Ahead of the 1983 homologation of the 635 CSi, BMW needed to maintain their presence in Touring Car racing in 1982. The BMW E28 528i was introduced in October 1981 so BMW chose the model to compete in the 1982 season.
The largely standard 528i race cars were unexpectedly successful and one of a pair of cars built by Swiss race team Eggenberger Motorsport AG for BMW Italia won the 1982 European Touring Car Championship driven by German Helmut Kelleners and Italian Umberto Grano. The 528i beat the TWR Jaguar XJS, Rover 3500, Ford Capri and Alfetta GTV6. BMW 528is also took the first six places at Spa Francorchamps in the 1982 season.
BMW Motorsport supplied non-sunroof and partly seam-welded bodyshells to the race teams. The shells came with standard glass, door locks, lights, bumpers and grills but no underseal. Manual window winders were specified along with a basic wiring loom. The shells were delivered in a standard factory colour and had identification numbers with an E28 prefix and differed from standard VIN configuration.
The blueprinted M30 race engine was uprated to 240 bhp with a larger capacity of 2812 cc, race camshaft, gas-flowed cylinder head, an increased compression ratio, larger injectors and unsilenced exhaust system. The gearbox was a close-ratio Getrag 265 item, and the differential had an oil cooler and was available with three different ratios.
Suspension was modified from standard, utilising rose-joints and light alloy front and rear struts, trailing arms and wishbones. Naturally the brakes were uprated too, and brake specification varied from track to track. Wheels were split-rim BBS centre-locks and high-ratio steering was fitted along with a 120-litre alloy fuel tank located in the boot with twin fillers.
Chassis E28 RA-105 is the sister car to the Eggenberger AG/BMW Italia 1982 European Touring Car Championship winner and was driven to 6th place overall by Swiss drivers Enzo Calderari and Marco Vanoli with 2nd place podiums at Monza, Donington and Mugello in the 1982 Championship.
RA-105 was then sold to Italian racing driver Marcello Cipriani who took part in five races of the 1983 European Touring Car Championship.
In 1986 the car was acquired by Mario Fortina, a ‘gentleman racer’ who entered the car in several Italian Touring Car and saloon races including the 1987 Monza 500 kms World Touring Championship.
The 528i was then placed in storage before being purchased by Philippe Demeyer in 2003 who placed it on display at the Spa Francorchamps Racing Museum for several years. During his ownership Demeyer replicated the original alloy roll cage in 2008 with a homologated steel cage.
The current owner acquired the car in 2011 and had the necessary work completed to acquire its HTP papers. BMW racing specialists Geoff Steel Racing have provided maintenance and race support from 2014 which included an engine rebuild in 2014 and gearbox and differential rebuilds in 2015. A new hand-made race exhaust system was also fitted in 2015.
it has since been campaigned in the Algarve Historic Festival, Donington Historic Festival, Spa Classic and Peter Auto Heritage Touring Cup before being placed into storage in 2019 and last ran in early 2021.
Today, this genuine Eggenberger BMW 5128i Group A race car is a passport into multiple historic Touring Car races and events and remains in largely original and unrestored condition. It retains its original BMW Motorsport shelland original Group A interior trim. Also present is a history file containing HTP papers, race reports, copies of magazine articles and its original technical passport from Automobile Club d’Italia dated 20/02/1986.
The car also comes with existing HTP papers but will need some re-commissioning after a period in storage before HTP papers can be updated and the car can be campaigned once again.
Researched period race history:
1982 European Touring Car Championship
Round 1, Monza, 2nd
Round 2, Vallelunga, 10th
Round 3, Donington, 2nd
Round 4, Enna Pergusa, 4th
Round 5, Mugello, 2nd
Round 6, Brno, 8th
Round 7, Saltzburgring, 5th
Round 8, Nurburgring, 5th
Round 9, Spa 24 Hours, DNF
Round 10, Silverstone, 9th
Round 11, Zolder, 10th
1983 European Touring Car Championship
Round 1, Monza, 12th
Round 2, Vallelunga, 26th
Round 5, Mugello, 13th
Round 6, Brno, 19th
Round 8, Nurburgring, 55th
1984
Monza, 9th in class
Vallelunga, DNF
Donington, DNF
Brno, DNF
Nurburgring, 4th in class
Spa, 7th in class
1985
Monza, 7th in class
Vallelunga, 11th in class
Anderstorp, 8th in class
Brno, 11th in class
Nurburgring, 14th in class
Nogaro, 4th in class
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