✦ Shifty Estimate
$239,800
- 12 months median
- $136K
- Market cap
- $303.3M · 1,265 built
- Sales, 12 months
- 3
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1972 BMW 3.0 CSL
1972 to 1975 · Coupe · Limited edition · 1,265 built
Price history
Specifications
- Engine
- Naturally Aspirated I6, 3.2L
- Power
- 206 hp
- Torque
- 210 lb-ft
- 0 to 60
- 6.9s
- Top speed
- 137 mph
- Transmission
- Manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD
- Curb weight
- 2,580 lb
- Production
- 1,265 units
- Designer
- Wilhelm Hofmeister
Common questions
How much does a BMW 3.0 CSL cost?
Over the past 12 months, 3 have sold publicly at a median of $136,000. The Shifty Estimate for a well-kept example is $239,800. Cars have changed hands anywhere from $129,489 to $282,873, depending on mileage, color, and history.
What is a 1972 BMW 3.0 CSL worth today?
The Shifty Estimate is $239,800. That sits above the $136,000 median of actual sales because the median counts every car that sold, including high-mileage examples, while the estimate describes a clean, low-mileage one bought today. We rate confidence medium: 3 public sales in a year is a thin market, and the spread between them is wide.
What has a BMW 3.0 CSL sold for at auction?
The 3 most recent public sales we have on file:
- $228,364Oct 18, 2025Türkis Green
- $296,500Aug 16, 2025
- $104,771Nov 23, 2024Ceylon Metallic
The 3.0 CSL is BMW's greatest racing homologation special, created to dominate European Touring Car Championships. Wilhelm Hofmeister's elegant E9 coupe received the full motorsport treatment: aluminum doors, hood, and trunk lid, plus Plexiglas side windows to shed weight. The 'L' stood for 'Leicht' (light), and BMW's obsession with weight reduction showed everywhere. The 3.2-liter inline-six produced 206 horsepower, but the real magic was in the chassis dynamics and aerodynamic package. With just 1,265 examples built from 1972-1975, each CSL was essentially a race car with license plates. The racing success was immediate and dominant, establishing BMW's motorsport credibility. Today, the CSL represents the pinnacle of BMW collecting, with values reflecting its status as one of the greatest homologation specials ever built. Clean examples are increasingly rare and command seven-figure sums at auction.