[Paul-Bracq-BMW]

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Original article from Carscoops: http://www.carscoops.com/2016/12/hol...nd-hiding.html

What an amazing barnfind of one of the most sought after BMW's, the M1, produced in only 399 road cars from 1978-1981 (and 54 competition cars)! The first M Car is now a classic Supercar and is worth over $400,000. I'm pretty sure that this one with fetch much more at auction as original, low mileage M1's are more than rare (71 were red, like this one)... In fact it could be the holy grail for Classic BMW car collectors.

Very interesting additional information from the M1 Registry: http://www.bmwmregistry.com/model_faq.php?id=20


Holy Barn Find! A BMW M1 Was Hiding In A Garage For 34 Years
DEC 29, 2016 AT 3:01 PM | BY BRAD ANDERSON

German BMW dealer and specialist Mint Classics has discovered an incredible 1981 BMW M1 barn find which has been collecting dust for the last 34 years.

Mint Classics says that the M1 was left to rot in an Italian garage and hasn't been touched since 1982. It is still fitted with the mid-engined supercar's original tires manufactured in 1980 and has just 7,392 km on the clock - that's just 4,593 miles!.

As the images show, the bright red M1 was discovered with miscellaneous bits of rubbish strewn across its once-pristine exterior. It was also covered in a thick layer of dust both inside and out yet still looks to be in quite good condition.

Mint Classics says that it intends on returning the M1 to its original condition and based on the available information, that might not be too difficult. With an expert detail, the exterior and interior could easily be fully restored. Perhaps the more difficult part will be making key components like the engine and transmission run like they did back in 1981.

Although production of the M1 ended 35 years ago, it remains one of the most desirable and sought after cars ever produced by the brand. In total, just 453 units were produced with each of the road car's powered by a twin-cam 3.5-liter six-cylinder petrol engine.

[cwhands]

[buddalun]

Wowza. I need a "barn find" in my life.

[jpnh]

Originally Posted by buddalun

Wowza. I need a "barn find" in my life.

They're out there.

A DB4 turned up not to far from me in Mass recently as well as one of the batmobiles here in NH a little closer to home.

I'd love to hear the story behind how it was just parked and never touched for over 30 years

Thankfully its fared much better than most barn finds

[buddalun]

Originally Posted by jpnh

They're out there.

A DB4 turned up not to far from me in Mass recently as well as one of the batmobiles here in NH a little closer to home.

I'd love to hear the story behind how it was just parked and never touched for over 30 years

Thankfully its fared much better than most barn finds

Do you mean a CSL (batmobile)? That's incredible.

[jpnh]

Originally Posted by buddalun

Do you mean a CSL (batmobile)? That's incredible.

It was the creation of Forrest Robinson, a Batman fan who spent three years customizing a 1956 Oldsmobile 88 with a 324 Rocket engine to resemble the single-fin vehicle depicted in DC's Batman Comics from the 1940s and 1950s. He finished in 1963.
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inRead invented by Teads

Robinson's Batmobile was completed before George Barris began building a Batmobile for the ABC TV series "Batman," which aired for three seasons until 1968. The Barris Batmobile sold at auction in January 2013 for $4.2 million.

The television show's popularity made Robinson's Batmobile such a sensation that a DC Comics licensee leased the car from Robinson and rebranded it Batman's Batmobile for touring, primarily on the East Coast.

Eventually, replicas were made of the TV Batmobile, and Robinson's car was returned. He sold it a few years later.

It did not resurface until 2008 when a man found it rusting in a New Hampshire field, Heritage officials said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-b...0TQ0G320141206

[Beartato]

I want.

[ciaranob]

Amazing - wonder how many of these car's locations are not already known being so few were made!

[burrito007]

a friend of mine used to work at a place that sold (and fixed) classic and exotic cars.

They had a basement where they would store cars for some of their wealthy patrons. There was a white M1 in there. Used to check it out all the time. According to the owners it hadn't been taken out in many years. This was back in the 1999-2002 timeframe not sure what happened to it.

[brainblade]

great find--is the orange peel on hood in second to last photo normal or has it been resprayed?

[M3 Adjuster]

Wow!

[buddalun]

Originally Posted by jpnh

http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-b...0TQ0G320141206

Wow, I was WAY off! That's really cool though, thanks for sharing.

FWIW, some folks call the 3.0CSL the "Batmobile:"

[Falafel Combo]

Piece of junk! Doesn't even have a heated steering wheel or heads up display! Two MUST HAVE options!

[jpnh]

Originally Posted by buddalun

Wow, I was WAY off! That's really cool though, thanks for sharing.

FWIW, some folks call the 3.0CSL the "Batmobile:"

oooooooh

I like your "Batmobile" better than the one in the link I posted

[Kankles]

W..T..F..

[phoenx]

BMW really needs to make this car again!

[Red Bread]

Originally Posted by brainblade

great find--is the orange peel on hood in second to last photo normal or has it been resprayed?

What factory car doesn't have orange peel? Outside of hand sanded Rollers, I've never seen a car without tons of orange peel.

I'd never noticed that M1's had what look like 633 tail lights before.

[MilehighM3]

I wouldn't say it's the best barn find ever, in fact far from it. It is a nice find though. Thanks for sharing

[Yeru]

What puzzles me, is how a person can hang on to this for so long, yet have no idea of its potential market value.

[WestBankM4]

What an amazing find, in a barn untouched for many decades no doubt.

I'm in the healthcare field and was caring for one of my patients when she had mentioned something about her son and a garage full of cars. Didn't think anything of it. Few years later, I finally meet her son and he mentions something about old cars, thinking I wouldn't know anything about them, when he said Datsun, I jumped immediately.

Long story short. He had a time capsule of a garage stuck in the late 70's, early 80's. He had a '72 Datsun 510 and a '71 240Z. All mint, covered in dust. They both had full DatComp suspension, old school Techno Star wheels, Recaro race seats with the square mesh headrests.

I ended up buying the guys Datsun 510, cleaning it up and regretfully selling it 3 years later. It was a 1-owner machine, but man that thing was MINT. All original body panels, not a single ding, all the aluminum trimming was intact with no dents, etc. So much regret, now I must find a M1 in a barn.

[Yeru]

Originally Posted by WestBankM4

What an amazing find, in a barn untouched for many decades no doubt.

I'm in the healthcare field and was caring for one of my patients when she had mentioned something about her son and a garage full of cars. Didn't think anything of it. Few years later, I finally meet her son and he mentions something about old cars, thinking I wouldn't know anything about them, when he said Datsun, I jumped immediately.

Long story short. He had a time capsule of a garage stuck in the late 70's, early 80's. He had a '72 Datsun 510 and a '71 240Z. All mint, covered in dust. They both had full DatComp suspension, old school Techno Star wheels, Recaro race seats with the square mesh headrests.

I ended up buying the guys Datsun 510, cleaning it up and regretfully selling it 3 years later. It was a 1-owner machine, but man that thing was MINT. All original body panels, not a single ding, all the aluminum trimming was intact with no dents, etc. So much regret, now I must find a M1 in a barn.

Did you at least make a decent profit? :-)

[squeaky]

Originally Posted by Falafel Combo

Piece of junk! Doesn't even have a heated steering wheel or heads up display! Two MUST HAVE options!

Wait for the complaints about how much better Mercedes is because this M1 lacks cup holders and has incandescent tail lights. Do we have to wait for the LCI for LED tail lights?!?