✦ Shifty Estimate
$531,000
- 12 months median
- $508K
- Market cap
- $240.5M · 453 built
- Sales, 12 months
- 2
- Original MSRP
- $100,000 · ▲ 431% since
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1978 BMW M1
1978 to 1981 · Coupe · Limited edition · 453 built
Price history
Recent sales
More sales on file
The full sale history lives in the app.
Every sale for this exact market, with the chassis behind each number. Drop your email and you are first in.
Specifications
- Engine
- Naturally Aspirated I6, 3.5L
- Power
- 277 hp
- Torque
- 239 lb-ft
- 0 to 60
- 5.6s
- Top speed
- 162 mph
- Transmission
- Manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD
- Curb weight
- 3,010 lb
- Production
- 453 units
- Original MSRP
- $100,000
- Designer
- Giorgetto Giugiaro
Common questions
How much does a BMW M1 cost?
A 1978 BMW M1 cost $100,000 new. Over the past 12 months, 2 have sold publicly at a median of $507,500. The Shifty Estimate for a well-kept example is $531,000. Cars have changed hands anywhere from $451,350 to $610,650, depending on mileage, color, and history.
What is a 1978 BMW M1 worth today?
The Shifty Estimate is $531,000. We rate confidence medium: 2 public sales in a year is a thin market, and the spread between them is wide.
Is a BMW M1 a good investment?
It has appreciated 431% against its $100,000 list price. Only 453 were built. The caution is spread, not direction: across the sales we have on file, prices ran from $1 to $651,000, and mileage explains most of that.
What has a BMW M1 sold for at auction?
The 3 most recent public sales we have on file:
- $472,500Mar 5, 2026
- $542,500Mar 1, 2026Pearlescent white · 17,000 mi
- $580,000Sep 5, 2024Black · 49,000 mi
BMW's only supercar remains one of the most coveted German exotics ever built. Born from homologation requirements for Group 5 racing, the M1 paired Giugiaro's stunning wedge design with BMW Motorsport's naturally aspirated 3.5-liter straight-six producing 277 hp. With just 453 examples built between 1978-1981, each hand-assembled in Munich, the M1 represents the pinnacle of 1970s automotive ambition. The mid-engine layout and lightweight construction delivered genuine supercar performance, hitting 162 mph and reaching 60 in 5.6 seconds. Today, the M1 commands seven-figure prices, with pristine examples exceeding $500,000. Its rarity, racing pedigree, and status as BMW's lone mid-engine production car make it the ultimate prize for serious collectors.