1980 – BMW M1

The red BMW M1 preserved in the collection represents one of the most significant projects in Giorgetto Giugiaro’s career, both for its design and for the exceptional role his company played in bringing the car to production.

At the beginning of 1975, a programme began to take shape involving BMW, Lamborghini and Giugiaro in the development of a high-performance two-seat sports coupé. Giugiaro was responsible for the design, Lamborghini for the chassis and engineering, and BMW for the powertrain, with the aim of strengthening the Bavarian manufacturer’s sporting image.

The low wedge-shaped profile, pop-up headlights, broad rear section and strongly defined C-pillars gave the car a distinctive identity while preserving the functional requirements of a mid-engined sports car.

Powered by BMW’s 3453 cc six-cylinder engine producing 277 HP, the M1 was originally intended to be manufactured by Lamborghini, which was to build the number of cars required for homologation.

When financial difficulties at the Sant’Agata Bolognese company disrupted the programme, Giugiaro became directly involved in completing the production process. Assembly was transferred to Moncalieri, marking the first and only occasion in which his company went beyond design and development to take a direct role in the production of a series car.

The M1 therefore occupies a unique position in Giugiaro’s history: not only as one of his most recognizable sports car designs, but as the project in which the boundary between designer, developer and manufacturer became exceptionally thin.