A 1980 BMW M1 owned by three-time Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda is heading for auction in January as part of Mecum’s 2026 Kissimmee sale.
Designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro, the M1 remains BMW’s only true mid‑engined supercar and was the first model to wear M badges.
This particular car was given to Lauda after the Austrian won the 1979 BMW M1 Procar race series, which ran concurrently with that year’s European F1 season. It was the first of 399 M1 road cars built, while another 54 were constructed for competition purposes.
Beneath Giugiaro’s iconic wedgy styling sits a 3.5-litre inline-six cylinder engine that sends 266bhp to the rear wheels via a ZF five-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. This translated to impressive performance figures for the era; 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 163mph.
Adding to the car’s provenance is its striking BMW Motorsport livery, hand-painted by artist Walter Maurer, who painted several M1 Procars between 1980 and 1982 as part of BMW’s Art Car programme.
Lauda’s M1 is said to have covered 20,350km during its lifetime and was curated for the US’ Hillsborough Concours back in 2017. It’s expected to fetch between $625,000 and $675,000 when it crosses the block on 17 January 2026.
View the listing here.
