eBay Offers Rare Example of BMW’s 1981 M1, An Everyday Supercar
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The BMW M1 was the company’s first attempt at a legitimate supercar. The M1, which was sold from 1978 to 1981, is widely regarded as one of the all-time classic supercars—and a link between heavy high-horsepower performance machines of past generations and today’s sleek lightweight supercars. The 1981 BMW M1 example now available on eBay Motors has only 8,000 miles on the odometer.
Supercar Origins
The M1 was conceived by BMW for Group 4 FIA racing as a competitor to the dominant turbo Porsches of the 1970s. Italdesign Giugiaro was contracted to shape the body—with Lamborghini tapped to finalize the chassis and assemble prototypes. By 1978, about seven prototypes were built when Lamborghini declared bankruptcy and BMW resumed control of the project with help from a group of former Lambo engineers. Only about 450 production M1s were built, and fewer than 40 were racing versions.
The car is offered with original artifacts, including photos at delivery, records, books, and tools.
The eBay seller reports that the original owner was an auto writer who was personally invited by BMW to purchase the supercar. “He took delivery of the car in Germany and never looked back,” states the seller. The journalist took the M1 on his intercontinental adventures, driving and showing the car off in South Africa, New Zealand, Mexico, Arizona, and eventually Miami. It remains bone-stock new except for the addition of 1980s Blaupunkt speakers - opens in new window or tab..
The supercar raced in the short-lived BMW M1 Procar Championship, which was designed to pit drivers of various motorsport disciplines against one another. Austrian Niki Lauda won the inaugural championship of the one-make racing series. BMW canceled the series after two seasons.
The M1 was the first mass-produced mid-engine car made by BMW. Its focus wasn’t raw power as much as superb road handling, civilized operation, and a quiet cabin. The M1 was powered by a race motor detuned to 270 horsepower. The mill was BMW’s excellent M88 twin-cam straight-six engine with Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection - opens in new window or tab.—with a five-speed ZF transaxle to put power to the pavement. The engine was positioned low down in the chassis behind the cockpit. Because the chassis was developed for high-speed maneuvers, it’s extremely stable when taking corners at less than racing speeds.
Some would argue that the BMW i8 - opens in new window or tab. is the M1’s supercar successor, the company’s second mass-produced mid-engine vehicle that was introduced in 2013. The i8 is a 357-horsepower plug-in hybrid using a three-cylinder turbodiesel engine and two electric motors to drive all four wheels for zero-to-60-mph performance in about four seconds. When operating on a combination of gas and electricity, the EPA rates its efficiency at the equivalent of 76 MPG.
The M1 was capable of speeds reaching 160 miles per hour. Reviewers continue to praise its impeccable handling. James May of Top Gear called the BMW M1, “the world’s first truly user-friendly mid-engine supercar.” Car and Driver said it was “a car with incredible performance that could also be driven comfortably every day.”
The rare low-mileage 1981 BMW M1 is offered on eBay with a Buy-It-Now price of $658,000.
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