On the earth of automobile fanatics, a uncommon gem emerged on Mecum.com, stirring the hearts of collectors and velocity lovers alike. A 2011 BMW 1 Collection M Coupe, a automobile I personal as properly, was listed on the market. What made this sale extraordinary was not simply the automobile’s prestigious lineage however its remarkably low mileage – a mere 176 miles. The Valencia Orange magnificence, belonging to none aside from famend automobile collector and Rolls-Royce aficionado, Michael Fux, was about to make headlines.

The Collector’s Delight

Michael Fux, a reputation synonymous with an beautiful assortment of vehicles, had at all times had an eye fixed for the distinctive and the distinctive, together with a one-off BMW 1M in Austin Yellow. His assortment, identified for housing a number of the most enviable automobiles on this planet, now had a emptiness. The BMW 1M Coupe, a uncommon discover within the U.S. with solely 750 items produced, was greater than only a automobile; it was an emblem of BMW excellence.

The BMW 1M Coupe, identified internally because the Pirate, was primarily a skunkworks venture inside BMW M. Based mostly on the E82 1 Collection, it deviates from the everyday M automobile formulation, developed by a small crew of engineers pushed to create a pure driving machine paying homage to the legendary E30 M3. The 1M Coupe included components from different M fashions, such because the N54 engine from commonplace BMWs, the brakes, and differential from the M3. These modifications led to a compact, agile automobile with a muscular physique package, delivering 335 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque, with an Overboost operate boosting it to 370 lb-ft of torque. It additionally include a single transmission alternative: a 6-speed guide.

A Collector’s Dilemma

Whereas automobiles just like the BMW 1M are constructed to be pushed, to really feel the asphalt below their wheels, this specific instance had spent its life in a special form of limelight. Preserved in pristine situation, it was a chunk of automotive historical past, a murals that begged the query – ought to it’s pushed or preserved? Collectors and fanatics debated, however the attract of its near-perfect state held a attraction that was laborious to withstand.

Initially, BMW deliberate to provide solely 2,700 items of the 1M Coupe, however as a consequence of overwhelming demand, manufacturing was elevated to six,309 items. The automobile grew to become a collector’s merchandise nearly instantly, with its worth skyrocketing to greater than double its authentic worth in public sale So being a automobile of such caliber and rarity is a once-in-a-lifetime alternative, this BMW 1M was rapidly offered for apparently a staggering $123,000!

[Source: Mecum]