A Rare BMW M1 Surfaces For Auction
One of 400 example model produces during it’s two-and-a-half year production run.
Words by Damian Nicholas
BRING A TRAILER
A rare 1980 BMW M1, is currently up for auction on Bring-A-Trailer. With only around 400 example models produced between the years of 1978-1981, the M1 has become a BMW collector’s must-have item. With production completed in June 1980, this M1 Coupé was imported to the U.S. in 1987 and has been with its current owner since 2016.
The M1 Coupé was developed by BMW’s motorsport division to compete in FIA Group 5 sports car racing. BMW initially agreed to build the production race car with Lamborghini in sufficient quality for homologation, but the agreement dissolved causing BMW to outsource materials and design. The fiberglass body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and is inspired by the 1972 BMW Turbo. Engineering plans were incomplete for the M1, so a group of former Lamborghini employees including Pier Luigi Cappellini (Finance), Marco Raimondi (Chief Technical Officer), Sig. Dellorco (Procurement) and Fiorenzo Fiorini (Development) founded the company ItalEngineering, which offered to complete mediation of orders to the Italian companies known to them and the technical support of these partners before and during production. The final assembly of the M1 was completed by hand in Stuttgart, Germany.
Specifically, this M1 underwent a mechanical and exterior refresh. Under the hood, is a 3.453cc M88 straight-six engine with Kugelfischer-Bosch fuel injection, six individual throttle bodies (ITB), and a dry-sump system – a system designed to increase engine reliability and prevent the engine from starving for oil in race cars and high powered sports cars.
In addition to the ZF Five-speed manual transaxle, the M1 is equipped with a Limited-slip differential (LSD), servo-assisted ventilated disc brakes with 16” Campagnolo alloy wheels; Becker Europa cassette player, air condition, and power windows making it a perfect example of a modern classic.This 1980 BMW M1 coupé has just over 13,000 miles on the odometer with a current bid of $278,000 at the time of writing, with only four days left on the auction clock.
Check out the rare M1 Coupé now in the video from Bring A Trailer below.
Damian Nicholas covers cannabis, lifestyle, automotive and design in New York. More about Damian Nicholas
Jan 18, 2024
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