Vehicle Description
Inka Orange with Black Leather Interior M88 3.5L Inline 6 Cylinder
Engine 5 Speed Manual Transmission 24 Valve Twin Cam 18,409 Miles
RWD Upgraded Alpine Stereo A/C and Heat Blows Only mid-engine BMW
ever built BMW's famous super car 1 of only 399 street examples
built Matching numbers with only 3 owners from new The BMWM1 or E26
(engineering concept 26) would be designed by Giugiaro and his Ital
Design staff around the proven CSL racing engine. Lamborghini was
to build 400 cars, making the design eligible for Group 4 racing.
Once homologation was completed, a turbocharged version of the CSL
six-cylinder would be fitted to the factory race car. Lamborghini's
financial problems postponed the start of production beyond the
original 1977 deadline. Although the M1 was formally announced soon
after(January 1978),Lamborghini's imminent bankruptcy finally
forced BMW to cancel its contract on April 20, 1978. BMW
subsequently had to break into the Lamborghini facility a
confiscated its chassis that would otherwise be sold for scrap.
Under a new plan, Marchese would build the car's tube frame, TIR
would mold the fiberglass, and then Ital Desgin would mate the two
and install the interior. The cars would then be shopped from Italy
to Stuttgrat, where Baur, long a builder of BMW production
prototypes, would install the BMW hardware. BMW Motorsports would
do the final preparation in Munich-in fact; the car would carry a
BMW manufacturing plate. Chassis 01191 was the 191st of 399 M1's
produced, and it was delivered to its first owner in April 1981 by
Autohaus Weissenfel BMW in Montabaur, Germany to a local gentleman
who drove the car for approximately 30,000 miles and had it
serviced at BMW Munich for his ownership from 4/81-1/84. It was
subsequently sold by Kert Tweesmann BMW in Horn-Bad Meinberg
Germany to a US enthusiast that imported it to Grand Rapids
Michigan in July of 1984. During the conversion the speedometer was
replaced to US specs. The Michigan physician that purchased the car
was its custodian for the next 30 years. A collector of other BMW's
he enjoyed and drove this car for most of its life. Complete with
original, airbox(removed to expose the velocity stacks), spare
tire, first aid kit, owner's manual, and lots of documentation
going back to the original ownership. As a dedicated collector he
kept each and every record of repairs and maintenance from Prestife
Exotics in Grand Rapids. During his 30-year ownership the doctor
did cosmetic and engine improvements including a complete exterior
and interior restoration, rebuilt engine by the well known Korman
Autoworks, rebuilt transmission, new clutch and many, many other
enhancement for drivability. He put the majority of the 19,000
miles showing on the US odometer today. The car was then acquired
by its third owner who imported 01191 to California where he kept
it in storage and only used it sparingly. Despite only using the
car occasionally, he ensured that ir was still serviced during his
6-year custodianship including recently replaced the water pump,
fuel lines and belts.
