Single-Owner 1979 BMW M1 Surfaces on Bring a Trailer

A 1979 BMW M1, ordered new by its current owner and now listed on Bring a Trailer, highlights rare provenance, documented history, and homologation roots. Explore details.

A 1979 BMW M1 has surfaced on Bring a Trailer, and while the model itself has long stood as a symbol of BMW Motorsport’s late-1970s ambition, this particular example stands out for another reason: it has remained with its original owner since new.

According to the listing, chassis 1101 was ordered in January 1979 and collected in Germany before being air-freighted to the United States. In 1981, the car was federalized through California-based Dietel Enterprises, an important step for a European supercar that never officially carried a factory U.S. specification. The seller also notes that the vehicle has not been inspected by the California Bureau of Automotive Repair or the Air Resources Board.

The BMW M1 was conceived as a homologation project for motorsport. Of the 453 cars produced in total, 399 were road-going examples, and this car belongs to that group. From the outset, the M1 was unlike any other BMW of its era: a mid-engine layout, a spaceframe chassis, fiberglass bodywork styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and final hand assembly. Even within BMW’s history, it occupies a category of its own.

Mounted behind the cabin is a 3.5-liter M88 inline-six displacing 3,453 cc and rated at 277 horsepower and 330 Nm of torque. Featuring dry-sump lubrication and Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection, the engine is paired with a five-speed ZF manual gearbox using a dog-leg shift pattern and a limited-slip differential. For a late-1970s road car, it was a technical package closely tied to BMW’s racing ambitions.

The seller states that this example is one of 163 cars originally delivered in white. After arriving in the U.S., it was refinished in its current pearlescent white at the owner’s former BMW dealership, where it was periodically displayed over the years. That showroom history adds another layer to the car’s documented life.

The odometer, retrofitted at some point, shows 17,000 miles, all said to have been accumulated under current ownership. The Nevada title carries an “Exempt” notation in the odometer section, consistent with vehicles of its age.

Mechanically and cosmetically, the car retains hallmark M1 details: 16-inch Campagnolo wheels measuring 7 inches in front and 8 inches at the rear, height-adjustable Bilstein suspension, ventilated disc brakes, and an interior trimmed in black leather with checked cloth inserts. Equipment includes a Becker Mexico stereo and factory air conditioning. An additional set of 17-inch multi-piece forged BBS wheels, marketed by BMW as Style 29, accompanies the sale.

Rarity alone has long defined the M1, but in this case it is the combination of limited production, single-owner provenance dating back to 1979, documented correspondence with BMW Motorsport, and a comprehensive paper trail that shapes the narrative. In a market that continues to place a premium on originality and traceable history, examples with uninterrupted ownership and documented early life tend to draw heightened attention.