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It’s often said that everything looks better on social media than in real life. But when it comes to Vink Motorsport in the Netherlands, the opposite is true.
After email exchanges with the Vink team, I was invited to tour the Zaandam-based workshop renowned for its BMW race car restorations and new classic builds.
Based on what I’d seen online, I thought I knew what to expect. Yet, stepping inside Vink Motorsport, I was surprised by the size of the building and the number of cars inside. I never would have guessed something like this was possible in the Netherlands; as usual, I underestimated the knowledge and expertise that exists in our small country.
Upon entering, I was greeted by Vink Motorsport’s owner Ton Vink, who has so much passion for the cars he builds.
Ton’s journey dates back to 1993 as a mechanic in the Dutch Touring Car Championship (DTCC), where he ironically started in a Mercedes-Benz team. After his time in the DTCC, he transitioned to karting, running Team TKP, which won Dutch, European, and world titles.
Despite his success in karting, Ton’s passion for touring cars – especially BMWs – remained. So, in 2005, he built his first E30 M3, signaling the beginning of Vink Motorsport. What began as a hobby quickly evolved into a thriving business.
Today, Ton and his team focus on building and preparing BMWs for historic racing. Most of these cars are engineered to historic FIA specifications, allowing them to get back on track for the many classic motorsport events in Europe. Vink Motorsport also provides track-side support, ensuring quick fixes for customers during race weekends.
Ton talked me over several BMWs in the workshop – a few of which I’ll show you in a follow-up spotlight – but we’ll start with this treasure: a Schnitzer E36 STC from 1996. Built as a ‘T-car’ (backup car) for that year’s BTCC, it never saw the starting line. Its first race was the 1996 Tourist Trophy at Donington Park in the UK, driven by Joachim Winkelhock, who finished fourth.
Soon after, the E36 was shipped to South Africa for the 1996 Rainbow Championship – contested at Kyalami and Kilarney – of eight races during two weekends. Winkelhock and Shaun van der Linde shared the car, each driving four races. Ultimately, Winkelhock won the championship with four wins from his four starts.
Tucked away in the opposite corner of the workshop sat an E36 with an equally fascinating backstory. Crazily, this car connects to Prodrive and the late Colin McRae. How? Well, Prodrive managed the BTCC BMW factory team in 1992, and McRae, then a rising rally star for Subaru, guest raced in this car at Knockhill Circuit in his home country of Scotland.
The E36 was found in Thailand and brought back to Holland, where it’s waiting for its turn to be restored to its former glory.
Another E36 caught my eye, this time an STW built by BMW Motorsport and driven by late 1980s F1 driver Stefano Modena. At the inaugural FIA Touring Car Challenge in 1993 at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Modena finished 26th in the first race and 7th in the second.
The car’s original livery, featuring a steam cleaner company (Polti), lacked flair, prompting the owner to spice it with this blue, red, and green Castrol scheme.
Heading upstairs, I almost tripped over a few priceless BBS wheels… then I saw it…
If there were any car I wasn’t expecting to find at a BMW race car-centric restoration shop, it would be this – a Group A Mazda 929, powered in period by a 13B rotary engine.
The Mazda was originally constructed in 1985 by Dutch racer Hans van der Beek (who now works at Vink Motorsport) for the Spa 24-Hour race. Hans and his privateer team painstakingly crafted the car themselves, successfully homologating all its custom-made racing components with the FIA.
With backing from Mazda Netherlands, the 929 – affectionately dubbed the “Hiroshima Taxi” – was a familiar sight at the circuit until a crash in 1988 sent it to storage. In 2016, it was rediscovered in a Belgian barn.
The Vink Motorsport team is still figuring out a plan for the car, but with so much customer work keeping them busy, it may be a while before this one sees track time again.
As you can see, there’s a lot going on at Vink Motorsport – but this was just the stuff in the shop when I visited!
Ton’s latest endeavor is a dream for any petrolhead: five meticulously crafted replicas of the legendary BMW M3 E36 GTR. Built from original blueprints with historical FIA approval, these GTR replicas promise authenticity and performance. Of the five planned, three have already been sold. Once the first is complete, I’m eager to schedule a photo shoot to capture the masterpiece in all its glory.
For now, though, stay tuned for my Vink Motorsport spotlight feature.
Jeroen Willemsen
Instagram: jaccojeroen