Noosa Concours d’ Elegance, 2024, Part 2: The Germans
Usually, I’m not so much into German cars. But this 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL (E9) was - for me, at least - Deutsches auto des tag at the 2024 Noosa Concours d’ Elegance, beating out a host of admittedly very nice Porsches and a couple of tasty Mercs. There’s something so, so special about the Karmann-built CS, or Coupe Sport line. Their slender roof pillars and light-filled cabins elevate them above the E3, the still beautiful but more everyday sedan with which they share significant styling cues. This example, being a lightweight homologation special (the L in CSL standing for leicht, which means light in German), is the range-topper if you discount the Alpina and AC Schnitzer competition editions, and BMW’s own “Batmobile” racing car. I know that you know these lovely Porsches are 356s. And, thanks to some very obvious badges, it abundantly clear that they’re Speedsters rather than just cabriolets, not that I’d ot...