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JPS M3s
The history of the JPS M3s has always been a bit murky, not helped by some contradicting histories in the Bathurst and The Great Race annuals.
For the start of the 87 season there were 2 cars. After round 5 of the ATCC Jim Richards debuted a new car at the Amscar race at Amaroo Park. This was the first full spec M3, with upgraded suspension and engine. I believe Longhurst continued with the same car, with the ex Richards car presumably being the one entered as a 3rd JPS entry at rounds 8 & 9.
By round 1 of the Endurance Championship at Amaroo Park the original Richards car had been sold to Archibald Motorsport and was raced by Trevor Crowe. Crowe used it to win the 87 NZTCC (co-driving with Richards) before it was sold to John Sax. Crowe raced the car at Bathurst in 88 with Peter Janson to 4th place.
For Bathurst 87 there were 2 new cars, one being used as the Robbie Francevic / Ludwig Finauer car, the other as the T car, presumably Richards & Longhurst used the 3rd built car.
According to the 88 Great Race annual the 2 M3s Brock and Richards had raced that year had been built for the 87 Adelaide GP which JPS did not attend after Frank Gardner closed the team, so were in effect brand new. This appears a bit strange, seeing that the team already had 2 near new cars.
According to the 88 Bathurst annual, BMW Australia inherited 4 M3s when the JPS team was closed down, with 3 going to Brock. Richards car had a black grill and was the car he shared with Brock in the enduros. Brock’s car had a white grill and Crompton’s a red grill. The 88 Bathurst annual has the Crompton / Parsons car as Brock’s ATCC car, although as it had a red grill, making me think it may have been the car Crompton raced at round 8 when all 3 appeared on track.
At the 87 Sandown 500 there was an M3 for John Sax & Graham Lorimer. The 88 Bathurst annual states this was raced by Longhurst in the 87 ATCC and was converted from the team’s 86 325i, while the 88 Great Race annual states Sax and Lorimer raced it 4 times in Australia before shipping it to NZ after the Sandown 500. It was raced at the 88 Oran Park 250 by Sax and John Sorrenson and at Bathurst by Kayne Scott and Sorrenson.
Both Sax cars appeared at Bathurst in 89, while 2 of the Brock cars were sold to John Cotter and Peter Doulman's M3 Motorsport in 89 first appearing at an Amscar round in their 88 livery less signwriting, before being repainted white for Bathurst.
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