1980 BMW M1 Supercar Heads to Auction — Only 453 Ever Built

An exclusive 1980 BMW M1 super coupe, designed by the famed Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign, will soon cross the block at RM Sotheby’s in Munich.

This particular M1 has had just two owners: the first drove it until 1999, after which it spent 16 years in a private collection in Spain. In 2015, the car underwent a full mechanical and cosmetic restoration carried out by Munich-based Formula GT, at a total cost of more than €93,000 (about $109,000).

At the start of the project, Lamborghini was involved in the car’s development, but withdrew due to financial difficulties. The steel space frame was engineered by Giampaolo Dallara, the same Italian engineer who created the Lamborghini Miura. Power comes from a 3.5-liter inline-six producing 277 hp, paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The body was built from fiberglass.

BMW produced the M1 from 1978 to 1981, with just 453 units made: 399 road cars (including this one) and 53 race-spec versions.

According to experts, this BMW M1 could fetch between €500,000 and €600,000 (roughly $585,000–$700,000).