BMW M1 Procar, 1980
BMW M1
BMW M1•
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Estimate: €900,000 - €1,200,000
- Competition vehicle
- Unregistered
- Excellent quality restoration, beautiful Procar preparation in period
- Important previous IMSA racing track record
- Always finished in the top 10 at the Tour Auto
- Ideal for Le Mans Classic and the Tour Auto
- FIA Historic Technical Passport (HTP) valid for 10 years
- Reliable, powerful and rare
As a model launched in 1978 which could not compete in the World Sports Car Championship due to a change in regulations, Jochen Neerpasch (Director of the BMW Motorsport department) developed the Procar Championship in order for BMW M1 to race. There were two editions in 1979 and 1980, in races which took place as openers to Formula 1 Grand Prix racing events: single-seater drivers were allocated a drive in the M1 according to their time in practice, resulting in spectacular racing clashes.. BMW turned the page in 1981 to concentrate on its Formula 1 engines, but the M1 Procar machines continued their career in the United States in the IMSA championship.
That’s how this particular car was born: a road model originally sold new in Italy and delivered in orange, this M1 was modified in 1982 to Procar specifications by Walker Brown Racing Team and competed in the American championship between 1983 and 1986, in the GTO category. After four races in 1983, the car took part in its most intense season in 1984 with 13 events including the 12 Hours of Sebring. It also competed in four more races in 1985, then in 1986 at the 24 Hours of Daytona in the hands of another team, Dallas Motorsport. It had a livery in white, then black and red consecutively but always had the number 43 on its doors.
Sold in 1986 to Franco Sbarro in Switzerland, it underwent a full restoration in 2005 which enabled it to take part in the Le Mans Classic and Patrick Peter’s CER. It was then purchased by its previous owner, a businessman passionate about motorsport who carried out a full restoration. The latter was completed in 2019 for a total cost of around €150,000, with the car back to its traditional Procar livery based on the BMW Motorsport’s white, blue and red colours. Once the restoration was concluded, the owner entered the Tour Auto five times in a row (from 2019 to 2023), in the motorsport category and systematically finishing in the top 10 and even second in 2023 in timed events.
In his own words, “the car is powerful and above all, incredibly reliable”. During this event, it was always welcomed as a star on the road and hailed by the public. In 2024, the current owner acquired it at the Artcurial sale held during Rétromobile, intending to compete in the Tour Auto, but ultimately gave up due to lack of time. It has road settings which can be easily modified for the track and the car is today in very good condition thanks to its restoration which has hardly aged. It will be delivered with an additional set of four wheels, and its Historic Technical Passport (HTP) is up to date and has just been renewed for another 10 years.
In addition to its outstanding road manners and its mid-mounted 3.5-litre straight-six engine, the BMW M1 Procar is a rare and formidable machine, equally at home on the road and the racetrack. Perfectly suited to events such as the Tour Auto, Le Mans Classic and Peter Auto’s CER series, the M1 offered here benefits from an impressive Group 4 specification and is ready to continue its career in historic competition, where it is sure to remain among the front-runners. Photos © Brice Daraut
