The M1 was the first major project for BMW's Motorsports division, hence the name "M1". Giorgio Giugiaro of Ital design finalised the styling of the car while much of the engineering work was carried out by Lamborghini. Lamborghini were also due to manufacture the car on the behalf of BMW, but the troubled Italian car maker went broke in the late 1970s and consequently the car was built by German coachbuilder Baur for BMW.
The intention was to race the car in sports car racing against rivals from Ford, Porsche and others, but not enough road going cars were made in time to homologate the M1, so instead BMW raced it in a one make series. In conjunction with FOCA (the Formula One Constructors Association) the Procar series of M1 only races supported the Grand Prix seasons in 1979 and 1980. Each race saw a grid of race prepared M1s driven by a mix of celebrity drivers and the top Formula One drivers of the time. The car this model represents was driven by Brazilian Grand Prix star Nelson Piquet in 1979. Niki Lauda won the Procar series in '79 and Piquet won the second and last Procar series in 1980. He did win one race in this car in 1979, the French GP supporting Procar race at Dijon. The attrition rate in each race was high as there was a substantial cash prize for a race win and of course the pride of the drivers involved was at stake!
In total, 457 road and race M1s were made between 1978 and 1980, and all were left hand drive. The engine was a 3.5 litre straight six producing 277bhp in roadgoing tune (considerably more in race versions), mounted in a mid engined configuration driving the rear wheels. Top speed was 162mph and 0-60mph took 5.4 seconds.
The M1 had a great driving position and was considered a lovely car to drive. The interior was plain but well made, and unlike many of it's Italian contemporary rivals, the heating and ventilation worked well. Today it remains one of the most desirable BMWs ever made and commands high prices on the classic car market.
Minichamps released this version of the M1 back in 2001 and was I believe the first of many versions of racing M1s they have released up to the present time (March 2007). To date a road version has not been released, which is a shame as I would have thought there would be a demand for one (I'd certainly like one!). The BMW Motorsport logo is painted across the car (red, blue and lighter blue!) and it has Piquets name across the top of the windscreen. The engine bay is nicely detailed, and the large race wheels and slick tires look great. The interior is very plain, but this is the case with the real car. One disappointment is that the front bonnet does not open, which would have been a nice touch. The Piquet version was a BMW dealer exclusive and was only available through the parts department of any BMW dealer. Several more versions have also been released, including a super looking BASF liveried car, and a LeMans "Carte de France" version. Additionally I also have the Andy Warhol decorated M1 "Art Car" which is quite superb!!!
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