In August 2025, fifty years after its creation and subsequent "world tour" (races in Greece, England and America), the Sauber C4 returned to its country of origin, Switzerland.
The Sauber C4 racing sports car is the fourth model and one of the more historic racing cars in Peter Sauber's motorsport history. Built in 1975 in Hinwil, Switzerland, by Peter Sauber's company, there is only one example in existence. The C4 is the first Sauber racing car with an aluminum monocoque.
After the last owner Brian Groza from the USA put the Sauber C4 up for sale, long-time Swiss racing driver Reiner Suhr from Basel seized the opportunity and bought it. Reiner Suhr is a member of the long-established Ecurie Basilisk motorsport club. The early Sauber Motorsport racing history is closely linked to the Ecurie Basilisk and its members.
Various detailed adjustments are still planned for the vehicle. A test drive in Italy is also planned. The first official "drive" / presentation in Switzerland will take place at the Lenzerheide Motor Classics on 29 - 31 May 2026. This will be an emotional experience for Reiner Suhr, the entire Sauber motorsport family, the fans and the public, but also for the organizer.
Impressive Palamares
The Sauber C4 has a remarkably long racing career behind it. It was used in the Swiss championship (2-liter sports car) with drivers Harry Blumer (1975) and Jean-François Renold (1976). Various one-day victories for Glarus civil engineer Harry Blumer and his third place overall in the Swiss championship were the successful results of 1975.
Manfred Schurti, Georges Blättler and Louis Bärtsch also raced sporadically.
The Sauber C4 then made its way to Greece, where a private Greek driver drove it for many years in local hill climbs under the name "Ninos". In 1991, the Sauber C4 was sold to England, where it was raced by its owner Ian Giles. It was then sold to the USA in 2000. The new owner, Brian Groza, fully restored the car to its original configuration and regularly raced it in historic events in North America.
The Sauber C4 (chassis number: 75.C04.001)
Edi Wyss, who had worked as a mechanic and engineer in the USA and England (including at McLaren) before joining Sauber in Hinwil, designed and built the C4. He was supported by Sauber employees Guy Boissin and Hans Engesser. The Sauber C4, of which only one exists, has an aluminum monocoque with a riveted-in subframe.
What was "state of the art" at the time was retained by Sauber up to and including the C9; after that, composites were the new standard in chassis construction. The Sauber C4 was powered by the same 2.0-liter Ford-Cosworth-BDG four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine as its predecessor, the Sauber C3, and produced 275 hp (205 kW).
