It is often said that everything looks better on social media than in real life. But when it comes down to it Wink Motorsport in the Netherlands the opposite is true.
After email exchanges with the Vink team, I was invited for a tour of the Zaandam workshop known for its restorations of BMW racing cars and new classics.
Based on what I had seen online, I thought I knew what to expect. Still, when I entered Vink Motorsport, I was surprised by the size of the building and the number of cars in it. I never thought something like this was possible in the Netherlands; As usual, I underestimated the knowledge and skills available in our small country.
Upon entering I was greeted by Ton Vink, owner of Vink Motorsport, 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 ironically he started in a Mercedes-Benz team. After his time at the DTCC, he switched to karting, where he managed Team TKP, which won Dutch, European and world titles.
Despite his success in karting, Ton’s passion for touring cars – especially BMWs – remained. For example, he built his first E30 M3 in 2005, which marked the beginning of Vink Motorsport. What started as a hobby quickly grew into a thriving business.
Nowadays Ton and his team focus on building and preparing BMWs for historic races. Most of these cars are designed to historic FIA specifications, putting them back on track for the many classic motorsport events in Europe. Vink Motorsport also offers on-track support, so customers can find quick solutions during race weekends.
Ton told me about several BMWs in the workshop – some of which I’ll show you in a follow-up spot – but we’ll start with this treasure: a Schnitzer E36 STC from 1996. Built as a ‘T-car’ (spare car) for the BTCC of that time. years, he never saw the starting line. The first race was the 1996 Tourist Trophy at Donington Park in Great Britain, driven by Joachim Winkelhock, who finished fourth.
Shortly afterwards the E36 was shipped to South Africa for the 1996 Rainbow Championship – held in Kyalami and Kilarney – of eight races over two weekends. Winkelhock and Shaun van der Linde shared the car and each drove four races. Ultimately, Winkelhock won the championship with four wins from his four starts.
Tucked away in the opposite corner of the workshop was an E36 with an equally fascinating backstory. Strangely enough, this car connects with Prodrive and the late Colin McRae. How? Well, Prodrive ran the BTCC BMW factory team in 1992, and McRae, then a rising rally star for Subaru, raced this car at the Knockhill Circuit in his home country of Scotland.
The E36 was found in Thailand and brought back to the Netherlands, where it awaits 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 first 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, which featured a steam cleaner company (Polti), lacked flair, prompting the owner to spruce it up with this blue, red and green Castrol scheme.
On my way up, I almost tripped over some priceless BBS wheels… then I saw it…
If there was a car, I wasn’t I expected to find it at a BMW race car-oriented restoration shop: a Group A Mazda 929, powered at the time by a 13B rotary engine.
The Mazda was originally built in 1985 by Dutch racer Hans van der Beek (who now works at Vink Motorsport) for the Spa 24-hour race. Hans and his private team painstakingly crafted the car themselves and successfully homologated all custom racing components with the FIA.
With the support of Mazda Netherlands, the 929 – affectionately known as ‘the “Hiroshima taxi” – was a familiar face on the track until a crash in 1988 put him in storage. In 2016 it was rediscovered in a Belgian barn.
The Vink Motorsport team is still working on a plan for the car, but with so much customer work going on, it may be a while before it returns to the track.
As you can see, there is one lot what’s going on at Vink Motorsport – but this was just the stuff in the shop when I was there!
Ton’s latest venture is a dream for any car enthusiast: five carefully crafted replicas of the legendary BMW M3 E36 GTR. Built from original blueprints with historic FIA approval, these GTR replicas promise authenticity and performance. Of the five planned, three have already been sold. Once the first one is completed, I would like to schedule a photo shoot to capture the masterpiece in all its glory.
But for now, stay tuned for my Vink Motorsport spotlight feature.
Jeroen Willemsen
Instagram: from Jacojeros