Published September 17, 2024. Last update February 2025.
Disclaimer: I do not smoke and surely do not want to promote tobacco. But neither do I ignore the fact that the tobacco industry has been quite good for motorsport in the past. So, I show the cars and models here as they were; with tobacco advertising.
Bastos and Belga are both Belgian tobacco brands (both part of British American Tobacco) and were very active in sponsoring motorsports, especially touring cars at Spa-Francorchamps. However owned by the same company, the battles between the Bastos sponsored BMWs and Belga sponsored Fords in the Belgian touring car championship were unforgetable. Also many rally cars wore the red and white that both brands use.
Bastos & Belga in the Le Mans 24 hours
1980 Le Mans 24h, Rondeau M379B. Local hero Rondeau won the 1980 Le Mans race with this futuristic looking car. Belgian touring car veterans Martin-brothers drove this Belga Rondeau together with Gordon Spice to 3rd place, making it two Rondeaus to the podium.
#17 Gordon Spice (GB) / Jean-Michel Martin (B) / Philippe Martin (B) – 3rd
Rondeau M379B – 3.0 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 90º, approx 450 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 765 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. M379 #002
- QUARTZO QLM 99046 (diecast)
1981 Le Mans 24h, De Cadenet LM. Alain de Cadenet drove this car – originally a Lola T380 – in the 70’s at Le Mans on several occasions. He returned in 1981 but failed to finish.
#20 Alain de Cadenet (GB) / Jean-Michel Martin (B) / Philippe Martin (B) – DNF
De Cadenet LM – 3.0 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 90º, approx 450 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 715 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Lola T380 #HU04
- BIZARRE BZ80 (resin)
1982 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 936C. The Porsche 956 is not yet available for their customer teams. So Joest and Kremer built their own Group C based on the old 936 with its tubular frame and the Porsche 935 engine. The car is by far not as good as the 956’s, but it’s ‘best of the rest’. Unfortunately it retires in the closing stages of the race.
#4 Bob Wollek (F) / Jean-Michel Martin (B) / Philippe Martin (B) – DNF
Joest Porsche 936C – 2.5 liter Porsche 911/78 flat-6 turbo, approx 600 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 840 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Joest #JR-005
- SPARK S2002 (resin)
this model has been posted before in 052 Joest Porsche
Bastos & Belga in the Spa 24 hours
1978 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Ford Capri 3.0S. The European Touring Car Championship had its best years behind, manufacturers moved away and the grids became smaller. The new Group 1B, an improved version of the Group 1 standard saloon cars was gaining importance especially in Belgium. The Gordon Spice prepared Ford Capri 3.0S in the well known Belga colors won the 24 hours race at Spa-Francorchamps. BMW 530i finished 2nd and 3rd.
#27 Gordon Spice (GB) / Teddy Pilette (B)
Gordon Spice Ford Capri 3.0S – 3.0 liter Ford Weslake V6 60º, approx. 210 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 1150 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- PREMIUM-X PR008 (resin)
1980 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Ford Capri 3.0S. The European Touring Car Championship for Group 2 cars had disappeared. This Group 1B for improved showroom cars had taken its place and did well. The grid was full of cars and competition was fierce, especially in the beginning of the race between the Bastos Camaro’s and the Belga Capri’s. The usual rain at Spa-Francorchamps caused many cars to retire. It was the first 24 hour race at the new shortened track. In the end this Gordon Spice prepared Capri with the Martin brothers won just as in the previous year, but it had to battle all the way to the end with the Eddie Joosen BMW 530i.
#3 Jean-Michel Martin (B) / Philippe Martin (B) – 1st
Gordon Spice Ford Capri 3.0S – 3.0 liter Ford Weslake V6 60º, approx. 220 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1150 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- ALTAYA passion de la vitesse 5 (diecast)
1981 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Chevrolet Camaro Z28. The Serge Power Chevrolet Camaro was by far the fastest car on the straights and took pole position for the 24-hour race. In the twisty part of the track and under braking it lost out to the little Mazda RX7 from Tom Walkinshaw, especially in the wet. It rained the entire Saturday and when the sun came through on Sunday morning, the Camaro had retired and the screaming Mazda was still leading the race.
#9 Claude Bourgoignie (B) / Reine Wisell (S) / John Cooper (GB) – DNF
Serge Power Chevrolet Camaro Z28 – 5.7 liter Chevrolet V8 90º, approx. 300 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1400 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- SPARK 100 And de Spa 100SPA11 (resin)
1982 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW 528i. In 1982, BMW used the 4-door saloon 528i in the European Touring Car Championship. Not really a racing car at first sight, but neither was the competition: Ford Capri 3.0S, Camaro, Opel Monza 3.0E, Mazda RX-7 and Alfetta GTV. TWR got the Jaguar XJS homologated, and it was much faster than the BMWs but not as reliable. BMW 528i’s took first 6 places in the Spa 24h race, now that is reliability. The winning car was prepared by JUMA, JUliën MAmpaey, father of Bart who succesfull ran the WTCC and DTM team RBM. The name of Dieter Quester is on the car but he didn’t drive it, Hans Heyer did.
#30 Eddie Joosen (B) / Armin Hahne (D) / Hans Heyer (D) – 1st
JUMA BMW 528i (E28) – 2.8 liter BMW M30B28 straight-6, approx. 240 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1100 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown
- NEO 45666 (resin)
1983 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW 635 CSi. The BMW 635 CSi was the most popular car in the European Touring Car Championship. It showed because no less than 16 BMW 635’s arrived at the start of the 24 hour race and also 3 older 528i’s. With these numbers it doesn’t matter if some break down and retire, which was the case. There are always some that make it to the finish. The Bastos BMW of JUMA Racing won by 8 laps over a similar car of Team Schnitzer.
#21 Thierry Tassin (B) / Hans Heyer (D) / Armin Hahne (D) – 1st
JUMA BMW 635 CSi (E24) – 3.5 liter BMW M30B35 straight-6, approx. 310 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1185 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown
- SPARK SB064 #578 / 750 pcs (resin)
1985 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW 635 CSi. The BMW 635 CSi has been the most popular car in the European Touring Car Championship for years. They lost the 24 hour race to Jaguar last year, but Schnitzer prepared cars took a double victory this year in front of two Volvo turbo’s. Positions 5 to 8 were also for BMW’s. This beautiful Belga car crashed unfortunately.
#23 Manfred Winkelhock (D) / Hervé Regout (B) / Jo Gartner (A) – DNF
JUMA BMW 635 CSi (E24) – 3.5 liter BMW M30B35 straight-6, approx. 310 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1185 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown
- SPARK SB066 #310 / 500 pcs (resin)
1986 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Rover Vitesse. Tom Walkinshaw not only built the successful Jaguar XJS, he also prepared a number of Rover Vitesse. In 1986 Walkinshaw entered the factory supported Rovers in the ETCC. The Rovers lacked reliability, two out of three retired in Spa. At Spa, Schnitzer BMW 635 CSi finished 1st and 3rd, an Italian CiBiEmme Team BMW took 2nd. Surprisingly Italian Roberto Ravaglia took the European title in his ‘old’ BMW.
#8 Win Percy (GB) / Eddy Joosen (B) / Tom Walkinshaw (GB) – DNF
TWR Rover Vitesse SD1 – 3.5 Rover V8 90º, approx. 350 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1200 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- NEO 45586 (resin)
1989 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth. The Eggenberger Sierra’s won the World (1987) and European (1988) Championships for makes, but the 24 hour race at Francorchamps was for BMW both years. In 1989, under good weather conditions, the Sierra’s in their new Bastos livery were unbeatable.
#1 Gianfranco Brancatelli (
I) / Win Percy (
GB) / Bernd Schneider (D) – 1st
Eggenberger Ford Sierra RS 500 – 2.0 Ford Cosworth straight-4 turbo, approx. 500 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1035 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- TROFÉU 011 (diecast)
1992 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW M3. In 1992 the famous 24 hour race at Spa-Francorchamps had lost much of its glory. The European championship had seized to exist and that became visible in the entry list. Four BMW factory cars were present, no group A cars but the much improved sport evo in DTM specs Two cars were entered by Bigazzi and two by Schnitzer. The only resistance could have come from a single group A Skyline but that had to retire due to a fire. The rest of the competitors were standard cup-Porsches and national touring cars. Of course BMW won and the Germans filled the entire podium, this one on the highest step. But that was not without a fight; Soper overtook the leading Schnitzer BMW at the start of the last lap!
#5 Steve Soper (GB) / Jean-Michel Martin (B) / Christian Danner (A) – 1st
Bigazzi BMW M3 (E30) sport evo – 2.5 liter BMW S14B25 straight-4, approx. 350 hp. Yokohama tires. Weight 950 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- SPARK SB069 #322 / 750 pcs (resin)
1995 Spa-Francorchamps 24h, BMW 320iS. The Spa 24 hour race was at a low in the mid 90’s. It was a non- championship race with merely locals driving around in their near standard cars. Luckily a few teams entered Super Touringcars, among them BMW. The Schnitzer prepared BMW 320iS won the race, 9 laps ahead of the Bigazzi team BMW. The 3rd placed car, a Honda Accord, was no less than 30 laps (!) behind.
#5 Peter Kox (NL) / Joachim Winkelhock (D) / Steve Soper (GB) – 1st
Schnitzer BMW 320iS (E36) – 2.0 liter BMW S14B20 straight-4, approx. 260 hp. Michelin tires. Weight 1000 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- MINICHAMPS BMW 80 42 9 421 113 (diecast)
Bastos & Belga in the Belgian Championship
1993 Belgian Procar, Audi V8 Quattro. In 1993 the DTM started with a new format. The former generation found its way to other championships among which also hillclimbs. Belgian Audi Club, with help of the local VW-Audi distributor, managed to lay its hands on two former DTM Audi Quattro evo’s. Pierre-Alain Thibaut won the Belgian Procar championship with 4 wins, his teammate Hemroulle finishes 4th.
#1 Pierre-Alain Thibaut (B) – 1st
Belgian Audi Club Audi V8 Quattro evo – 3.6 liter Audi V8 90º, approx. 420 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1290 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. Audi R6 #unknown.
- MINICHAMPS 931120 (diecast)
1997 Zolder 24h, Porsche 911 GT2. This Porsche 911 GT2 was raced in the Belgian Endurance Championship, named Belcar. One of the drivers was Belgian rally ace Patrick Snijers. It didn’t finish the annual 24 hour race at Zolder which was won by Dutchman Patrick Huisman in a similar car.
#2 Patrick Snijers (B) / Dirk Schoysman (B) / Kurt Thiers (B) – DNF
Porsche 911 GT2 (993) – 3.6 liter Porsche M64/81 flat-6 turbo, approx. 500 hp. Pirelli tires. Weight 1150 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. unknown.
- ONYX XCL99002 #419 / 2000 pcs (diecast)
Rally
1986 European Rally Championship Haspengouwe rally, Lancia 037. Patrick Snijers was favourite in the Haspengouwe rally in his works supported Lancia 037. Unfortunately, he had to retire because of a blown head gasket on special stage 8. The victory went to Robert Droogmans in a similar car.
#1 Patrick Snijers (B) / Dany Colebunders (B) – DNF
Bastos Team Lancia 037- 2.0 liter Abarth 232 AR4 straight-4 compressor, approx 280 hp. Pirelli tires. 960 kg. Steel space frame, chassisnr. Abarth SE37 #unknown
- IXO RAC341 (diecast)
Thanks for visiting 😉