After sitting in an East London garage for nearly 25 years,
this 1979 BMW M1
has become the latest high-profile barn
find.
The car, which was available at the Coys
Techno Classica event in Essen, Germany, this past weekend, is a
unique model as it's been modified for a high-speed record run. According to
the consignment information, the car was delivered in factory specification to
its first owner in 1980. Under the hood was the standard inline-6 mounted in
the middle with 273 horsepower. The M1's top speed was greater than 160 mph. In
1981, racing driver Harald Ertl purchased the car and worked with oil company
BP to give the car a radical transformation.
BP was interested in promoting its new Autogas product and
decided to use the M1 as a promotional tool. Ertl and the company fitted the
car with twin turbochargers to push output to just over 400 hp. BP hoped to
break the 186-mph barrier, and on October 17, 1981, Ertl piloted the car to the
new record of 187.3 mph.
Aside from the modified powertrain, the M1 also sports a
more aggressive body kit. The photos clearly show the car was forgotten about
for years. The body shows typical signs of neglect. Dirt and dust cake the car,
and it appears some of the paint has peeled away on the front bumper.
After it was sold in 1993, the car disappeared for decades
only to be rediscovered recently. Coys' Essen event was held this past weekend,
but there's no word if the car sold or if a reserve wasn't met. Coys' website
still lists the car, so it may have not received a bid for its estimated sale
price of $327,000. Knowing standard M1 supercars sell for hundreds
of thousands of dollars, we imagine the seller wanted a top-tier hammer
price.
Motor Authority has contacted Coys to find out if this
unique garage find has found a new home. We'll update this story if it has.
by Sean Szymkowski
http://www.boscheuropean.com
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