1980 BMW M1, owned by one of its creators, will soon be auctioned in Munich (12 photos + 1 video)

These days, BMW has a habit of sticking M badges on almost everything. all models, but this was not always the case. When the BMW M division first originated, it began with one particular machine that established high standards. This supercar was the M1, and the one that just became available at auction, was originally ordered by a person, who headed the M division itself.





In our time, soaked through with commerce and marketing, BMW gives sporty features even to completely alien sports cars and sculpts the legendary nameplate "M" on everything in a row that somewhat devalues ​​the decades of work of sports engineers divisions of BMW M GmbH (M is nothing but Motorsport). And at dawn activities of the BMW Motorsport division, the stake was placed on a very serious supercar M1, which was supposed to take BMW to a new level, setting the highest standards for supercars.



Everything turned out a little not as rosy as planned: production process, thanks to the "partners" from Lamborghini turned into hell, participation in motorsport was limited to two seasons of the BMW M1 Procar Monocup Championship, and only 456 cars were produced ... BMW M1 is a big chapter in the history of the "Bavarian Motor Works", all cars extremely valuable, collectors and enthusiasts have already "driven" the cost M1 is over half a million dollars. In short, M1 is very valuable and special. a product for BMW and the entire German car industry! But the photo is even more a very special piece because the founding father was the first owner division of BMW Motorsport Jochen Neerpasch.

Jochen Neerpasch





Jochen Neerpasch before taking over the sports division BMW was a race car driver himself, and in a management position he led with passion development of the M1, with the sole purpose of nailing the BMW flag to the top world motorsport! Despite the commercial failure of the M1 project, he quite succeeded.

There is no motor in front!



Minimum technical information about the car: the body was developed Italian stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro, holder of a modest title "Designer of the century", and the chassis - Gian Paolo Dallara, one of the most powerful constructors in motorsport history. The base M1 has a 3.5-liter in-line "six" with a modest power of 273 at the present time horsepower. Drive - rear, gearbox - five-speed ZF mechanics. The complex turned out not to be a car, but a sculpture - a monument to a sporcar from the late 1970s and early 1980s.



In 1980, Neerpasch left BMW and purchased an M1 as a gift. Naturally, on general terms! In enlightened Europe there is no place corruption and malpractice... This is one of the four M1 that came out of the factory in gray and may be the only one with brown interior. Citizen Neerpash sold the car in the middle 1980s, which he later regretted when he told representatives of the auction house RM Sotheby's: "It was one of my mistakes in life." Interesting, will try whether he will compete for the car of his youth at an auction at the end of November 2022?!