EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
I've been digging around and have come up with two pictures. I realise this is a little off the topic of the ex-Vianna Beemers.
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- Killarney Racer
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Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
One of those dates seems wrong. Probably both 1977
Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
The Mazda S102A only came out here in 1972 and that is what is on the outside of the BMW.
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Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
The 530MLE was only introduced in 1976? Surely this is not 1972. Wasn't Salora a TV set? That we only got late '76 as well?
Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
Agree it def 1976-77Triplethree wrote:The 530MLE was only introduced in 1976? Surely this is not 1972. Wasn't Salora a TV set? That we only got late '76 as well?
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Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
Apologies, I had these things filed in the wrong place. Quite right, the colour pic of the Salora car was taken at the Kyalami 1000 kms in 1976. The other picture was most probably taken in 1977. It looks like it is being followed by a rotary Mazda 323
I found it interesting that both BMW's entered for the 1000 km race were listed as 530i's and not MLE's. Any comments on this?
I'm still digging around.
I found it interesting that both BMW's entered for the 1000 km race were listed as 530i's and not MLE's. Any comments on this?
I'm still digging around.
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Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
It would seem the MLE suffix is a post manufacture thing. I am quite sure the 528 was the biggest toy of the time and these were the first 530's to be released, there was no other 530 to compare it to. In 1977 the mainstream 530 was released and the 200 odd earlier 1976 special cars are now way more valuable with all their special kit and very succesful track cred. Unofficially the very first "M" car also adds to their international appeal. It predates the M1 mid eng offering by a year or two. On the web you will find a photo of the MLE with the BMW turbo concept on which the M1 design is actually based.
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333
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333
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Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
Building on where 333 left off, and also referring to my other post on the 530mle road car I have found, I really need to be 100% sure on whether these cars were built from lightweight shells or not.
I have traced the history of this car back to the 80's, and it seems it has already been re-shelled into a 528 in EL in the late '80's / early '90's. The original body was badly rusted and all the running gear and trick bits were transferred into a better shell. No matter what I do with this car now it will never be authentic, but rather a clone / replica.
I wonder if BMW still has the tooling and will knock off a new shell...........
I have traced the history of this car back to the 80's, and it seems it has already been re-shelled into a 528 in EL in the late '80's / early '90's. The original body was badly rusted and all the running gear and trick bits were transferred into a better shell. No matter what I do with this car now it will never be authentic, but rather a clone / replica.
I wonder if BMW still has the tooling and will knock off a new shell...........
Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
I'm sure your're right about the 528. My interest in those days was fairly intense because my old man had just bought one of the first 525's in CT at that point.Triplethree wrote:It would seem the MLE suffix is a post manufacture thing. I am quite sure the 528 was the biggest toy of the time and these were the first 530's to be released, there was no other 530 to compare it to.
333
Classicman, you may want to try to contact Charles Arton here in Cape Town. I don't know why I didn't think of this before. It's got to be an age thing
He races a 530 in Classics. I'm not 100% sure about the history of that car, but I heard it does have one. Whether or not it was driven by Keizan, etc, who knows?
Maybe I'll go and have a chat to him at our next meeting and try to get his contact details
Re: EX VIANNA RACING 530MLE
Hi Nick
The Charles Arton racer pictured here is an original 530.road car.
That is all I know. It was a road car which was bought by a friend of ours in Jhb named Dirk v d Merwe. Dirk moved to America and had to sell the car. The car was then sold to Cape Town and race prepared by Dave Kopke for Charles Arton. So until the time Arton started racing the car it had been a road car with no competition history. All the modification including fitting of the wheelarches, big wheels, rollcage etc was done by Dave Kopke.
This BMW might be for sale some time in the not too distant future as Charles is having a Datsun 240Z built for racing.
The Charles Arton racer pictured here is an original 530.road car.
That is all I know. It was a road car which was bought by a friend of ours in Jhb named Dirk v d Merwe. Dirk moved to America and had to sell the car. The car was then sold to Cape Town and race prepared by Dave Kopke for Charles Arton. So until the time Arton started racing the car it had been a road car with no competition history. All the modification including fitting of the wheelarches, big wheels, rollcage etc was done by Dave Kopke.
This BMW might be for sale some time in the not too distant future as Charles is having a Datsun 240Z built for racing.
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