2011 BMW 1M - One Owner

Highlights

• One owner from new 

• Just 7,800 miles

• Kept in storage for the past decade

• Original books, toolkit and cover 

• Genuine, original and unmodified 

Overview

With families, it’s always the little ones that are the most rebellious, so it’s no surprise to learn that in the BMW M line-up, it was the 1-Series that made the boldest break from tradition.

That started with its name. Instead of the M1, it was known as the 1M. Not because BMW didn’t want it associated with the main thoroughfare between Leeds and London, but because there was already an M1 in BMW’s back catalogue – and it was the grandaddy of them all. A car held in such reverence that it couldn’t share its name with the new entry-level M car. 

It was controversial in other ways too. The N54 engine was not an M Division special, but a normal unit found in other BMWs, albeit in twin-turbo format and punching out 340bhp. If that wasn’t enough to challenge the purists, there was also its not-quite-a-coupé styling and the fact that it borrowed the rear end from the M3. 

But any concerns were quickly assuaged the moment you drove it – sure, it was a different approach from the M Division, not quite so lavish nor complex as the larger cars in the range, but it was none the worse for it. Quite the opposite, in fact. 

Indeed, it marked a return to simplicity. While car manufacturers were giving us increasingly baffling drive modes and digitised driving aids, there was something pure, linear and unapologetically basic about the 1M. It was a car for driving, not for showing off gadgetry and technical wizardry. 

Equipped only with a manual gearbox, with passive dampers, an M-button that sharpened the throttle response (its only electric gadget) and its wonderfully responsive chassis, if you wanted a sporty little car that didn’t pretend to be anything it wasn’t and wore its heart on its sleeve, then here it was. 

Indeed, so revered was the 1M after people had driven it that the UK allocation of just 450 cars sold out very quickly, and today the best ones command more money than they were sold for in the first instance. 

This car is a proper collectors’ piece, being still in the care of its original owner and having covered just 7,760 miles from new. Carefully stored for the past 10 years and returned to the road in spring 2025, it’s probably as close to a new example as you’re likely to find. A stunning car and a very rare opportunity. 

History and documentation

• Registered 12 December 2011 and supplied new by Listers of Kings Lynn

• UK V5C in the current owner’s name – the car’s only owner

• MOT until 3 March, 2026, passed with no advisories

• Dry-stored from 2015 to 2025

• Two keys

• Original handbook and BMW book pack, plus supplementary M handbook

• Genuine mileage of just 7,800

• Service book stamped at: PDI (2011, main dealer); 1,253 miles (2012, main dealer); 7,564 miles (2015, main dealer)

• Service sheet also records a service in Nov 2014 @ 4,082 miles

• The seller advises that the car has received an additional service in 2025 from a BMW Specialist

• Custom BMW cover

Interior

• Black leather upholstery with red stitching in excellent order

• Alcantara door trims 

• No notable bolster wear to driver’s seat

• Alcantara-covered instrument binnacle with red stitching

• Excellent carpets and headlining

• Alcantara-effect dash inserts

• ‘One of 450’ build plaque

• Leather-covered M-sport steering wheel with red stitching

• Alcantara gear surround

• M-Sport kickplates

• Air conditioning

• Original jack and tool kit

Exterior

• Original Alpine White paint 

• Immaculate overall condition with no notable defects 

• Always kept under cover 

• Original factory alloys in flawless condition

• Still fitted with original factory Michelin Pilot Sport tyres (which, due to cracking, will be replaced prior to sale)

• As you would expect, the underside appears to be excellent with no signs of structural corrosion

Mechanical

• 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight six N54 engine

• Six-speed manual transmission

• Rear-wheel-drive

• 340bhp

• 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds

• 155mph electronically limited top speed

• Reported by the vendor to drive perfectly, with no known faults

Summary

This one’s an investment you can justify with your head as well as your heart, as you only have to look at the values of 1Ms over the past couple of years to see that they’ve been on a rapid upward trajectory. The fact that you’ll also get one of the most entertaining, finest-handling and characterful cars of its era is a bonus. 

With this car’s incredible low mileage, it’s a collector-quality example of one of the most appealing modern classics – a surefire winner in many different ways.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Norwich, Norfolk.