The original Z car is also one of the rarest of the zukunft (German for “future”) series since BMW only made 8,000 units. Now is your chance to own the small sports car with its sliding doors as a low-mileage example made in 1991 is coming up for auction in the United Kingdom courtesy of Cars & Classic. The current seller purchased the car in 2021 from the BMW dealership in La Spezia (Italy), which had owned the pint-sized roadster from day one.
Despite its venerable age, the BMW Z1 has covered only 9,342 kilometers (5,804 miles) and it still has the original Pirelli tires. Using a car with 32-year-old tires is downright dangerous, so let’s just hope that whoever buys this Z1 will spring for new rubber right away. The first car to come from the company’s Technik division was built in Munich and this one is still fully original as it hasn’t been modified in any way. It’s also unrestored, so some of the thermoplastic bodywork has cracks here and there.
The quirky doors still work as advertised while the roof folds correctly. Inside, the funky camouflage-like pattern material used for the upholstery has withstood the test of time. It still has the original radio installed by BMW back in 1991 and it looks like a veritable time capsule inside and out. In case you’re curious about the color, this Z1 has a Traumschwarz (Dream Black) metallic paint.
These Z1s were largely assembled by hand and came with an E30 front suspension while the rear hosted a new multi-link setup (Z-Axle) with two transverse control arms and one longitudinal control arm. Power was provided by the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-six engine used in the 3 Series E30, sending 168 hp and 222 Nm (164 lb-ft) of torque to the rear axle via a five-speed manual gearbox. To accommodate the ultra-low hood line, the M20 sits tilted 20 degrees to the right.
The auction starts tomorrow, October 1, but you can already place a pre-bid. At the moment of writing, there are four pre-bids, with the auction house estimating the Z1 will go for anywhere between £50,000 to £60,000. That works out to $61,000-$73,200 or €57,600-€69,100 at current exchange rates.
Source: Car & Classic
