To challenge the all-conquering Porsche 911 of the late seventies, Jochen Neerpasch, then head of BMW Motorsport, called for an all-new track-focused machine. Lacking the capacity to produce the 400 examples required to meet homologation rules, the German automaker approached mid-engine expert Lamborghini. Miura mastermind Gian Paolo Dallara reportedly helped develop a tubular steel space-frame chassis, but with economic headwinds challenging the ailing Italian firm, BMW took its M1 project in-house in April 1978.

Despite the schism, the project remained a multinational effort with the car’s fiberglass body penned by the talented Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign and manufactured by TIR in Reggio Emilia, Italy, while Marchesi of Modena assembled the chassis before Italdesign unified the two in Turin. From there, the nearly completed M1s were shipped to Germany where Baur would install the Paul Rosche-designed, hand-built M88/1 3.5-liter screaming inline-six engine.

These efforts birthed BMW’s one and only supercar, and the first model to wear the company’s vaunted “M” moniker. Built from 1978 to 1981, just 56 race-prepped M1s would fulfill BMW Munich’s motorsport ambitions. The remaining 399 examples in roadgoing trim were built to homologate the model for competition.

This BMW M1 was delivered new to Pink Floyd founding member Roger Waters following the release of the band’s iconic 1979 album, The Wall. According to the original BMW Motorsport invoice on file made out to George Roger Waters, this example was completed in March of 1979 and finished in the desirable shade of Blau (Code 207). Waters traveled to Germany to take delivery before importing the M1 to the United Kingdom in April of 1980.

Retaining the car for 42 years, Waters compiled substantial documentation, including past MOT inspections, registration paperwork, the original German-delivery plate, and original purchasing invoices. From 2006 to 2020, Meridien Modena of Lyndhurst, United Kingdom, maintained the vehicle and performed oil changes, replaced tires, and conducted MOT tests.

In 2021, the BMW was imported to the United States prior to being privately sold to its second owner, a noted watch and car collector. Soon after the acquisition, R&R Automotive Restorations of Mount Kisco, New York, replaced the fluids, rebuilt the shocks and brakes, and replaced suspension bushings, hoses, and the clutch slave cylinder, among other work, which cost over $30,000. With roughly 10,000 kilometers (~6,214 miles) logged on the odometer at the time, great effort was taken to preserve originality while ensuring proper function of the various mechanical systems. Following the mechanical overhaul, Turn 7 Auto Care of White Plains, New York, performed comprehensive interior and exterior detail work prior to the car’s showing at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in 2022, where it won the prestigious 50th Anniversary of BMW M Division Class.

Now showing with roughly 15,600 kilometers on the odometer and benefiting from another round of professional detailing in March 2025, the quality of this BMW M1 remains undeniable. Thanks to diligent, well-recorded upkeep from its world-famous long-term owner, this 1970s wonder persists as one of the finest examples of the breed.