The BMW M1 is the first model to be developed under BMW’s elite M Division, with the intention of creating the brand’s first track-focused supercar. In order to compete with the Porsche 934 and 935, which were dominating Group 4 and Group 5 at the time the head of BMW Motorsport, Jochen Neerpasch, insisted on the car being mid-engined. As BMW Motorsport had no previous experience in developing mid-engine sports cars, they initially outsourced the design and production to the experts at Lamborghini.

The wedge-shape car was developed by a strong team consisting of Italdesign, led by Giorgetto Giugiaro, as the body designers, and Gianpaolo Dallara for chassis development. The partnership with Lamborghini was dissolved due to various economic and management issues and production of the car moved in-house.

With the global economy in turmoil due to the oil crisis, BMW Motorsport pivoted from their plan to install a 4.5 L V12 engine, instead opting for the already proven M88 3,453 cc straight-six DOHC engine. The engine was installed by Baur in Munich, Germany, once the body and chassis were completed in Modena, Italy.

After much effort, the M1 was officially launched at the 1978 Paris Salon. The regulations changed during the long development of the car, requiring 400 cars to be produced in 12 months to Group 4 regulations before the car could be homologated for Group 5. To compensate, BMW created a one-make Procar Championship series and increased production, ultimately competing in various world championships, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Only 399 of the road-legal M1 were produced, making it a rare and legendary supercar. This particular example is presented in excellent condition with just 18,598 km on the odometer.