There are rare cars, and then there’s a BMW M1 handed to a three-time Formula 1 champion as a prize for dominating the wildest one-make racing series ever conceived. Headed to auction next month via Mecum is the actual M1 that Niki Lauda earned for winning the inaugural 1979 BMW M1 Procar Championship, and it would be a rarity even without its provenance.
When BMW Built Its Only Supercar
The M1 came to be when BMW aimed to prove it could build something that looked and felt exotic. Between 1978 and 1981, only 453 examples rolled out — 399 for the road, 54 for racing. Giorgetto Giugiaro handled the design at Italdesign, creating that wedge-shaped profile that still looks futuristic decades later. The execution required Italian craftsmanship for chassis and bodywork, with final assembly happening in Germany under BMW Motorsport’s watch.
Under the rear hatch sits the 3.5-liter M88 straight-six, the same architecture that later powered the E28 M5 and E24 M6. In the M1, it produces 266hp through a ZF five-speed manual, pushing the car past 160 mph. The mid-engine layout was BMW’s first and only attempt at this configuration with an M badge, making the M1 an anomaly in their lineup that’s never been repeated.
Trophy Car With Race Pedigree
Lauda didn’t buy this M1. BMW gave it to him after he clinched the 1979 Procar title, a series that threw F1 drivers into identical M1s for support races across Europe. Despite retiring from three of eight races, Lauda’s wins at Monaco, Silverstone, and Hockenheim secured enough points to beat Hans-Joachim Stuck for the championship.
The car reflects that racing connection. It wears the rare Procar-style front air dam that almost never appeared on road cars, giving it more visual aggression than standard M1s. The white paint carries hand-painted BMW Motorsport tri-color stripes done by Walter Maurer, who also signed this vehicle as an official BMW Art Car. The blue leather interior includes air conditioning, power windows, and a period-correct Becker Europa stereo.
With just 20,350km (~12,644 miles) showing, the car has avoided the hardest miles while maintaining its originality. After being imported to the United States in 1987, it appeared at the 2017 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance in California, confirming collectors have treated it as a sort of museum piece.
Spec Sheet
Model: 1980 BMW M1
Engine: 3.5L M88 inline-six
Power: 266 hp, 243 lb-ft torque
Transmission: ZF 5-speed manual
Top Speed: 165 mph
Production: 1 of 399 road cars
Mileage: 12,644 miles
Special Features: Procar-style front air dam, hand-painted Motorsport stripes signed by Walter Maurer, white 16-inch Campagnolo staggered wheels, rear louvers
Pricing & Availability
Mecum estimates the M1 will fetch between $625,000 and $675,000 when it crosses the block at Kissimmee 2026 on January 17. Recent M1 sales have hovered in the $450,000-$550,000 range, but the Lauda provenance, Art Car status, and exceptionally low mileage could push this one considerably higher.
Recap
Niki Lauda BMW M1 Auction
Niki Lauda’s 1980 BMW M1 — the actual car BMW gave him for winning the inaugural Procar Championship — is hitting the auction block at Mecum’s Kissimmee sale on January 17th with an estimate of $625,000-$675,000. It’s one of only 399 road cars ever built, features rare Procar-style aero and hand-painted Art Car stripes by Walter Maurer, and has covered just 12,644 miles since Lauda took delivery.
