babypuppi: [8] Bmw Inventory Search At Daily Gossip

Monday, December 31, 2018

[8] Bmw Inventory Search At Daily Gossip

Found collecting dust in a southern Italian garage since 1982, this BMW M1 is not a barn find per se, but even so it’s an incredible discovery taking into account we’re dealing with a very rare car. It’s one of the only 430 units ever made, and it is actually more exclusive than that taking into account 35-40 of them were built for racing.

This particular example is one of the last ones made seeing as how we are looking at a 1981 model year and it’s a known fact BMW concluded production of the M1 in December 1980. It was driven for only about a year, during which it racked up just 7,329 kilometers (4,554 miles). You will be happy to hear that Munich-based Mint Classics specialized in selling classic and vintage BMWs has announced the car is going to be restored to its former glory. Over the years, they’ve sold a great number of M1s, including a couple of Procar versions. Suffice it to say, they have the expertise to handle this red example and know the right people to bring back the car's M-flavored luster.

Read also: BMW M1 Procar restoration detailed in 89 photos First alleged BMW M1 prototype appears briefly on eBay The BMW M1 could have remained in production with Alpina's help

Never officially exported to United States, the M1 remains to this day one of the most important models in BMW’s history and also one of the most sought-after. It rocks a six-cylinder, 3.5-liter engine originally developed for racing, but detuned for the road-going version where it was hooked up to a five-speed manual gearbox. The straight-six unit sits in the middle and pushes out 266 horsepower, enough for a sprint to 60 mph (96 kph) in 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 161 mph (259 kph) back in the day.

Without getting your hopes up too high, the “M1” moniker might be revived in the years to come based on the fact BMW recently trademarked “M1 CS” through “M8 CS” nameplates with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Source: Mint Classics via Carscoops