Inspired by the Paul Bracq-designed radical, gull-winged BMW Turbo concept from 1972, the production M1 made its debut in 1978 at the 64th Paris Motor Show, stunning the public with its low-slung, Italian-wedge design mixed with traditional BMW kidney grilles.

Since then, the M1 (model code E26) is widely celebrated as BMW’s first true supercar and the foundational icon that launched the legendary BMW M Division.
Originally designed to dominate Group 4 racing, a tumultuous development history turned it into one of the rarest, most sought-after, and uniquely international German sports cars ever built.

It almost never happened, however, as BMW's initial partnership with Lamborghini to engineer the chassis and build the car for racing homologation was abandoned when Lamborghini's parlous financial state forced BMW to abruptly cancel the contract and piece together a new, complex supply chain across Italy and Germany.
Legendary Italian stylist, Giorgetto Giugiaro, was responsible for th...