One to Buy: ex-BMW Press Fleet 1979 BMW M1
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To promote its highly anticipated M1, the first mid-engined road car in BMW’s history, a fleet of three early examples were retained for promotional use. Of these, just one was finished in Blue, chassis 4301011, which is currently being offered by RM Sotheby’s Private Sales department from its showroom in Burgerveen, the Netherlands.
The eleventh M1 built and one of just 59 units to emerge with Blue paint, chassis 4301011 was dispatched from BMW on October 30th October, finished by the Baur coachworks on December 21st and delivered to BMW’s press department on December 26th. Chassis 4301011 was subsequently road registered on January 5th 1979, after which it wore licence plates MTT 8459 and MAW 3064.
During its time with BMW’s press department, chassis 4301011 starred in a series of promotional photographs and also appeared in the M1 brochure. The car remained in BMW’s possession until 1981, at which point it was sold to a customer from California and Federalised.
Chassis 4301011 remained with this first private owner for a remarkable 32 years. In 2016 the car returned to Germany when its new custodian commissioned BMW specialists Oldenzaal Classic in the Netherlands to carry out an extensive mechanical restoration. This included complete rebuilds of the engine, transmission, differential, water pump, starter motor, alternator and Kugelfischer fuel-injection pump. Additionally work saw new suspension bushings installed, four new Pirelli tyres fitted and an array of interior details made perfect.
Having returned to California with a subsequent custodian, the M1 was then acquired by the consigning owner and shipped back to the Netherlands where it currently resides.
Today, chassis 4301011 is showing a little under 40,000km on the odometer. The car’s press use is verified by an accompanying BMW Classic Certificate as well as by the BMW M1 Club and BMW M1 Registry.
