Niki Lauda’s Special BMW M1 is Hitting The Auction Block

A special car from a special racing series

In 1978, BMW introduced the M1, a supercar often regarded as the origin story of the brand’s M-series cars. However, unlike the M2s, M3s, M4s, M5s, and other miscellaneous M-sport cars pushed by today’s BMW dealers, just 456 road-going M1s were ever built and sold to customers as homologation specials.

Originally, BMW developed the mid-engined M1 supercar as a means to compete in the Group 4 and Group 5 categories of sports car racing. However, when homologation rule changes threatened to derail these plans, BMW Motorsport chief Jochen Neerpasch came up with a show that became one of motorsport’s most memorable spectacles. The result was the BMW M1 Procar series, a single-make championship featuring identical M1 race cars driven by Formula 1 stars competing directly against drivers from the World Sportscar Championship, European Touring Car Championship, and other international series. 

These races served as support events during European F1 Grand Prix weekends in 1979 and 1980, bringing massive exposure and star power to the otherwise niche series. This kind of exposure, in essence, killed two birds with one stone: it showcased BMW’s new supercar on a grand stage, while giving BMW time to work out its homologation requirements. 

The most notable part of this series was that Neerpasch got Formula One’s governing body and team principals on board to lend F1’s biggest names. This meant that legends like Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, Alan Jones, and Clay Regazzoni delivered intense wheel-to-wheel action before the stars went on to tear up the racetrack in their F1 cars on race weekends.

The champion’s M1

This special BMW M1, headed to the auction block at Mecum’s Kissimmee auction on January 17, 2026, has an incredible provenance, as it was the “trophy car” awarded to none other than Niki Lauda, the winner of the inaugural BMW M1 Procar Championship in 1979.

Finished in bright white, this BMW features some special Procar-themed touches that inherently reflect the era and the racing series that gave birth to this car. This M1 features hand-painted BMW M tri-color stripes signed by the renowned Walter Maurer, the German artist known for his participation in the BMW Art Car series.

In addition, Lauda’s M1 also sports some Procar-style touches that reflect the very vehicle he took to victory on the streets of Monaco and the curves and corners of Silverstone and Monza, including a special Procar-style front bumper sporting a proper-sized air dam, rear louvers over the rear glass, and a white, staggered set of 16-inch Campagnolo wheels that match the body.

Under the hood is a road-going version of the 3.5L M88/1 inline-six engine developed by BMW Motorsport for this car. It features a Bosch Motronic fuel injection system, individual throttle bodies, and a Magneti-Marelli ignition system. The engine produced a whopping 266 HP and 243 lb-ft of torque, all of which was transmitted through a ZF 5-speed manual transmission, reaching a purported top speed of 165 mph.

Though the supercar is styled as a replica of a true racecar, BMW’s luxurious side sticks out in the M1’s interior. Lauda’s ride features a cabin upholstered entirely in blue leather, as well as a smattering of period-correct luxury features, including power windows, air conditioning, and a Becker Europa stereo.

According to the listing, this M1 was imported to the United States in 1987 and was shown at the 2017 Hillsborough Concours d’Elegance in California. Additionally, it has 20,350 kilometers (~12,650 miles) on the clock and a highly detailed undercarriage.

Final Thoughts

Mecum says the Lauda BMW M1 will cross the auction block on Saturday, January 17th, at the Kissimmee auction and is estimated to fetch between $625,000 and $675,000.

Given this car’s provenance and the incredible backstory behind its existence, this is not only an opportunity to own a relic of a Formula 1 legend but also part of a larger story that cemented a brand beloved by enthusiasts all over the world. After all, Niki had to earn this BMW M1 by showcasing the kind of racing that earned him three world championships in a vehicle different from the F1 machines that cemented his legacy.