Legendary BMW 530MLE returns home
A few months ago, Autodealer editor, Sean Nurse reported back about a very special BMW that was being restored; the BMW 530MLE.
Well, the restoration has been completed and I recently attended an event where the car was born some 40 odd years ago, BMW Group Plant Rosslyn.
A brief history
The BMW 530MLE is said to be the first production car to carry the M emblem on its engine nameplate. One could even argue that it is the first BMW M car. What makes this car even more special is the fact that it was developed right here in South Africa.
You see, the big shots at BMW South Africa at the time wanted to take the then E12 model 5 series racing, they, however, needed a high-performance version to do so. To be eligible to participate in the racing series BMW SA had to build and sell a 100 road-going versions, this resulted in the 530 Motorsport Limited Edition or MLE. The 530 MLE was developed and built right here on South African soil and in the end, 110 road-going versions were produced.
Fifteen wins from fifteen consecutive races followed and BMW stamped its authority on the racing series by winning three championship titles over three years. The BMW 530 MLE was the most successful 5 Series in racing history when it was retired in 1985.
The car in question
This particular car just so happens to be number 100. When I first saw this car earlier this year, I’ll be honest, it was a rusty, sad-looking shell. However, with plenty of dedication and even more passion, BMW South Africa, with the help of a professional BMW restorer the 530MLE came back to life.
What makes this particular car even more desirable is the fact that it has matching, engine and chassis, numbers. This means that the six-cylinder engine is the original engine fitted to the car back in 1976. It is a factory tweaked version of the same motor found in the 3.0-litre standard model producing 147 kW and 277 N.m of torque and capable of a 208km/h top speed and 0 – 100km/h sprint time of 9.3 seconds.
Witnessing the legend return home
As mentioned I saw the car when the restoration process started, which saw BMW South Africa tracking down four members of the original production team who worked on this very car 40 years ago, to assist with reassembling it.
The other incredible feat, BMW SA managed to source all the parts needed for the restoration from BMW AG, this included brand new and unopened parts produced back in the 70s. I was privileged to witness the unboxing of a variety of these parts, like taillights that have been occupying a shelf in a warehouse in Germany for over 40 years. The detail, the love and the passion that has gone into this car are beyond measure, on Tuesday 8 October, the 530MLE returned to the Rosslyn plant where it drove off the production line like it did in back 1976.
South African specific
The 530MLE now joins a few other special BMW models that were commissioned by BMW SA like the iconic 333i and the M88 model 745i which was also developed for racing despite its luxurious characteristics. All the cars form part of the company’s local legends heritage collection.
The most powerful letter in the world
It is said that BMW M is the most powerful letter in the world. It is a letter that represents the height of vehicle performance from BMW and it is a letter that many the world over desire, a letter that was born in our country.
