The “Horrendously Beautiful” One-Off: Dominic Hayatt and His Gemballa E30
At the Limerock Historic Festival 43 concours, surrounded by decades of motorsport heritage, there’s one car that doesn’t just stand out. People stop, stare, walk around it twice, and still aren’t sure what universe it came from.
That car is Dominic Hayatt’s one-off Gemballa BMW E30 Special—a creation so bold and so unapologetically strange that Dominic affectionately calls it “horrendously beautiful.” And he means it.
This isn’t just a modified BMW. It’s a relic from a wilder era of automotive imagination, when tuning houses reshaped German cars with the freedom of old-world coachbuilders. And Dominic’s story with it is just as unlikely as the car itself.
A Widebody So Wild It Borders on Impossible
Most widebody cars push an inch or two. Gemballa pushed reality. This BMW E30 Gemballa is fifteen inches wider than stock, only an inch narrower than a modern Ford F-250. It runs the same tire setup as a Lamborghini Countach: 345s in the rear, 285s up front. Under the hood, the inline-six breathes through a bigger cam, upgraded injectors, and long-tube headers. Finished in 1986 (before the M3 existed) it delivers near-M3 power while keeping the original straight-six character.
Some say Gemballa went too far. Others say they didn’t go far enough. Dominic just smiles: “It’s horrendously beautiful.”
A Late-Night Glimpse That Changed Everything
Dominic didn’t learn about this car online. There was no listing, no history, no YouTube walkaround. He just happened to pass it.
He was on a drive with his dad and some family friends, heading to an event, when he caught a glimpse of something through the glass of a small vintage BMW dealership. A silhouette that didn’t fit anything he knew.
“What is that thing?” he said out loud.
He knew the name Gemballa—mostly from video games and from the Mirage GT that infamously wrecked in Times Square years earlier. But an E30? A widebody like this? It didn’t register.
The shop was closed. It was late at night, and Dominic had been awake for nearly 24 hours from working night shifts. The scene felt unreal, almost like seeing a mirage, a half-remembered car from a childhood dream. He went home and researched everything he could. Nothing came up, just a few photos from the dealership’s own account.
A car with no history. A tuner special that had slipped through the cracks. A ghost.
That only made him want it more.
A Valentine’s Day Detour, a Cash Deposit, and a Snowy Drive Home
Two days later, Valentine’s Day, 2022, Dominic drove to the shop with a check and a mission. He walked into an empty showroom. No one was there.
The owner normally worked from 10 to 4, but on Valentine’s Day, his wife had whisked him away. The man answered his phone and said he might be able to come in “if she lets me out for a bit.”
An hour and a half later, he arrived. Dominic handed him a cash down payment and asked for a test drive. The car wasn’t gentle about convincing him.
Two weeks later, after selling a bunch of things, Dominic scraped together the rest of the money. He picked up the Gemballa BMW E30 and drove it home in the snow. Because that’s how stories like this begin.
A Machine That Lives on the Road
Some rare tuner cars live pampered lives under covers. Not this one.
In the three and a half years since he bought it, Dominic has put 22,000 miles on the Gemballa BMW. He’s taken it from Pennsylvania all the way down to Miami for Moto Miami, cruised it out to Long Island, and driven it up to Limerock every single year. He’s pointed it down backroads that have no business seeing a 345-width tire and watched the car transform every stretch of pavement into an experience.
And every trip brings something new, a stranger with an old memory, a kid staring wide-eyed, someone walking up with a half-smile asking, “Okay… what is this thing?”
That’s the real joy for Dominic. Not just owning the car, but using it.
The Strange, Brilliant Detail Only Gemballa Would Attempt
Most widebody builders (names like RWB, Koenig Specials, and LTO) keep the factory fuel filler neck tucked away in its original spot beneath the bodywork. It’s simple, practical, and it avoids reengineering anything unnecessary. Gemballa didn’t believe in that.
On Dominic’s BMW E30 Gemballa, the filler neck moves, extending outward through the widened quarter panel and becoming part of the body itself. It looks deliberate, almost OEM, even though it’s nothing like what BMW ever intended.
Same neck. Same cap. Just relocated to match the outrageous bodywork surrounding it. A tiny detail, but the kind that stops real enthusiasts in their tracks.
Beating the Dream Cars of His Childhood
In 2022, the Gemballa BMW won Best Import in Philadelphia, beating Panteras, Diablos, and the posters-from-his-wall cars Dominic grew up dreaming about.
“I was only 22,” he says. “And I still can’t really believe it.”
Moments like that don’t just create memories. They change what you think is possible.
Raised in Racing
Dominic was born into car culture. His dad has raced since the 80s; his mom worked on Morgans in the 90s. His senior photos were taken beside a Lotus Formula One car, an XR7 Cougar, and a GT40.
Now he pays it forward. If he sees kids hovering near the Gemballa BMW E30, he invites them inside. Turn the wheel. Feel the seat. Hear the shifter. Someone once did that for him, and it shaped his life.
To Dominic, the Gemballa isn’t just a quirky widebody. It’s a bridge connecting memories, friendships, and the kind of experiences that turn curiosity into lifelong passion. A car that makes life feel like a movie. And if it happens to be “horrendously beautiful,” well… that’s just part of the charm.
Protect the Car That Means More Than Metal
Book values or standard checkboxes don’t define cars like Dominic’s Gemballa E30, they carry history, memories, and a story only the owner can tell. That’s why Classic Auto Insurance builds policies specifically for rare, modified, and one-off vehicles. With agreed-value coverage, flexible mileage options, and a team that genuinely understands specialty cars, you can protect the passion you’ve put into yours.
To get started with coverage tailored to your unique vehicle, call (888) 901-1338 for a personalized quote.
