Coys Auction - Automoto D‘Epoca
Padova Fiera
Padova, Italy
Saturday 24th October 2009
Admission by catalogue only - admits two
Registration Number: EU registered
The first BMW Z1 (Z standing for Zunkuft, German for future) was shown at the 1987 Frankfurt Motor show. Initial demand was so strong that 5,000 orders were placed even before production began. The car developed by BMW Technik GmbH featured a unique door arrangement where the doors instead of opening outward, dropped down into the car’s sills.
The chassis was specially designed for the Z1 and features a number of innovative features: removable body panels, continuously zinc welded seams, a composite undertray, and the unusual dropped doors. Parts of the car (including the engine, gearbox, and front suspension) were borrowed from the BMW E30 325i, but the Z1 remains largely original.
The 6-cylinder 2.5 litre engine was borrowed from the already highly successful BMW E30 325i, and coupled to the fact that the body of the car was