1980 BMW E26 M1
Discussion
e21Mark said:
I remember sitting in one in L&C's showroom back in the late 80's. It was white with a thick set of M stripes coming up over the centre of the front panel. (As I say, it was the 80's! 
) At the time it could be had for £42k if I recall correctly? It was certainly 40 something anyway.
Could have been this one, sorry about the crappy photograph of a magazine page, owned by BMW UK at least until 1986 but probably not now as the registration is on another car. The number plate 161 BMW was allegedly chosen as 161mph was the officially recorded top speed of the customer cars. ) At the time it could be had for £42k if I recall correctly? It was certainly 40 something anyway. 
julian64 said:
I just suppose I was really enjoying this thread until someone suggested the car was worth in the current market. It just takes the car out of its historical context. I suppose looking back I should've just glossed over that post and I'd been still enjoying it.
Sorry about that - someone else asked, and I found myself googling. It's always a shame when cars go from "somewhat out of reach" to "defence-budget-of-a-small-country out of reach" but I do love seeing stunning cars like the OP's where they cherished, driven, and truly enjoyed. Having met the owner of this car on a few occasions he offered to take me out in the car despite the pouring rain as "It'll be good to see if the new wiper blades work ok" I feel confident in saying that car is in the hands of a true petrolhead who talks about the car, fettles the car and drives the car all with equal and enormous enthusiasm.
gforceg said:
Quick question to anyone who knows; what Manta are they talking about in the image above?
Yup, it's a US kit car. Here's the full article, thanks to Google.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tdgDAAAAMBAJ&a...
Skip to P170 for the conclusion, bypassing gems like "Now Home computers can call other computers on the telephone!".
silentbrown said:
Yup, it's a US kit car.
Here's the full article, thanks to Google.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tdgDAAAAMBAJ&a...
Skip to P170 for the conclusion, bypassing gems like "Now Home computers can call other computers on the telephone!".
Thanks too for that.Here's the full article, thanks to Google.
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=tdgDAAAAMBAJ&a...
Skip to P170 for the conclusion, bypassing gems like "Now Home computers can call other computers on the telephone!".
The OP's car looks wonderful. The engine bay is pristine.
Lovely cars, M1s. I used to run the M1 Procars owned by Mike McInerney in the Classic Endurance series. The chassis was superb and despite a 300bhp deficit to the Porsche 935s (450 against 750) we won almost every race over several years. The M1 was a long way ahead of its time and in many ways you forgot that it was a historic racecar because it had proper double wishbone suspension and a very strong chassis.
I used to deal with Lee, I think, from Park Lane BMW for many of our parts and it was always surprising just how many items BMW retained for the Procars in Munich ("Pair of rear magnesium uprights? Yep, they're on the shelf."), but the smaller trim parts were always difficult to come by, like windscreen seals and the like. The remaining road car parts stock was bought by Sam Hignett's dad (Sam owns Jota Sport, the WEC team) a few years ago and he still has many items.
Anyway, here's a shot of our two on the very last race I did with them at Paul Ricard, October 2011:
The lead car in this shot was actually never a Procar, it was raced in the IMSA series in the States. Here it is in period:
Lovely cars, M1s. I used to run the M1 Procars owned by Mike McInerney in the Classic Endurance series. The chassis was superb and despite a 300bhp deficit to the Porsche 935s (450 against 750) we won almost every race over several years. The M1 was a long way ahead of its time and in many ways you forgot that it was a historic racecar because it had proper double wishbone suspension and a very strong chassis.
I used to deal with Lee, I think, from Park Lane BMW for many of our parts and it was always surprising just how many items BMW retained for the Procars in Munich ("Pair of rear magnesium uprights? Yep, they're on the shelf."), but the smaller trim parts were always difficult to come by, like windscreen seals and the like. The remaining road car parts stock was bought by Sam Hignett's dad (Sam owns Jota Sport, the WEC team) a few years ago and he still has many items.
Anyway, here's a shot of our two on the very last race I did with them at Paul Ricard, October 2011:
The lead car in this shot was actually never a Procar, it was raced in the IMSA series in the States. Here it is in period:
Edited by Ahonen on Friday 3rd June 12:23
Speaking of UK cars, I recall a navy Blue example during a visit to Munich Legends.
Pretty sure it was on an 'X plate.
That was around 2001-02.
I also parked next to one on display at Danson Park BMWCCGB SE stand in around 2002.
That example was white.
I have photos of both at home, I'll dig them out later and post up.
Will be interesting to see the Reg numbers.
Pretty sure it was on an 'X plate.
That was around 2001-02.
I also parked next to one on display at Danson Park BMWCCGB SE stand in around 2002.
That example was white.
I have photos of both at home, I'll dig them out later and post up.
Will be interesting to see the Reg numbers.
Richard, what an absolutely beautiful car - surely a labour of love restoring it, it's magnificent.
I remember, when I was a boy, my father getting the brouchure for one - he loved cars and I think he went from a Jensen interceptor, to an Aston V8, then to some Maserati (even as a 3 year old I remember the battery constantly being flat), then it would have been around the late 70s when he got the brouchure - for whatever reason (space for kids? Too expensive? Or the fact that he was 6'5" probably meant he couldn't fit in it!) we didn't get one and ended up with a 733i instead. From what I remember it was a nice car but not a patch on the M1...
So what is your next project? 3.0 CS?
I remember, when I was a boy, my father getting the brouchure for one - he loved cars and I think he went from a Jensen interceptor, to an Aston V8, then to some Maserati (even as a 3 year old I remember the battery constantly being flat), then it would have been around the late 70s when he got the brouchure - for whatever reason (space for kids? Too expensive? Or the fact that he was 6'5" probably meant he couldn't fit in it!) we didn't get one and ended up with a 733i instead. From what I remember it was a nice car but not a patch on the M1...
So what is your next project? 3.0 CS?
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