1980 BMW E26 M1

The BMW M1 was the first of the celebrated M models as well as the Bavarian company's first mid-engine supercar. BMW Motorsports boss Jochen Neerpasch was passionate about defeating Porsche, which during the 1970s had almost uniformly outpaced Munich's otherwise successful racing coupes. By the mid-1970s, an all-new Group 5 racecar was built to contest the dominant 934 and 935 models from Stuttgart. Lamborghini's Gianpaolo Dallara developed the new tubular steel spaceframe chassis, built to house a mid-mounted engine, and clothed with lightweight fiberglass coachwork penned by Italdesign's Giorgetto Giugiaro. The wholly Teutonic powerplant was from BMW Motorsports, an inline-six with four valves per cylinder actuated via dual-camshafts, and six individual throttle bodies. The M88/1 petrol engine had a 3,453 cc displacement, Kugelfischer-Bosch mechanical fuel injection, and Magneti-Marelli ignition system. It was developed by Paul Rosche who was also responsible for the S70/2 V12 and the S14 inline-4 engine. The 273 horsepower powerplant was backed by a ZF five-speed manual gearbox which sent power to the rear wheels, governed by a 40 percent limited-slip differential. The steering was by an unassisted rack-and-pinion unit, and the suspension used double wishbones with adjustable coil springs and Bilstein gas-filled dampers. The road-going versions had softer suspension bushings to improve ride quality. The ventilated steel disc brakes measured 300 mm at the front and 297 mm at the rear. At all four corners were special Campagnolo alloy wheels measuring 7x16-inches at the front and 8x16-inches at the rear wrapped with Pirelli P7 tires.

A Modenese firm by the name of Marchesi manufactured the chassis and the body and interior were built by Italdesign at their manufacturing facility in Turin. Lamborghini was initially contracted to build the car, but Giorgetto Giugiaro's Ital Design ultimately took over the project. The unfinished cars were delivered to German specialist manufacturer Baur where final assembly took place. Once complete, the cars were shipped to BMW Motorsport in Munch for a final inspection.

Produced from 1978 to 1981, a total of 453 examples were built. Of those, 399 were road-going units, while 53 were built for motorsport.

The BMW M1 never achieved the success envisioned by Neerpasch due only to the fact that Group 5 regulations changed making the car obsolete. Prototypes developed in 1978 were nevertheless approved for a homologated production run with sights set on Group 4 racing, and ultimately 453 cars were built in total.

Together with Max Moseley, the former British racing driver and March team principal who held a position with the Formula 1 Constructor's Association, Neerpasch envisioned a single-make introductory series to European Formula 1 races in which the top five qualifying drivers would race BMW M1 competition cars against a field of top sports and touring car drivers. With BMW's approval, 25 examples were constructed for this new series, which was dubbed Procar. Modifications over the original M1 included a more developed engine with output increasing to 470 horsepower, along with coachwork modifications for aerodynamic enhancement such as larger flared wheel arches, a deeper front splitter, and a large rear wing. By the time production of the M1 ended in 1981, a total of 54 examples of the race-engineered M1 Procar had been built.

Niki Lauda won the 1979 season, and Nelson Piquet the 1980 season. After requirements were met for Group 4 racing, the Procars were used by various teams in the World Championships and other national series. Additionally, the M1 raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1981 to 1986 in the Group B category. BMW France also converted an M1 Pro Car to Group B rally Specification for the 1982 and 1983 seasons. For the 1984 season, the car was entered solely by the Motul privateer racing team. The final season was its most successful, scoring an outright ERC podium at Rally d'Antibes, and victories at Rallye de La Baule and Rallye de Lorraine.

In regards to financial and motorsport success, the M1 could have been considered a disaster had it not been for the Procar series. Halo cars, however, rarely achieve financial success, more often garnering publicity, technological advancements, and inspiring futuristic designs. In this light, the BMW M1 was highly successful and in many respects, the exotic BMW M1 street car was essentially a road-going Procar and Group 5 racer.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301194

The BMW Motorsport needed a competitive car to enter the Group 4 class in the Procar World Championship. Jochen Neerpasch would unite two former allied nations in the quest. The result would be simply called the M1 and it would certainly become one of the most remarkable and intriguing stories, especially in BMW's history.

The influence is obvious. Yet, the story is not as clear-cut as it may seem. By the end of the 1970s, BMW was still very much focused on creating sedans and coupes for production purposes. Each of these models lacked the ability to be turned into a true competitor within the Group 4 class. BMW's motorsport division needed a competitive model created first for the track and then tweaked for road-going purposes.

Neerpasch knew what was needed. He knew the advantages of a mid-engine layout and a chassis designed specifically for the track first instead of the road. Basically, what Jochen needed was a supercar. And, at the time of the mid-1970s, there was really only one company building supercars for the road—Lamborghini.

The car that is considered the first of the supercars is the Lamborghini Miura. The Miura would be produced between 1966 and 1972. It would then be replaced by the evocative Countach in 1974. The Countach's wedge-shaped body styling would become the epitome of supercar design. Therefore, Neerpasch knew who to contact about designing and building his special, one-off, design.

Giorgio Giugiaro of Ital Design would be given the task of designing the new car. So, while it would carry the German BMW badge, it would be an Italian design and influence. And the Italian influence would be anything but subtle. Ital Design would be given the task of designing the car for BMW, and, Lamborghini would be tasked with actually building and manufacturing the car. This was certainly a departure for BMW. Not surprisingly, the costs of this project would be quite exorbitant.

In the end, the deal with Lamborghini would break down and BMW would be left having to construct and manufacture the whole car. But this is where the story gets really intriguing. Though unsubstantiated, it is a widely held belief that elements from BMW had to sneak into Lamborghini to get its engineering plans and tooling. Lamborghini had built a few examples of what was to be the M1, however, financial troubles led to the company doors being locked by the government. In the end, BMW would be left with the task of building the car.

The M1 would be unlike any other BMW would produce, then and now. BMW's research and development department was stretched to its limits creating passenger cars for production. By having Ital Design do the design work, BMW's Motorsport division would have a car created for them.

The pricey program nearly killed the project before it even had a chance to turn a wheel. However, Neerpasch would eventually find partners in Marchesi to assemble the space frames and the Italian firm TIR would build the fiberglass body panels. Baur, the German constructor, would be tasked with final assembly out of its plant in Stuttgart.

The result would be a fierce competitor for the track and one of the most striking BMWs ever to be produced. Though motivated and inspired for the track, the M1 would be no disappointment on the road either. Surprisingly comfortable, and, easy to drive, the M1 is certainly a very special car.

Including racing models, just a total of 450 M1s would be produced and production would last just two years. This was certainly affected by price, which easily topped $110,000 in the early '80s. Proving that racing was the first concern, one is immediately taken by the sparse interior. The car is all business, and nothing else.

In June 1980, chassis 1194 would be completed. In its own right, this car would stand amongst a very few M1s. Finished in Inka Orange, this car would be one of just 98 to have Inka Orange. The interior of the car would be much more straightforward boasting of black leather. Complete with air conditioning, power windows, power mirrors and a Becker Mexico stereo, 1194 would soon make its way to the United States and Rosner Motors Inc. in Virginia.

Its early history would be rather unknown. What is known is that, in 1989, the car would return to Germany on behalf of its then-owner, Mr. Davila. Mr. Davila owned another M1 and a residence in Kaiserslautern. Mr. Davila would drive the car around the town carefully and on special occasions being careful to maintain the M1.

Davila would pass away in 1994. However, the car would not leave the family. Instead, the car would pass along to Davila's son, Jean Paul. The car would remain in Germany until 2008 when Jean Paul exported the car back to the United States. After nearly 30 years, the car had still only collected about 3,000 miles.

A Texas collector would notice the car in 2011. The condition of the car, and its low mileage would prompt an offer. After nearly three decades in one family 1194 was moving on. Almost immediately, the car would be delivered to Dinan, a BMW specialist in Mountain View, California. The car would be checked and serviced at that time. An important change would be replacing the odometer from kilometers to miles per hour.

The results of the work are almost immediately recognizable as 1194 continues to look almost as it did when it first made its journey across the Atlantic to the United States. It remains and a fitting example of the German/Italian icon.

Chassis 1194 would be made available for sale at the 2014 Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Prior to the auction, the M1 was garnering estimates ranging from $400,000 to $500,000. When the gavel struck at the end of bidding, the final sale price ended up being $440,000.

Sources:

'1978 BMW E26 M1 News, Pictures, Specifications and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/z22349/BMW-E26-M1.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/z22349/BMW-E26-M1.aspx. Retrieved 20 January 2014.

Jurneka, Rory. '1980 BMW M1 Classic Drive', (http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/1212_1980_bmw_m1_classic_drive/). Motor Trend. http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/1212_1980_bmw_m1_classic_drive/. Retrieved 20 January 2014.

'The History of the BMW M1', (http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-m1-trilogy-the-history-of-the-m1-feature). Car and Driver. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-m1-trilogy-the-history-of-the-m1-feature. Retrieved 20 January 2014.

'Lot No. 145: 1980 BMW M1', (http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1980-bmw-m1-2/). Gooding & Company. http://www.goodingco.com/vehicle/1980-bmw-m1-2/. Retrieved 20 January 2014.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Lamborghini Miura', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 15 January 2014, 04:00 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lamborghini_Miura&oldid=590768320 accessed 20 January 2014

by Jeremy McMullen

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: 4301223

As racing regulations evolved in the mid-seventies, BMW Motorsport saw an opportunity to beat arch-rival Porsche in a new series by designing and manufacturing a purpose-built car and offering it for sale to the public, as stipulated by the rules. The BMW M1, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and powered by a Paul Porsche-designed 3.5-liter, twin-cam six-cylinder engine, mounted mid-ship, and made its debut at the 1978 Paris Auto Show to the admiration of the world's motoring press. The only problem was that delays with outside contractors caused its appearance to coincide with the demise of the category for which it was built. The quick-thinking solution was the fast and furious ProCar Series which preceded European Formula One races, pitting the top five qualifying Grand Prix stars against 15 talented local drivers in identically prepared M1s. The ProCar Series ran in 1979 and 1980 with championships by Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet, respectively.

This M1 Group 4 racer was campaigned in the 1981 IMSA GTO Series, seeing action at the 24 Hours of Daytona, Watkins Glen, and Mosport. Drivers included David Hobbs, Mark Surer, and Dieter Quester. M1 ProCars are now prized collector items and can be seen on vintage race tracks around the world.

Sports Coupe

The M1 is BMW's first mid-engine sports car. Built in 1979 and 1980 this was the first BMW super car capable of rivaling the strongest Ferrari and Porsche. Group 5 is the highest category of GT racing of the day. The M1 Group 5 racer, with a twin-turbo 3.2-liter engine develops an astonishing 850 horsepower. The M1 Group 5 is noted for being competitive in the 1980 48 Hours of LeMans.

Group 5 regulations required the building of 400 cars. As BMW did not have the facilities or the expertise, they subcontracted the assembly to Lamborghini in Italy. The glassfiber body has an exterior design by Italian Giorgetto Giugiaro.

This is one of 45 cars BMW built in PROCAR configuration. It was first raced in Nurburgring livery, then Marlboro livery with Hans-Joachim Stuck at the wheel. It finished 3rd overall and 1st in class at the 1980 Nurburgring 1000. It finished 15th at the 1980 24 Hours of LeMans. In mid-1980, it was acquired by BMW of North America. It raced at the Watkins Glen 600 with David Hobbs and Hans-Joachim Stuck driving in Marlboro livery. It was converted to Kenwood Stereo livery, and Group 5 bodywork and raced in the United States primarily with David Hobbs as the driver. However, Stuck joined Hobbs at the 1981 Molson 1000 where the car ran strong but faded late due to a gearbox problem and was then retired from professional racing. It has a six-cylinder engine with 3.5-liter displacing, producing 485 horsepower.

Sports Coupe

This BMW M1 is one of 399 road cars built. Production lasted from 7/10/78 through 2/13/81. The engine was a 3.45 liter inline six that produced 277 horsepower. Zero-to-sixty took 5.6 seconds.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301153

The fuel-injected 277 horsepower six-cylinder engine was capable of carrying this mid-engine, exotic sports car to a top speed of approximately 160 mph. The car had an excellent power-to-weight ratio, and just 456 examples would be built between 1978 and 1981, including 56 purpose-built racecars.

This example is finished in orange with a black interior. The odometer reads just 18,000 kilometers from new and remains unrestored. It features all the required modifications for EPA legality. The current owner has cared for the car for the past 18 years.

In 2010, the car was offered for sale at the Vintage Motor Cars of Hershey auction presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $125,000-$150,000. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $137,500, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301385

There were 163 road-going examples of the BMW M1 finished in white. This m1 was originally imported to the United States by Brian Cartier and converted to US specifications by Albert Mardikian of Trend Imports in Santa Ana, California.

In the early 1980s, the M1 was eventually sold to a BMW enthusiast living in Colorado. Over the next three decades, the white M1 remained part of the ever-evolving single-marque collection. During that time, the car was regularly driven and meticulously maintained.

The M1 has been driven approximately 25,000 miles. It has a factory tool kit, various ownership and registration documents, a selection of BMW M1 Club e.V. literature, and a selection of period road tests.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS00000094301090

The BMW M1 has a reputation for being the most exotic street car ever built by the company. The cars were virtually hand-built and a limited-production supercar that was essentially a homologation special. They had a tube frame and utilized state-of-the-art technology underneath the Giugiaro-designed body. The road-going M1 was built on the race-spec chassis. They were given unequal-length lateral links, alloy uprights, concentric coil springs, and anti-roll bars in the front and rear. Just 456 examples were built, including a number of race-prepared cars for rallying and the BMW M1 Procar Championship.

BMW Motorsport planned to build enough M1 examples to comply with regulations for Group 5 competition. The Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA), however, changed the rules and required a minimum of 400 examples be built to meet Group 4 regulations before the car could be homologated for Group 5. BMW was left with few options and rather than delay their racing program, they decided to create a one-make series while they continued further development. In the spring of 1978, they announced the Procar Championship, along with the official unveiling of the M1 road car.

The Procar Series lasted from 1979 to 1980. In 1982, after the series ended and production for the M1 was completed, Peter Gartemann, the president and owner of the German BMW dealer AHG, created a limited-design study that was based on the look of the Procar M1s but was intended for the street. This option involved having the AHG Motorsport division take an owner's standard road-going M1 and transform it into the Procar-style street fighter.

The AHG M1 Studie cars received an adjustable racing suspension and three-piece 16-inch BBS wheels, which were 8-inches wide up front and 9-inches wide at the rear. The engine was uprated to 350 horsepower and mated to a special racing clutch and a new exhaust system. The interior was given leather and the stereo system was enhanced with additional speakers. AHG also commissioned the German paint shop of Hermann Altmiks to finish each M1 in a unique scheme per the customer's request.

This car, chassis number 4301090, was built in 1979 and delivered on August 30 to BMW dealer Schneider in Bielefeld, Germany. The original color was White (206). The early history is not known; what is known is that it was given the M1 Studie package. The modifications were TUV-certified in Germany though they required extensive testing and approvals, which only added to the cost of development. Allegedly, it was the rear spoiler that was the costliest part to get approved. Due to the cost and limited nature of the AHG package, it is believed that just ten such examples were created.

This particular AHG Studie is finished in the BMW Motorsport livery. It was once part of the Ed Weaver Collection in Dalton, Georgia, where it resided until 1995. In 2011, it joined the collection of Don Davis. A short time later, it was acquired by the AE Collection in Burbank, California.

Currently, the car shows less than 7,000 kilometers on its odometer. It has the AHG M1 markings throughout the body, and the original 'altmiks lackdesign' signature is painted just below the taillight. The M88 dual overhead cam six-cylinder engine is fitted with Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection and produces 350 horsepower. There is a five-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel disc brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS00000094301096

The BMW M1 was a mid-engined supercar that was built as a practical road-going performance machine and served as the basis for the planned 'ProCar' racing series. It wore styling by Italdesign and the original plan was to assign construction to Lamborghini. Lamborghini was suffering through financial problems and the plan fell through. Marchesi took over the production of the M1's tube steel chassis, while the fiberglass body pieces were made by Trasformazione Italiana Resina. The German Coachbuilder Baur was tasked with the vehicle's final assembly.

The BMW M1 was planned as a homologation special and approximately 400 examples were built. The engine was a 3.5-liter inline-6 rated at 273 horsepower and it employed a twin cam head, fuel injection system, and dry sump oiling. The top speed was in the neighborhood of 162 mph.

Between 1978 and 1981, BMW produced 397 examples. This example is one of 97 M1 coupes finished in Orange and incorporates a ProCar-style front spoiler, the original factory Campagnolo wheels with Pirelli tires, and correct Black cloth and leather interior. It is a three-owner car that has just 36,000 original kilometers on its European odometer.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301160

This BMW M1 was in the care of Al Monjazeb, a Pacific Northwest car dealership owner, for many years. He sourced the car from Alexander Kopp in Switzerland. The low-mileage car saw limited use and was stored in climate-controlled storage throughout his 15 years of ownership. Ownership was then passed to Peter Gleeson in 2011. In more recent years, it was acquired by its current caretaker.

Currently, the car has just 18,061 kilometers. It has its original radio with the large speaker control knob underneath. When new, the car was white with a black interior. It is currently finished in Henna Red.

The engine is a 3453cc dual overhead cam six-cylinder engine fitted with a Kugelfischer Mechanical Fuel Injection system. It offers 277 horsepower, has a five-speed manual transmission, and there are four-wheel vacuum-assisted vented disc brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe

The BMW M1 was produced by BMW from 1978 through 1981. A total of 453 vehicles were produced. This example is number 282. It was designed by Georgetto Giugiaro. Twenty M1s were built for racing in the BMW Procar Championship. The car is powered by a mid-engine twin cam 3.5-liter 6-cylinder M88 engine developing 273 horsepower coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission with rear-wheel drive. It is capable of 162 mph and rides on a 102.4-inch wheelbase, and has a curb weight of 2,866 lbs.

Sports Coupe

The BMW M1 was the brainchild of Jochen Neerpasch, head of BMW Motorsports, in the 1970s. He wanted to create a true BMW racecar to replace the aging CSL. A minimum of 400 street cars would have to be built for FIA homologation. Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the car and Lamborghini was contracted for development and production. With the bankruptcy of Lamborghini, an alternative manufacturing program had to be urgently arranged between BMW Motorsport, Italdesign, TIR (Modena), Marchesi, and Baur. However, homologation could not be achieved for the 1979 racing season. Jochen Neerpasch and Bernie Ecclestone created the Procar series in which the five best Formula 1 qualifiers competed with touring car racers in a Formula 1 support race.

This M1, one of 59 in blue, was delivered new in 1980 to BMW Bavaria Motors in Mexico and came to the USA in the late 1990s without undergoing 'federalization'.

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301261
Engine number: M88-317

This BMW M1 is the 348th example produced of the total 399 roadgoing examples. It was imported into the United States in 1984 and acquired by its current caretaker in 1987.

This BMW M1 was completed on May 27th of 1980 and finished in white with a black leather and cloth interior. It was delivered to a Frankfurt, Germany BMW dealer and purchased by its first owner on September 16th of 1980. It was imported to the United States by November of 1984, with federalization and emissions modifications completed by South Coast Compliance of Santa Ana, California. It is believed that the car's gauge cluster was converted around this time.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301211

Never seen by the public, this M1 is completely original and formerly the property of a member of Pink Floyd.

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301226

The BMW M1 was the company's first 'true' supercar and the first to be solely developed by the M Division. The project was spearheaded by Jochen Neerpasch, then head of BMW Motorsport, who envisioned a track-focused machine that could compete at the highest levels of competition. With mid-engine placement, a tubular steel space-frame chassis, and sleek, wedge-shaped fiberglass body, the M1 was able to challenge the all-conquering Porsche 911.

The chassis was initially created by the individuals who were responsible for the Lamborghini Miura - Gian Paolo Dallara - but due to economic issues, the M1 project was taken in-house in April 1978. The chassis was assembled by Marchesi of Modena, the fiberglass body was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and built by Trasformazioni Italiana Resine, and the partially finished cars were sent to Germany, where Baur installed the engine. The 3,453-cubic-centimeter double-overhead-cam, fuel-injected straight-six unit was hand-built to a design created by Paul Rosche.

Between 1978 and 1981, a total of 56 examples of the M1 were built, with a few contesting the one-model race series dubbed the BMW M1 Procar Championship. The remaining 399 examples were built in road-going guise, built to homologate the model for competition. (A total of 455 M1s were produced between 1978 and 1981, including 399 road and 56 race cars.)

This particular example was delivered new to the Bay Area in California and remained in the care of a single-family up until 2019. When it left the factory, it wore a blue exterior; at some point, it received a respray to the white exterior it currently wears.

by Dan Vaughan

Sports Coupe
Chassis number: WBS59910004301442

The M1 was BMW's tool for FIA Group 4 sports car racing which required 400 examples to be built to satisfy homologation requirements. Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and his team at Italdesign, it had a tube-frame chassis, mid-engine placement, a fiberglass aerodynamic wedge shape design, and was powered by a 3.5-liter engine derived from the 3.0 CSL.

This particular 1980 BMW M1 remains in its original colors of white over a black leather interior with white and black cloth seat inserts. It was built on November 5, 1979, and imported into the United States on April 16, 1981, by Hardy & Beck Performance Inc. of Berkeley, California. By 1997, it was in the care of Michael Greenstein of San Francisco. The current caretaker acquired it in 2001.

This BMW M1 has been used sparingly over the last two decades. With 11,176 miles on its odometer, the car received a major service by BMW specialist The Werk Shop of Libertyville, Illinois, completed April 2022, with receipts in excess of $50,000. An additional 300 miles have been added to the odometer since that time.

The 3,453cc DOHC M88/1 inline six-cylinder engine has a Bosch Kugelfischer Mechanical Fuel Injection system and produces 277 horsepower at 6,500 RPM. There is a five-speed ZF manual transaxle, four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, and an independent suspension with coil springs.

by Dan Vaughan

The M1 was a radical departure from the front-engined, rear-wheel-drive configuration of its prior vehicles. It also had to compete with the legacy of the vehicle it was replacing, the highly successful 3.0 CSL. The M1, also known as the 'Mid-Engined BMW M1 Project E26, was started in 1976 and completed four years later. The development of the M1 supercar was very costly; its design and development included some of the greatest individuals the industry had to offer. Giorgio Giugiaro of Ital Design was tasked with creating the design while Lamborghini handled the construction and manufacturing.

Racing efforts were slowed when the car failed to meet homologation requirements for Group 4 and 5, which stated 400 vehicles needed to be produced in 24 months. So the BMW M1 began racing in the Procar series instead. David Cowart and Kenper Miller won the IMSA GTO category in 1981. When BMW had sold enough cars to comply with Group 5 homologation requirements, the vehicle was no longer competitive for that group. Production of the BMW M1 ceased in 1981 after 455 examples were created, with 56 created for racing.

In 1979, 79 examples were created with 38 being race-prepared, and the remaining 41 intended for road-use. In 1980 and 1981, 188 vehicles were constructed per year. 18 were constructed for racing while the remaining were made road-worthy.

by Dan Vaughan

As racing regulations evolved in the mid-seventies, BMW Motorsport saw an opportunity to beat arch-rival Porsche in a new series by designing and manufacturing a purpose-built car and offering it for sale to the public, as stipulated by the rules. The BMW M1, designed by Giugiaro and powered by a Paul Rosche designed 3.5-liter, twin-cam six-cylinder engine mounted mid-ship, debuted at the 1978 Paris Auto Show to the admiration of the world's motoring press. The only problem was that delays with outside contractors cause its appearance to coincide with the demise of the category for which it was built. The quick-thinking solution was the fast and furious ProCar Series which preceded European Formula One racers, pitting the top-five qualifying Grand Prix stars against 15 talented local drivers in identically prepared M1's. The ProCar Series ran in 1979 and 1980 with championships by Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet respectively.

Road-going M1's were sold in Europe and imported to the United States through the secondary market. These cars are now prized collector items. Racing ProCar versions of the M1 can be seen on vintage race tracks around the world.