If you had to pick the most challenging era of sports cars development, it would have to be the late 1970s. Automobile manufacturing was struggling for new directions, fuel consumption and regulations robbed cars of horsepower, and build quality was among the worst seen worldwide. The level of malaise was so high, the era would come to be defined by the very word “Malaise”. So, it’s all the more remarkable that, at this very time, two unlikely partners, Bavarians and Italians, would conceive of one of the most exciting and rare mid-engine Supercars: the BMW M1.
Originally conceived as a premier vehicle to showcase BMW engineering, the “M” (Motorsports) series would launch to public consumers what would become its own sub-brand of performance offerings. The initial design began with a Paul Bracq penned concept car debuting in 1972. The wildly painted mid-engine turbocharged 4 cylinder was impressive, advanced, and an exciting car, complete with dramatic gullwing doors (before the Bricklin or Delorean).
As exciting as this concept was, it was deemed a bit too extreme for even low volume production. Production consideration would surprisingly be handed over to Giorgetto Giugiaro and his firm Italdesign. Development was not limited to exterior surface work as the space frame construction was managed by GianpaoloDallara, with the first prototype and hand-built production developed jointly with Lamborghini. By 1978 however, financial challenges for Lamborghini and subsequent bankruptcy meant the project would have to bereassignedtothe Italianfirm Marchese and fiberglass bodies constructed at TIR.Italdesignwould perform finish work, while final BMW components were installed under Stuttgart based BMW affiliate Baur. As you might imagine, this plan was fraught with challenges.
This exhausting logistics nightmare could very well have found a more efficient footing had everything else fallen into place. But as proposed racing plans for Group 4 and possible Group 5 were unable materialize, BMW developed their own last ditch IROC based “Procar” series specifically for the M1. Deemed somewhat successful from a marketing perspective, the performance was less than desirable. Although the mid-engines were outfitted with dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, one throttle body per cylinder, tubular headers, and dry sump lubrication, and it proved to be among the most powerful naturally aspirated six-cylinder engine available at the time, racing did not prove to be a fruitful venue.Though a substantial commercial and motorsports distraction, the M1 was, at least on paper, a success. 0-60 times of 5.4 seconds, world class handling, and dynamic design signaled to the world that BMW could builda sportscar at the Supercar level. When production halted at the end of 1980, just 453 examples had been built, 399 of which were sold for road use. Today the M1 still stands as a landmark sportscar, built under the worst possible conditions but executed to the highest standards of the era.
Though initially based on the overall themes established in the Paul Bracq design, the M1 departed significantly from the original concept to establish a more refined and balanced package – one suitable for production volume but still retaining important visual themes of the initial Bracq design. The M1 was, like many of the designs from Giugiaro in the mid to late 1970s, still refining the “Folded Paper” aesthetic that had elevated Italdesign to one of the premier design houses of the period. The carefully balanced three box platform evenly spaces front, mid, and rear sections with a slight bias to the space forward of the rear axle, favoring the mid-engine layout. With the rear fender line raised up to form a blended surface into the sail panel, Giugiaro cleverly distracts our eye from this mass with rectangular trailing engine compartment vents. This feature further elongates the design and thins-down the rear visual mass, even more so in lighter colors. The side profile mass is further reduced with black rocker panels and a mid-body cut line running the perimeter of the fiberglass body. Even the front of the car discretely conceals the BMW twin grille rendered in body color. The popup headlights and recessed lighting further convey a quiet, coiled up urgency to the potential of these impressive cars.
Clever use of black venting and accent treatments were key to establishing the powerful stance and visual strength of the overall design. The M1 appearance in fact is so effective that almost no one, even experienced historians of automobile design, can conceive of it having been penned by Italians. The wheel openings, integrated bumper facias, and complete lack of chrome trim all contribute to a very refined emergent European aesthetic that would eventually dominate cars built during the 1980s. Even the interior, conveys a sense of BMW heritage, not just with parts bin familiarity and cost-conscious frugality but in layout and driver position. The M1 feels, very Teutonic, has a very refined three-piece suit presentation, and conveys a great deal of performance power without bristling like a Maserati or Ferrari. Of course, these were also fitted with race trim, luridly wide rear fenders, deeply set air dams, massive rear wings,and cosmic paint schemes during the era when they were first raced,but the underlying design remains as a remarkably subdued expression of elegance and simplicity that holds up well even under modern design scrutiny.
After nearly 50 years since inception, the M1 is today consideredthe grandfather of all M series cars, the progenitor of all legendary BMW Motorsport offerings that owes their existence to this premier supercar. Steeped in a risky, tumultuous history that could only dream of building the massive market dominance BMW now enjoys, the M1 remains one of the most fascinating pieces of performance history captured in a design that remains fresh and relevant today.
