A slab-sided, mid-engine racing car sits seemingly out of place inside a brightly lit studio surrounded by a selection of Sikkens Autocryl paint, as their vibrant shades slowly drip down the edges of the metal tins. It was a moment in time that was undoubtably steeped in excitement and enthusiasm, a chance for one of the world’s most famous artists, Andy Warhol, to be let loose on BMW’s newest racing machine, the M1 Procar. We’ve likely all seen the result, striking reds and pale blues adorning the M1’s low and purposeful silhouette, but here we present the chance for you to repeat history and follow in the footsteps of Warhol with your very own, blank BMW M1 Procar. Stripes, splats, swirls, or leave it in glorious Alpine White, whatever your vision is, you’ll need to head to Broad Arrow Auctions’ upcoming sale in Monterey Jet Centre on August 13 to get your hands on it! 

The BMW Art Car project began as an idea that married two obsessions, speed and visual provocation. In 1975 BMW invited an artist to “dress” a race car. Alexander Calder accepted the brief and painted a 3.0 CSL; the result was more than a novelty, it announced a new, joyful overlap between contemporary art and motorsport, and many of the art-covered machines that emerged would go on to race at historical events like the Le Mans 24hr. 50 years may have passed, but the admiration for the BMW Art Car project remains stronger than ever.

Following the on-track successes seen by the BMW CSLs during the 1970s, this momentum culminated in the creation of the M1, BMW Motorsport’s first fully independent engineering project. Designed to compete with Porsche in Group 5 racing, the M1 featured a mid-engine layout, a tubular space frame chassis by Gianpaolo Dallara, and a striking wedge design by Giorgetto Giugiaro, which made it as aggressive looking as anything on the road. A total of 453 cars would be made between 1978 and 1981, including road and racing versions, with the Procar being the most visually striking and blisteringly quick even by modern car standards. 

Impossibly rare in any form, this is believed to be the only M1 that is effectively in "new" condition and is one of 54 examples that were built to Procar specification. Built in May of 1979, this M1 was race prepared by Osella in Italy and acquired by one of the most notable names in American racing, Vasek Polak. With the plan to race the car in the Procar series the following year, an FIA rule changes meant that the car became ineligible to race and, as such, was placed into storage. Despite moving to a new owner in 1989, the car essentially remains as a time capsule. Its tuned 3.5-litre inline six-cylinder engine, wound up to some 470 horsepower, has bearly been fired up, and therefore now presents a remarkable opportunity to experience true innovation and masterful engineering in its most original form. The Procar series is undoubtedly among the greatest one-make championships ever devised, and this M1 is surely one of the finest examples in existence. Now, where can we buy some automotive paint?

VIEW CAR