Images via Mécaniques Modernes & Classiques
This ex-Frank Sytner Group A BMW 635 has plenty of ETCC and BTCC history, raced in the inaugural Wellington 500 and is up for sale at Mécaniques Modernes & Classiques Paris.
The car, RA1-22, was built by Ted Grace for Frank Sytner to run under Grace International Racing. It debuted in the European Touring Car Championship at the Donington 500 in May of 1983, where Sytner and Brian Miur would qualify 10th and go on to a DNF.
The pair would return to the ETCC a few months later in September, when the championship returned to the United Kingdom for the Canon RAC Tourist Trophy at Silverstone. There they qualified 11th, moving up to a 10th place finish in the race.
Sytner and RA1-22 would find more success in the British Saloon Car Championship, claiming a third at Silverstone and following up with a 2nd at Donington Park.
Sytner continued to run the car in 1984, entering more rounds of the BTCC and ETCC and bringing the car’s podium tally up to five.
In 1985 RA1-22 was sold to John Morton, who would run it in New Zealand. With Sytner joining Morton behind the wheel, the car took second in the inaugural Wellington 500. They finished behind the Volvo 240 Turbo of Michel Delcourt and Robbie Francevic that had started at the back of the pack and made a monumental run through the field.
Morton continued to race the car through to 1987, with New Zealand legend, Australian Touring Car Champion, Jim Richards taking stints behind the wheel. In 1990 it was restored to its 1985 Wellington 500 livery, running in historic meetings in New Zealand under Dougal McGibbon.
It returned to Europe in 2016 and was given a major service including new fuel cell, brakes, head gasket, cooling system and Motec management system. It’s in fine racing condition and ready to return to the track.
For the full details, head to Mécaniques Modernes & Classiques’ official website here.
Images via Mécaniques Modernes & Classiques
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