Vehicle Description
Chassis No. WBS59910004301440
Engine No. M88-478
By the late 1970s BMW's now-legendary "M" division (BMW Motorsport
GmbH) had firmly established itself as a world-class force to be
reckoned with on the international motor racing circuit. What began
for the Bavarian brand with the lightweight 328s that swept the
Mille Miglia podium in 1940, continued postwar with such successful
cars as the aggressive hillclimbing 700RS of the early 1960s and
the BMW 2002's feats of glory at the N�rburgring in the years
thereafter. By the early 1970s, however, BMW "M", now founded and
formalized with only 35 initial employees, took the company's
motorsport efforts to the next level, immortalized perhaps most
famously by the iconic photograph of Hans-Joachim Stuck in his BMW
3.0 CSL "Batmobile" at speed on the N�rburgring, with all four
wheels squarely off the track, fully airborne. The best, however,
was yet to come with the introduction of BMW M's first fully
independent engineering project and the progenitor of a line of
M-cars that followed thereafter and have continued BMW's dominance,
both on and off the track, with the M3, M5, and M6, to name but a
few models.
Indeed, the M1 as it was known, was groundbreaking in more ways
than one. The first and, until most recently, only mid-engined
sports car by BMW, it was borne of a desire by BMW and "M" chief
Jochen Neerpasch to compete head-on with Porsche in Group 5 racing.
A mid-engine design reminiscent of the BMW Turbo concept was
married with a Gianpaollo Dallara-designed tubular space frame
chassis and a striking wedge design by the legendary Giorgetto
Giugiaro. As Car and Driver wrote of its design in 1981, "It's as
aggressive-looking as anything you're likely to see on the road,
standing less than 45 inches high, spanning about 72 inches in
width, and gripping the pavement with four squat Pirelli P7s set at
the car's extreme flanks."
Production delays, owing to a failed intended partnership with
Lamborghini, ultimately resulted in a collaborative effort of
construction between TIR, ItalDesign, Baur, and BMW Motorsport,
which saw the cars produced between 1978 and early 1981. Partway
through production, Neerpasch devised a BMW-specific championship
series, utilizing the M1, which was intended to facilitate Group 4
and Group 5 homologation requirements in the World Sportscar
Championship. Known as the Procar BMW M1 Championship, the series
ran alongside Formula One and saw some of the era's greatest Grand
Prix drivers behind the wheel alongside numerous privateers, with
Niki Lauda and Nelson Piquet winning the first and second seasons,
respectively.
With homologation regulations stipulating the construction of 400
units, production finally ceased at about 453 total cars, of which
399 were road cars and the balance racing cars. According to an
online registry, this particular BMW M1 finished frame and body
construction in Italy on 5 December 1980 with Karl Baur, long a
builder of BMW production prototypes, completing the in�stall of
the BMW hardware in Germany on 13 February 1981. Destined to return
to Italy as an Italian-delivery example, this rare 1981 model year
M1-just one of 55-was finished in White. The popular color suits
the car just as well today as it did in the early 1980s and is
further complemented by black leather seats with checked black
cloth inserts.
The M1's likely first owner was Heinrich Gerken of Ottersberg, West
Germany. Shortly thereafter, Classic Motors of Joliet, Illinois
imported this M1 into the United States in August 1981 for Richard
"Rug" Cunningham clearing through the port of Los Angeles just one
month later on 18 September 1981. Cunningham is perhaps best known
as the late owner of Cunningham BMW in El Cajon, California, yet he
was also a highly accomplished racer having competed in the 1980
Daytona 24 Hour race in a Porsche 911 Carrera RSR with numerous
entries to the Coronado Speed Festival and Rolex Monterey Historic
Automobile Races in his Vasek Polak BMW 3.5 CSL. By all accounts
Cunningham, believed to have been the M1's second owner, kept his
rare and highly prized M1 in excellent condition during his 26
years of ownership. Particularly memorable was its attendance at
the 2004 M1 25th Anniversary Lime Rock Vintage Festival where
number 440 featured among BMW's own M1 turbo Concept Car, the
famous Andy Warhol Art Car, M1 Pro Cars, and street M1s. Following
Cunningham's passing in 2007, the consignor acquired the car in
July of that year with it featuring 20,147 miles. It should be
noted that the speedometer currently in place is in mph, and was
likely installed upon the car's very early importation to the
United States, therefore the exact total mileage is unknowable.
Most impressively, the chassis 440 was noted to possess original
paint and a number of original delivery items including its covered
trunk-mounted spare tire, warning triangle, and medical kit.
Relocating to the dry-climate of San Antonio, Texas, chassis number
440 has benefited from exclusive care by Rhine West, Inc. for the
past 25 years. After acquisition, a visit in 2010 included a fuel
tank cleaning with new screen, a new fuel pump and filter, injector
cleaning, a new timing chain sensor, six new spark plugs, and a new
oil and filter. The year 2011 included an engine-out major service
bill totaling $28,000. Major service work conducted during this
time included a new water pump and thermostat, solving oil leaks,
coolant hose replacement, a new rear main seal, fresh gaskets, new
engine and transmission mounts, new clutch discs and both primary
secondary pressure plates, a valve adjustment, an AC system
overhaul and new fuel tanks. Visits continued in 2014, 2015, and
2022 and most recently in August 2023 this late-production M1
visited Rhine West to remedy a leaking coolant system, repair an
inoperable fuel gauge and windshield washer pump, and to free a
sticking brake caliper. Furthermore, in July 2024 the M1 visited
Keane's Autoworks of Bedford Hills, New York for a new fuel pump
and to repair fuel leaks.
The BMW M1 was, and continues to be, an absolute tour de force for
the "M" division. It boasts a refined 3.5-liter M88/1 straight six
racing engine, featuring Kugelfischer-Bosch mechanical fuel
injection, six individual throttle bodies, dual cams, and four
valves per cylinder. Paired with a five-speed ZF transmission, the
M1 set the benchmark for BMW M's future endeavors. Its stunning
design and exhilarating performance reflect BMW Motorsport's
unparalleled craftsmanship. Regarded as one of the most coveted
supercars of its time, owning such a rare example, especially in an
effortlessly popular livery in unrestored condition with recent
servicing, is an unparalleled opportunity.
