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Low-Mileage BMW M1 Listed on Bring a Trailer, Won’t Sell for Cheap

The M division gave us the bite-the-back-of-your-hand beautiful 3.0 CSL in May 1972. Then came the rather obscure homologation special, the 530 MLE for the South African market, in 1976. The peeps at BMW Motorsport GmbH cemented their go-faster prowess with the M1, codenamed E26, introduced to great critical acclaim in October 1978 at the Salon de Paris.
1980 BMW M1 21 photos
Photo: CSL-PTG-EVO on Bring a Trailer
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Finished in fiberglass by Italian company Resina, then delivered to German company Baur for the final assembly, the M1 wouldn’t have been possible without Lamborghini. The spaceframe chassis, for example, was developed by Gian Paolo Dallara, the gentleman who also developed the chassis of the incredible-looking Miura and low-slung Espada. The Raging Bull of Sant’Agata Bolognese bailed out on the BMW M1 project sometime in early 1978 due to financial difficulties after seven prototypes were built.

More of a racing car for the road, the E26 was developed from square one for racing. The Procar BMW M1 Championship served as the support series for Formula 1, running for two years between 1979 and 1980. The late Niki Lauda won the inaugural season, with Nelson Piquet following suit. Also competitive in Group 4 and Group 5, the M1 was further campaigned at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in the World Rally Championship where it competed under Group B regulations, and in America’s IMSA GTO championship.

Inspired by the E25 Turbo concept from 1972, of which two examples were built, the E26 M1 was produced in 453 units. 399 of them were produced to road-legal standards, including chassis number WBS59910004301292.

Listed on Bring a Trailer in San Anselmo, California, this low-mileage blast from the past was built on July 15th, 1980. Originally delivered to the United Kingdom, the car is currently showing 47,969 kilometers (29,806 miles) on the clock. Still equipped with the correct M88 straight-six engine block, this fellow had a new water pump, belts, and coolant hoses installed in 2020.

Corrosion is reported on the battery tray, seepage is noted from the oil pan, and the undercarriage could use a little tender loving care as well. All of these can be remedied without headaches, which is why this particular M1 will sell for big money. The highest (and only) bid at press time is $234,567 with 13 days to go, which is peanuts for a sought-after collectible like the M1. The further sale includes a BMW Motorsport-branded wristwatch.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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