To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Munich event, 25 November 2023.

• The genesis of the BMW M division’s long-lasting road car legacy
• One of only 399 examples of the road-going BMW M1
• Retains its matching-numbers 3.5-litre inline-six engine

The famous BMW roundel has led the field in many disciplines of motorsport, and the Munich marque’s motivation to build the M1 was born out of its competitive endeavours. By the end of the 1970s, its CSL cars were losing an edge against Porsche’s new 935, and BMW needed a mid-engined chassis to fit its twin-cam 3.5-litre six-cylinder engine. BMW’s Motorsport division first contacted Lamborghini for help but by April 1978 the project had been taken in house. The wedge design was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and built in Italy along with the chassis, prior to final assembly taking place at Karosserie Baur in Stuttgart. The resulting product—badged as the BMW M1, and sold from 1978 to 1981—is widely coveted to this day as a rare piece of BMW history.

The example offered here was marked as complete by the factory on 9 October 1980 and delivered to BMW France of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, near Versailles, four days later. The BMW was not registered for the road until 28 February 1981, when it became domiciled in the Netherlands. Originally finished in Blau over a Schwarz interior, the M1 now presents in red with a black leather interior. The BMW is understood to have been exported to the United States at an unknown point, where it is likely to have been fitted with an odometer displaying in miles, which is currently fitted. After returning to Europe, the BMW was exported from Germany to Singapore in March 2011, where it has remained until now. According to factory data, this M1 retains its matching-numbers engine.

A legend of BMW design and performance, enthusiasts of the marque need look no further than RM Sotheby’s auction in Munich—the home of BMW—for the opportunity to acquire this attractively presented M1.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mu23.