corsa’s engine output was given as 76 bhp and numerous other detail, race-purpose improvements led to the designation, ‘2^nd Series.’  This was followed in February ’65 by an 80 bhp ‘3^rd Series.’  In particular, this featured a revised coil-over front suspension, distancing the Abarth set-up further from that of the Fiat 600 with its transverse leaf spring.  Performance was enhanced by the adoption of the 5 speed Tipo 121 gearbox.  The radiator capacity was also increased, enabling deletion of the engine bay fan, (the car still retaining a rear radiator in addition to the nose mounted item).  During the ’65 season, some 1000 TCs were raced with the Radiale head version of the 200 series engine.  The 4^th Series of the Berlina Corsa appeared in September ’66, powered by the 210-C engine delivering 85 bhp thanks to a 13:1 compression ratio and a higher maximum rpm of 7,600.  Both the coolant radiator and the oil cooler were of increased capacity  The frontal radiator housing was restyled to enhance aerodynamics and the car’s weight was trimmed a little – down to 583 Kg.  As a result, top speed was reported to be up to 121 mph.

 

Proof of the 1000 TC’s prowess came in the years ’65, ’66 and ’67 when it was the Division 1 European Touring Car Challenge-winning car for Ed Swart, Giancarlo Baghetti and Willi Kauhsen, respectively.

66 European Touring Car Challenge champion, Giancarlo Baghetti, winning the Aspern round. Courtesy Erwin Jellnek

#1965262 Courtesy Classic & Collector Cars

The introduction of the 4^th Series 1000 TC was concurrent with that of the 1000 TCR.  The ‘R’ signified the Radiale head and indicated a car with 92 bhp, available at an even higher engine speed of 7,900 rpm.

1000 TCR engine installation Courtesy Revs Institute

#2366678 is an early TCR, built in ’67.  In the first decade of the 21^st century it underwent a full restoration and specification update in preparation for Historic Racing.

#2366678 Courtesy Anamera

In early production, the Radiale engine’s 92 bhp, enabled a 0-60 time of 7 seconds and a top speed of 122 mph.  The model was developed with a 2^nd Series appearing in February ’68, a 3^rd the following year and a fourth in January ’70.  The 2^nd Series benefitted from an increase in engine output to 97 bhp, while the 3^rd had 108 and the 4^th, 112-115, (at 8,200 rpm).  The final iteration’s top speed was 124 mph.

There were new Appendix J regulations for the ’70 season and the 4^th Series TCR was Group 2 compliant.  With near-complete freedom in regard to the cylinder head, the rules enabled a further increase in power since twin double choke Weber 45 DCOEs were allowed, as were another iteration of both the camshaft and manifold, together with a prominent exhaust system with long transverse final pipe section.  Rear windows and rear screen were re-specified in Plexiglass, while the front and rear wings/wheel arches were widened and a new fibreglass engine deck lid fitted.  (This latter item was subsequently ‘unhomologated’ on the grounds that it could become debris of a dangerous nature in the event of a rear impact).  After feedback from the works drivers, in which they complained about how the car was handling with its increased power output, the rear suspension was reconfigured, reverting to a tubular components/triangular format arrangement, not unlike Fiat’s original design for the 600.

 

The driver most associated with the era was Johann Abt.  He joined the Corso Marche factory team in ’67 and won 29 races.  The following year he was a winner at 17 events and was a contender in the German Hillclimb Championship.  After leaving in ’70, Abt continued to race the marque’s cars and is thought to have notched up over 300 victories in the course of his career.

Johann Abt winning at Salzburgring, ’70.  Courtesy ABT Motorsport

With various rule revisions, (most significantly, the 1^st Division capacity limit in the European Touring Car Championship was increased from 1 litre to 1300 cc), and competitor strength changes, Abarth’s focus in ’71 shifted to the European Hillclimb Championship – once again, a successful campaign.  Otherwise, ’71 is remembered for the demise of the Abarth factory’s motorsport operation and the marque’s absorption into Fiat.  There was some bravado beforehand however - in February, Carlo, accompanied by Arturo Merzario, presented the SE020, SE021 and SE022 Sport Spider prototypes at the Torino Aero Club’s airfield just across the Corso Marche.  Then, where in previous years, comparative test sessions had been held at Vallelunga or Monza, these were conducted later that month at the Paul Ricard circuit, Le Castellet, France.  The emphasis on this occasion was on the Prototypes and larger engined cars.  Once the racing season got underway, Abarth fans might have thought that ’71 was going to be ‘business as usual,’ as March’s Monza round of the Italian Touring Car Championship saw class wins for Edoardo Gunnella in a 850 TC and for Gino Ravinale driving a 1000 Berlina.  In the mountains too, Abarth drivers Giuseppe D’Ippolito (850 TC) and Luigi Ferragina (1000 Berlina) were best in class in European and Italian Hillclimb events.  By the end of the season, Edoardo Gatti (850 TC) had taken the European Hillclimb Championship, 850 class, and Maurizio Campanini (1000 Berlina), the 1 litre class.  However, even as encouraging results were being recorded, Fiat informed Carlo that he would be deprived of the very thing that had facilitated so much motorsport success – the ‘per-win’ bonus payments were to be stopped.  On top of the many other commercial/financial problems with which Abarth had been struggling, this was a final straw.  At the same time, however, Fiat offered to buy the Abarth business lock, stock and barrel.  Carlo really had no option but to accept, and Fiat confirmed the agreement at the end of August, though it was not announced to the public until 15^th October ’71.  Meanwhile, the racing department had been moved to the premises of Enzo Osella’s Osella Squadra Corse.  Osella would run the SE021 and develop the SE027 Prototype Spiders through to ’74. 

Eventually, as the 850/1000 TC’s development period had come to a close in ’70, the year before Fiat’s acquisition of the marque, the 850 had gone from a Lit. 850,00, 52 bhp car to one with many updated features and a 55 bhp-rated engine.  The 1000 TC began life with 60 bhp, while its ultimate successor, the TCR, had near double that, at 115 bhp.  Meanwhile, the price had reached, Lit.3,710,000.  Given the ‘per win’ bonus which Fiat had agreed to pay Abarth back in ’58, both the 850 TC and 1000 TC models contributed significantly to income over and above the sales revenues they generated, with no fewer than 2,357 race/class wins during the period ’61-’71, (1,236 by 850s and 1,121 by 1000s).

 

All these many decades after Abarth’s golden era, interest in the marque is strong and widespread.  Highly instrumental in the classic Abarth ‘scene’ is the Berni Motori business based south east of Milan at Maleo - http://www.bernimotori.com/.  Tony Berni – who has very kindly helped me in researching aspects of the cars on several occasions – summarises the history and allure of the 850/1000 TCs with this publication: http://www.bernimotori.com/press/Fiat%20Abarth%201000%20Berlina%20Corsa.pdf

Small Scale Style from Scaglione

During the late 19^th and first half of the 20^th centuries, Neckarsulm Strickmaschinen Union – NSU – dabbled with automobile production, but was mainly known for its motorcycles.  However, a more concerted fresh new start with cars began in 1957 with a model type named Prinz.  A small saloon, the Prinz was powered by an air cooled, rear located 583 cc twin cylinder engine.  A distinctive feature of the NSU twin was its utilisation of a connecting rod driving the overhead camshaft from the crankshaft.  The system, known as ‘NSU Ultramax,’ clearly had reliability/durability advantages compared with the more usual chain, gear or belt drive, but would have added to costs somewhat significantly. (See here).

Despite the limitations of its size and small capacity powertrain, the Prinz was successful in terms of sales, with about 95,000 units made in the period ’57-’62.  Not quite a microcar – more a super-compact - it met the needs of a large, city-dwelling demographic seeking economic motoring.  Such owners had no need for full four seat capacity for lengthy journeys.  The ‘economy’ criterion was met by the Prinz being a car that cost all of £425 brand new.  But, as throughout the history of automobile manufacturing and marketing, modesty is never absolute and it wasn’t long before designers at Neckarsulm were doodling sporty body shapes over the basic Prinz platform.  After all, Volkswagen had not long ago put a sports coupe body jointly developed by Carrozzeria Ghia and Karmann GmbH onto the Beetle chassis, and the resulting car had proven an aesthetic and commercial success.  NSU turned to another fast-developing carrozzeria to explore a similar project.  This was Bertone, where Nuccio, son of the firm’s founder, was intent on modernising and expanding its operations, especially in terms of vehicle assembly in addition to body styling and construction.  And Bertone had been benefiting since ’52 by having the talented stylist, Franco Scaglione, in-house.  Scaglione was at the time riding a crest of success and acclaim through his recent work for Alfa Romeo, (the startling Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica (BAT) concepts, the Giulietta Sprint and the Sprint Speciale), Abarth and Aston Martin.  Confident and adventurous, Scaglione drew a distinctively attractive fastback body which the NSU management found very much to its liking.  Little wonder as Scaglione had flattered the executives at Neckarsulm by presenting them with the opportunity to market a Prinz that had a similar look to the glamorous Maserati 350 GT Bertone which was on his drawing board around the same time.  The Sport Prinz was first presented at Frankfurt in ’58, with series manufacture and deliveries beginning in ’59.

Left: Sport Prinz; right: Maserati 350 GT – both by Scaglione

According to most sources, Bertone built the first 250 Sport Prinz bodies in the Carrozzeria’s Grugliasco workshops near Turin. This operation was then transferred to the firm of Drautz, conveniently also located in Neckarsulm.

From the outset until ’62, the 583 cc engine with Bing carburettor was rated at 30 bhp DIN (or, claimed, 36 SAE), with torque at 42 Nm.  The car’s kerb weight was quoted as 530 Kg, allowing a top speed of over 80 mph, though the 0-60 mph acceleration time was over 20 seconds.  However, being nimble and handling well, the model was to be seen on race circuits in 1960 and with some success, for example at the Nurburgring in September, where Siegfried Mullers and Bernd Degner were GT600 class winners in the 500 Km. 

In ’61 two cars ran in the Monte Carlo Rally. Eugen Schaefer/Henri Benveniste’s #116, which finished 60^th, is seen below:

Courtesy Getty Images

The second car, in the hands of Jose Behra/Jean Berges, was an excellent 8^th . 

During 1960/61/62, SCCA racing in the U.S, saw Sport Prinz participation from time to time, notably with Alfred Zantzinger at the wheel.  At the Sebring 12 Hours in ’61, Fred Fischhof and John Eisenhauer took the GT600 class honours.  Remarkably, in June ’63, six Sport Prinz entries were seen at the Nurburgring 6 Hours, a round of the European Touring Car Challenge.  Most successful was the Isar Racing Team car driven by Ernst Hamberger and Manfred Gieth to 1^st in the up-to-600 cc class – indeed, the model recorded a 1-2-3 finish at this arduous event.  The winning car is #8, centre, in the photograph below.

’63 Nurburgring 6 Hours Courtesy Holger Vogel

A few weeks later, Hans Braun won the same class at the ETCC round at Zandvoort.  In the Tour de France, Sport Prinz cars were 2^nd and 3^rd in class.  There was some Sport Prinz representation at the major hillclimb events at Rossfeld and Mont Ventoux in ’64, while Christian Chauvin was class winner at the ’65 running of the Coupes de Paris. 

The Sport Prinz was the subject of a road test report in the November ’60 issue of Motor Sport magazine.  Comments included: 

(The engine) . . . idles unevenly but once under way smooths out, although the noise is still very reminiscent of a two-stroke engine.  The gearbox operates in the rather disconnected way of so many rear-engined cars, and the synchromesh tends to obstruct gear selection, especially in first gear.  To obtain good downward gear changes it is advisable to double-declutch, a manoeuvre which is aided by reasonably sensibly placed pedals. With 36 b.h.p. to move just over 10 cwt. along, the acceleration is more than brisk and the Sport Prinz will certainly never get in the way of other traffic.  Normal cruising speed is an indicated 60 m.p.h., while the needle will swing round to 80 m.p.h. on a slight downgrade, and a more fully run-in car (our test car had covered 1,500 miles) would probably reach the claimed 85 m.p.h. top speed. Remember, this car has a capacity of 583 c.c. ! 

On first acquaintance handling appears fussy but this is due to a combination of fairly firm suspension and rack-and-pinion steering having only 2.4 turns lock-to-lock. When the driver becomes more accustomed to the car he begins to fling it about in complete confidence, and although the Sport Prinz oversteers quite strongly it is difficult to make the rear end break away. 

On the open road it becomes a very pleasant car to drive . . . cornered with great verve . . . it is possible that the claimed 47 m.p.g. could be reached if a less aggressive driving technique was employed. The brakes of the test car required quite heavy pedal pressures and fade could be induced after two or three stops from above 60 m.p.h., but in normal use they appeared to be adequate. 

Rather expensive in this country the sporting version of these interesting economy cars from Neckarsalum will obviously find a limited market, but the man who wants to own a car of individual character could well consider the Sport Prinz. 

The magazine’s observation about expense was driven by the test car being priced at £970 – nearly twice that of the Prinz saloon.

 

An early-production (probably ’60) survivor is #4102499, sold for restoration in September ’24.

Courtesy Hagerty - RacineJoe

Two other ’60-made cars have featured in recent media coverage.  Another red one, chassis number unknown, is owned by a resident of Foley, a town to the North West of Minneapolis, U.S.  The owner’s experience with the car and details of his restoration work can found at https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/car-of-the-week-1960-nsu-sport-prinz.

Courtesy Active Interest Media

Another, again finished in red, was recently photographed as body/paint restoration was concluding.  Location of this one was Astoria, New York, U.S.

Courtesy Peter Kumar

The quality of classic car restoration standards has benefitted from technological advances in recent years, with some stunning results to be seen at the premier international concours events.  At the same time, an appreciation of ‘naturally aged’ cars and their patina has gathered momentum, generating interest in preservation as a principle just as valid as craft/artisan based restoration.  For those liking patina-porn, the ’62 Sport Prinz below will surely prove attractive.

Courtesy Wannenes

The ’63 #4112286 displays the various badges/plate in rather better condition:

Courtesy Artcurial

The car was sold by Artcurial in ’21 in Monaco for €7,748.  This was below an estimate of €10-15,000.  It appears to be in reasonable, usable condition, but the winning bidder was no doubt anticipating the need for substantial expenditure on a thorough restoration.  This would likely be fully justifiable given that the car apparently has no areas of very serious deterioration.

Courtesy Artcurial

Produced the following year, #4122861 was offered by Osenat (Fontainebleau, France) in 2013 with an estimate of €5-7,000.  A successful, above-reserve bid was however not recorded.

#4122861 Courtesy Osenat

Also a ’64 Sport Prinz, #4113783 was offered at auction in 2023, but the highest bid, €11,500, was short of the reserve.

#4113783 Courtesy Classic.com

#4117939 is unusual in being right hand drive.  First registered in the UK in ’65, it was apparently built to a factory ‘GT’ specification which included front discs and a reprofiled camshaft.  Much later, around ’08, a subsequent owner had the engine replaced with a 4 cylinder NSU unit.  At the same time chassis improvements were made and competition-use modifications – including a roll cage – were carried out.  There are also some bodywork alterations, most notably to the engine deck lid – Abarth GT style - to allow greater air intake/circulation for cooling purposes.  Engine performance is significantly increased at 52 bhp with peak torque of 53 lbs/ft.  Despite these various modifications and expenditures, the car made just a modest £6.900 when sold at auction in February ’24.

#4117939 Courtesy Manor Park Classics

In contrast, #4119347, a ’66 car, appears to be a good example of a Sport Prinz in preserved standard specification.  Bonham’s lot description for its auction sale in ’18 includes the statement, ‘(the car was) comprehensively restored in 2004, though the interior was in such good condition that it was decided it did not need renovation and as a result possesses a lovely patina.’  It was estimated to sell for €18-25,000 but the reserve was apparently not reached.

#4119347 Courtesy Bonhams Cars

Another inconclusive auction involved the ’67-manfactured #4118719, offered on Bring a Trailer in ’20.  High bid – unsuccessful – was $9.400.

Courtesy AaronCCG, BaT

 

The engine bay and front trunk of this car are in particularly pleasing condition:

Courtesy AaronCCG, BaT

Of the same age, #4117627 made for a more successful auction lot when offered also on Bring a Trailer in September ’20, selling for $16,040.

#4117627 Courtesy 246dinoguy, BaT

As with the immediately preceding car, a clean bay allows a good view of the engine’s simplicity and the ease of accessibility for service/repair work.  Given the modest power output, the deployment of twin coils – seen at the bottom of the photograph, might seem somewhat ironic!

#4117627 Courtesy 246dinoguy, BaT

Another ’67 car is #4121650 and, like #4117939, is right hand drive and used in the early years of the century for some historic rallying, though without any serious competition-related mechanical or bodywork modifications.  The car was sold in ’18 for £5,060.

#4121650 Courtesy Brightwells

Once again, a rhd/’67 Sport Prinz, #4121694 was sold in ’21 by Iconic Auctioneers for £8,769.  No other details are currently available, though the car appears to be in good, running condition, as seen below:

#4121694 Courtesy Iconic Auctioneers

The latest-made, (’68), car of which I have a photograph is #4122062.  In describing the car for a sale in July 2012 of cars owned by the Prince of Monaco, Artcurial included a note about the interior: (It) 'has not been touched and offers all its period freshness, with its impeccable carpets, its two-tone cloth and leatherette seats with white piping, its delightfully sporty dashboard nicely painted, the steering in black bakelite with circular chrome-horn, chrome door handles and bellow-like door pockets.’  The hammer price realised was €25,023.

Courtesy Artcurial

As seen in this survey, the NSU Sport Prinz does not generally command high values in the current classic car market.  A clear limitation is the modesty of motive power type since this not only makes for a vehicle with limited dynamic characteristics, but also robs it substantially of technical interest.  However, whilst the provenance, (ownership by the Monegasque monarchy), of #4122062 was no doubt a positive contributing factor, the price realised for this vehicle indicates the potential for well-preserved/original specification examples.