BMW was a feature of Australian touring car and sports sedan racing throughout the 1980s, but it was a rocky road before success expected arrived during the Group A era.
Starting in 1980, BMW linked up with Holden ace Allan Grice to field a fast, turbocharged BMW 318i in Australian Sports Sedan Championship and non-title events wearing his familiar Craven Mild colours.
Legendary driver Frank Gardner entered the fray in late-1980 and took on ownership the next year.
Changes came when Gardner introduced John Player Special as sponsor and BMWs were run not only in Sports Sedans, but touring cars courtesy of a Group 2 European Touring Car Championship 635CSi to take on the local Australian offerings.
The 635CSi was a great endurance model due to it taking care with its brakes and its fuel economy, but not so much the sprint events and the new acquisition was soon to cause controversy.
Amaroo Park’s Better Brakes Series had been a focus of the smaller capacity models including the Capri, Celica and others, but the engine limit was lifted to let the 635 CSi compete.
Making its ATCC debut at Sandown, grace was second to Ford’s Dick Johnson in both heats to highlight the potentially of the 635 CSi.
It was a fraught debut for the Beemer at Bathurst due to Grice making an early charge from 12th to fifth until he made a mistake and bunkered the 635 CSi at Murray’s Corner.
Teamed with the vastly experienced David Hobbs, Grice was one of many drivers to avoid the pile-up at the top of the Mountain and gave live commentary of what was occurring through Racecam. The pair finished seventh.
Not a fan of Grice’s hard charging attitude, Gardner sacked him and hired Jim Richards although a long legal battle began between the autocratic team boss and hard-nosed driver.
It came at a good time for Richards due to a change in Sports Sedan regulations and proved a fruitful relationship highlighted by two ATCC crowns.
Grice on the other hand linked back up with Les Small and mounted an attack on Europe during 1986 resulting in his maiden Bathurst 1000 victory in October.