The first M car. BMW's only mid-engine production car. Designed by Giugiaro at Italdesign with a tubular space frame built by Marchesi and bodywork by T.I.R. in Modena. The Procar racing series featured F1 drivers racing identical M1s as support races.
History
BMW needed a homologation base for Group 5 racing. Jochen Neerpasch, head of BMW Motorsport, contracted Lamborghini to build the chassis and body. When Lamborghini's financial troubles delayed production, BMW brought manufacturing in-house.
Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the body at Italdesign, creating a clean, angular shape that balanced Italian flair with German restraint. The M88 inline-six, derived from the M49 used in BMW touring cars, produced 277 hp in road trim and over 850 hp in turbocharged Procar specification.
The Procar Championship (1979-1980) was a stroke of marketing genius: the top five qualifying F1 drivers at each Grand Prix weekend raced identical M1s in a support race. Niki Lauda won the 1979 championship, giving the M1 enormous visibility.
Only 456 M1s were built, making it one of the rarest BMWs. Today, values range from EUR 500,000 to EUR 750,000 for road cars, with Procar examples exceeding EUR 1 million.
Timeline
Production & Heritage
Value estimates are editorial assessments based on recent auction results and market trends.
Technical Specifications
Engine Details
Performance
Dimensions
Chassis & Suspension
Capacity
Source: BMW AG press archives, Wikipedia
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Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro
From the 1970s
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