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BMW 3.5 CSL E9 #45 Hermetite T. Walkinshaw / J. Fitzpatrick 24 Hours of Le Mans 1976 Minichamps 1:18

BMW 3.5 CSL E9 #45 Hermetite T. Walkinshaw / J. Fitzpatrick 24 Hours of Le Mans 1976 Minichamps 1:18
Current price: £202.50

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Specifications
Car Brand
BMW
Model Manufacturer
Minichamps
Scale
1:18
Material
Diecast
Model Condition
Used Model
SKU
155762645
Genuine articles Sourced from manufacturers
5-layer carton Foam-filled interior
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About the BMW 3.5 CSL E9 #45 Hermetite T. Walkinshaw / J. Fitzpatrick 24 Hours of Le Mans 1976 Minichamps 1:18

TL;DR: Minichamps' 1:18 diecast BMW 3.5 CSL reproduces the #45 Hermetite entry driven by Tom Walkinshaw and John Fitzpatrick at the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans. The CSL's aero addenda and endurance-spec livery are captured on a zinc-alloy body at Minichamps' familiar mid-tier finish.

Walkinshaw and Fitzpatrick were among the era's most capable touring car drivers, and their pairing on this Hermetite-backed CSL at Le Mans places the model at the intersection of two significant motorsport careers and BMW's most extended aerodynamic homologation special.

Modelling an Endurance-Prepared CSL

An endurance racer built for a 24-hour event typically carried a heavier aerodynamic package and different lighting than a shorter-format touring car entry, and Minichamps' tooling reflects the CSL's full aero kit, front dam, roof spoiler, and tall rear wing, moulded directly into the body rather than added as fragile separate pieces. The Hermetite livery's sponsor branding is tampo-printed for clean edges on what were, at the time, fairly dense sponsor decal sheets. Panel work around the long CSL doors stays tight and even, in line with Minichamps' usual standard across its 1970s touring car range, and the wide wheel and tyre combination matches what these cars ran for extended high-speed stints. Because Le Mans-entered touring cars often carried subtle preparation differences from short-race versions, additional driving lights and reinforced bodywork among them, a model built specifically around this entry captures detail a generic CSL livery would not.

A Le Mans Entry Among CSL Variants

Most CSL liveries reproduced in diecast come from shorter European Touring Car Championship rounds, so a genuine Le Mans entry stands out within a themed BMW display, representing the CSL's reach into full endurance racing rather than sprint events alone. Placed beside contemporary Le Mans GT entries from rival manufacturers, this CSL demonstrates how competitive BMW's homologation special remained on the world's most demanding endurance stage. At 1:18 its extended aero package gives it a distinctly different silhouette from a standard-length racer, a worthwhile addition for any collector building depth into BMW's 1970s motorsport history.

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