The Z1 is an absolute rarity in the United States, not only because it was not sold there at the time. BMW has only built 8,000 units, so it is a special reason to see one in the metal, no matter where they are. The following video shows a Z1 that was built in 1989, the first year of production for what BMW considered for the spiritual successor for the beautiful 507.
This petite roadster with its vertically sliding doors has an interesting background story. BMW gave it General Electric as a sign of appreciation for the help of the company in the development of the Z1. The story states that the plastic department was supported in the composite resin body of the car. In return, GE received this Z1 and showed him in the Horizon Pavilion in the EPCOT Center for several years.
Finally, it decided to separate himself by car that landed in Colorado before finding a new home in a design studio in Los Angeles a few years ago. The attached videos documents the 1,200 miles long journey of the California car to Colorado in the flinbby convertible sports car, which was developed by the Skunkworks team at BMW Technik.
We will not spoil the details of the trip, but it is worth noting that the two -seater Z1 has played perfectly. After she was unused for years, it had to be refreshed mechanically before it started a journey for so long. Swiss Motors, based in Culver City, set up the original Z car from BMW. It was about changing the 20-year-old tires and rebuilding the alternator, such as a fresh battery and new liquids.
Here is a juicy tidbit that you may not know: GE originally developed the headlights for the Z1. However, BMW pulled out of the deal and decided on a more square design. It left GE with the tool and an unused, curved headlight design. This design was later bought by Dodge and used in the first two generations of the V10 viper.
Video: Life is too short for boring cars / YouTube
