Condor Articles

At its peak in popularity, it’s hard to overstate just how important touring car racing was to motorsport enthusiasts. In the 1980’s and 90’s, series like the DTM, BTCC, ITCC and ETCC held a place in racing fans’ hearts rivaling even Formula 1. Manufacturers such as Mercedes, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, Audi and Ford all fielded factory teams in that time period, battling for supremacy against perhaps the most iconic touring car brand of all time, BMW.

Amid a true modern renaissance for global sportscar racing, BMW of North America celebrated its 50th birthday earlier this year. In honor of this Golden Anniversary, I wanted to reflect on this iconic partnership formed in a time of chaos and uncertainty within the automotive industry.

The term “OEM Plus” has become a common term among automotive enthusiasts. It can mean different things to different people, but generally it alludes to a particular car maintaining some of its originality as it ages and evolves within the...