The transformation of the car that was Menotti’s weakness: from abandonment to trading in thousands of dollars :: Olé

Wait until I start it and press it a little, so you can see how this machine sounds.” A powerful smell of gasoline fills Gastón Bagnasco’s garage. The mechanic, proud of his repair, shows off the BMW 635 CSi with satisfaction. Open its doors, hood and trunk. Publish photos on networks and receive any follower who wants to meet you. “They can get on it, start it up and play it. The car of Flaco Menotti It has to be something that everyone can enjoy.” After 11 years of work on the historic car, with a million-dollar investment involved, the administrator of the page Mr. Volks published one of his favorite cars for sale. César Luis Menotti. “Hurry up to come because there are already several interested parties. At any moment he leaves…” Slowly but surely, Ole He went to Gastón’s garage in Palermo to learn the history of one of the irons that caused weakness to the first world champion coach.

-How did you get to Flaco’s car?

-At the end of 2013 and beginning of 2014, a follower of Señor Volks, a page that I created for the love of cars, told me that the aunt had a BMW 635 that she wanted to sell. The car was parked in a warehouse in Comodoro Rivadavia and had not been running for more than 13 years. It had to be completely restored.

-When did you realize it was his?

-Every time I buy one, I try to ask for a historical report on the car to know what headlines it had throughout its history. When I ask for the report on this BMW, I discover that Flaco bought the car in 1981, and it was in his name until the mid-90s.

-We spent two years in negotiations with the owner and finally we were able to reach an agreement.

-I paid close to 18,000 dollars for it and it was a box of surprises. It had been stopped for a long time and had to be started from scratch, disassembling the entire car. There you never know how much money you’re going to have to put on top…

-No. There are pieces that were left as they were, so as not to lose the essence of Flaco.

-And how much money did you have to put on it?

-About 20,000 dollars. Between the purchase and the value of the restoration, there is about $40,000 invested in this car. Many things had to be fixed: turns, optics, suspension, brakes, tires and keys. Being in a shed for so long, many things were ruined.

-All are original pieces.

-Everything is original from the factory. It was completely restored. One might look at it from the outside and think: “How did you invest $20,000 in a car?” And well… think that a painting only costs 3,000.

Off the fields, Flaco Menotti was a regular at TC races and historical exhibitions. “I always liked sports cars. I am a passionate. I had everything from a Falcon Sprint to a BMW 635 CSi.” In 2019, he appeared in the tribute that the Argentine Association of Flyers paid to the La Biela café, in the Recoleta neighborhood. “I saw these jewels and stopped. I am passionate about cars. Whenever I could, I had sports cars because I like to accelerate them. I was a friend of Juan Manuel Fangio and I remember that he once took me to the La Peregrina ranch, owned by Juan Manuel Bordeu, and I couldn’t see how he drove it,” he said.

And like a good enthusiast, the vice emerged by doing some laps in that 635 CSi. For its time, this BMW that Gastón sells today was a piece of equipment: a 3,453 cm3 inline six-cylinder engine, which at the time produced around 218 horsepower. Despite the passion that Flaco had for this beast, it was not a car that he used every day. “Some time ago, I contacted a relative very close to Flaco and he told me that it was a car that was used very little. That is why it has low mileage in relation to its age. “He used it to go out to eat on the weekends,” says Gastón, while he turns on the stereo to show that everything works perfectly. “As it was little used, today it has 139,000 kilometers, which is little for a vehicle that is already 43 years old.”

-Did Menotti see your spare part?

-Unfortunately, I was never able to show it to you.

-Why did you decide to sell the car after Flaco’s death?

-Whether Skinny had died or not, I was going to sell the car. At this moment I have 17 cars of my own in three parking spaces that are also mine, and I use them to store different vehicles. I am not selling the vehicle because Menotti died, but because of the need for space. In fact, the sale price of the car is going to be the same as it would be if Flaco were alive…

-How much are you asking for this historical piece?

-I am asking for $35,000 and there are already several interested parties from Argentina and many others who also asked from abroad.

-Do you already have possible future owners in the pipeline?

-Don’t know. Since I do not have the financial need to sell the car, I am looking for the right buyer.

-Will it stay in Argentina or are you going to export it?

-I want the car of the first world champion coach with Argentina to stay in the country, and with an owner who knows how to take advantage of it.