Some cars are important because of their features. Others are important because who owned them. In rare cases, these two narratives overlap. Today we have a good example: a BMW M1 owned by a rock star. The BMW M1 is arguably a cornerstone of the BMW and M brands. As the first true M vehicle, it casts an almost inescapable shadow on every car that followed it. Roger Waters is now responsible for some of the most famous Pink Floyd songs ever composed. And it’s his BMW M1 that will be auctioned at RM Sotheby’s in just under 30 days.
BMW M1: A short new introduction
The BMW M1 occupies a unique place in history, as it was both the brand’s first true mid-engine supercar and established the emergence of BMW M as a standalone performance division. The M1 was conceived in the late 1970s and was originally intended as a special homologation model to compete with Porsche in international motorsport. Complications with Lamborghini, who were originally in charge of the development, forced BMW to take control and assemble a consortium of Italian specialists to complete the project. The result was a striking wedge-shaped coupe designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro with a fiberglass body over a tubular steel spaceframe. Power came from the 3.5-liter inline-six M88, which produced around 275 hp in road conditions. That was an impressive number for the time. With a speed of 165 miles per hour, the M1 was arguably the original ultimate driving machine.
Aside from its impressive period specs, the M1’s legacy will be defined more by its influence than its sales success. Only 399 road-going examples were built between 1978 and 1981, ensuring its rarity but limiting its commercial impact. On the racetrack, BMW launched the innovative Procar Championship to showcase the M1, with Formula 1 drivers competing in identical machines on Grand Prix weekends. This series raised the profile of the vehicle and gave a taste of the future of the brand. More importantly, the M1 laid the philosophical foundation for every M car that followed: motorsport-derived engineering, understated aggressiveness and a focus on balance.
Roger Waters BMW M1: What you should know
The BMW M1 in question – chassis 4301211 – is finished in blue. Even if the car wasn’t owned by a royal musician, it would fetch a huge premium simply because of its paint job. Only 59 cars were painted blue; far rarer than the 163 white or 98 orange cars. According to the documents that came with the car, Roger Waters picked up his 1980 BMW M1 in Germany sometime in 1979 before importing the M1 to the UK in April 1980. Waters then owned the vehicle for 42 years – retaining papers and documentation along the way. Apparently he even kept the car’s original German delivery license plate. Over time, the car underwent a major mechanical overhaul upon its arrival in the United States in 2021, bringing a total value of nearly $30,000. The M1 now shows around 15,600 kilometers (around 9,700 miles).
In case you don’t know, Waters is a founding member of Pink Floyd. He started on bass but eventually became the main vocalist and songwriter. Albums like The wall, Wish you were here, And Dark side of the moon were all products of the Pink Floyd-led Waters era. Thematic albums were something of a pattern for Waters – and arguably contributed to the band’s enormous cross-generational success. RM expects the M1 to sell for $550,000 to $650,000, and believe it or not, that could be a conservative estimate. Higher mileage examples sold for over $650,000. It depends on whether the buyer appreciates the provenance and rarity or not; After all, the BMW M1 that everyone remembers is probably orange or white. The car will be sold at RM’s Arizona auction in January.
Source: RM Sotheby’s 1980 BMW M1
