We are doing something new. For the very first time, we are curating a class of DTM cars at the Zolder Concours d’Elégance (20 July) in Belgium. With the help of the Nationales Automuseum/The Loh Collection and private owners, we assembled a field of five – let’s not be modest for once – star cars.
Two championship-winning cars, and one Mercedes that has not been seen in public for decades. That’s what you can expect from the DTM class, curated by Tazio, at the Zolder Concours d’Elégance. Zolder – the Bergischer Löwe – was often the opening round of the DTM. These are the cars:
BMW M3 Zakspeed – Eric van de Poele (1987)
In 1987, BMW presented its new weapon for Group A touring car racing, the M3 of the E30-model 3 series. Compared to BMW’s 635 CSi that came before, the M3 was a homologation special. Developed to race, only sold in showrooms because the rules dictated it had to.
Back then, the German touring car series DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft) ran under Group A rules. BMW trusted the Zakspeed team to run the new factory cars, but came up with a new Junior Driver program. The young German Marc Hessel and Belgian Eric van de Poele found themselves up against a mix of old hands and new talents like Kurt Thiim, Volker Strycek, Harald Grohs, Olaf Manthey, Klaus Ludwig, Bernd Schneider and Frank Biela.
Even though he did not win any of the races that year, Eric van de Poele’s consistent points runs put him at the front of the championship with the new BMW M3. In Salzburg (Austria), the penultimate race of the season, one of the weirdest situations in touring car racing arose. In a chaotic ending, Eric van de Poele lost third place when he had to make a pitstop three laps from the finish to change a punctured wheel.
Salzburg chaos
His teammate Marc Hessel was now in a position to win the championship. Unfortunately for him, Hessel misinterpreted the signal from the pitwall to take it easy. Hessel thought the team asked him to wait to let van de Poele through to take the championship. Unaware of his own situation, Hessel slowed down before taking the finish. It wasn’t until his mechanics frantically started waving, that he accelerated. Hessel finished ninth – just ahead of Eric van de Poele – but the points he lost meant the title went the Belgian’s way. Van de Poele also won the Spa 24 Hours in a BMW M3 that same year.
Van de Poele will drive his championship-winning M3 – now with a private owner – at the end of the day.
Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth – Klaus Ludwig (1988)
Already at the end of 1987, it was clear that Ford’s Group A challenger would be quite challenger. The Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth was already winning as it came late on the scene in 1987. But at the opening round in the 1988 DTM series – here at Zolder, of course – Klaus Ludwig won both races of the Bergischer Löwe with the ‘Hein Gericke’ sponsord Ford Grab Motorsport Sierra. Already by the next round in Hockenheim, the Sierras were reined in through the air restrictors. It would take Klaus Ludwig until Norisring before he stood on the top step of the podium again, but then he did three-in-a-row (Norisring 2, and Wunstorf 1-2). It was enough to net the German the first of his three DTM titles.
The Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth is part of the Nationales Automuseum/Loh Collection’s large race car and is on static display at the Concours.
Mercedes 190 E 2.5-16 Evo 1 – Jörg van Ommen (1989)
Mercedes had their own challenger to give the BMW M3 food for thought. Even though the 190 E 2.3-16 had originally been conceived as a Group B rally project, Mercedes decided to homologate the car as a Group A late in the process. Just like with the M3, you could find the Mercedes both on the race track and in rallies.
The ‘Star’ sponsored 190 E ran in the DTM with Helmut Marko’s – yes, from Red Bull – RSM team. Jörg Van Ommen enjoyed a strong start of the season in 1988 with a third place in race 1 and a fourth place in race 2 in Zolder, the best result for the Mercedes teams that weekend.
In 1989, Mercedes become more serious about the DTM championship and came with the Evo1 upgrade, with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. In Mainz, the new Evo was reserved for the semi-works teams. This did not sit well with Marko, who used his connections with Mercedes to get the necessary parts together and create his own Evo, in time for the Nürburgring round. Now it was Mercedes turn to be aggravated, and they forced Marko to return to the 2.3-litre engine after the race. At the end of the year, Marko left the DTM for good.
Helmut Marko ran the 190 in 1990 in the Austrian touring car championship with former skier Franz Klammer. In the early 2000s, it was acquired by a Dutch owner. The car has been expertly restored by Mike van Thiel (Machines with a Mission) and now stands proudly in Evo1 spec with the 2.5-litre engine. Never take no for an answer.
On static display at the Concours.
Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti – Nicola Larini (1994)
In 1993, again in Zolder, Alfa Romeo surprised the German teams. The new Class 1 rules allowed the manufacturers more leeway, and Alfa Corse made the most of it with a four-wheel driven, V6 powered Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti. The cars were built by the Abarth team. Larini promptly won both races in Zolder and left the other team scratching their heads.
Despite being given weight penalties with each win, there was little to stop the Italian in the 155. Of the 20 races that season, Larini won 10. There was little discussion as to who the title belonged to.
1994 would prove differently, though. Mercedes fought back, despite an over 10-car assault by Alfa Romeo on the championship. Alfa Corse’s Nicola Larini proudly carried No. 1 in the season. Four wins (Nürburgring, Norisring and Singen/Allemannenring) still meant Larini ended the season as the best Alfa Romeo driver in the DTM in 1994, but that ‘only’ meant third in the championship.
Nicola Larini’s 1994 Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti belongs to the Nationales Automuseum/Loh Collection and is on static display.
Mercedes C Class ITC – Dario Franchitti (1995/96)
In 1995, the German touring car championship added an international program to the calendar. The ITC (International Touring Car series) brought the participants as far as Helsinki (Finland), Mugello (Italy), Estoril (Portugal) or Donington (UK). Class 1 gave the manufacturers the freedom to experiment, but at the same time, the costs went skyhigh. There were two championships, the DTM and ITC, with the same teams participating. Mercedes had the C class to defend itself against the Alfa Romeo 155 and the Opel Calibra.
As part of Mercedes’ young driver development program, the Scott Dario Franchitti made the (temporary) switch from single seaters to touring cars. In the D2-sponsored Mercedes C class – run by the AMG team – Franchitti was quick to make his mark. The young Scott ended the 1995 DTM series in fifth place, after a couple of podium finishes. In the ITC, he did even better, finishing the season in third place and winning the second round in Mugello.
1996 saw Franchitti take victory in the ITC’s first Japanese round, in Suzuka. With numerous podium finishes, Franchitti ended the season once more in third place. He would of course go on to win the Indianapolis 500 three times.
The D2 Privat Mercedes C class is a part of the Nationales Automuseum/Loh Collection and has not been seen in public for many years. It is on static display at the Zolder Concours d’Elégance. Tickets here.
