With only 8,000 cars ever made, the BMW Z1 is a rare roadster. However, the tiny two-seater with vertically sliding doors can be even more exclusive if it’s painted in a special color. Case in point, RM Sotheby’s will auction off what they believe is one of the only 141 cars to have a Fun Yellow paint. Not only that, but it’s also likely one of just 31 cars with a matching yellow interior.
The original owner of the quirky 1990 BMW Z1 was from Italy and they kept the car until May 2007 when it changed hands while remaining in the country shaped like a high-heeled shoe. It was subsequently sold in May 2012 when it was acquired by someone from Germany. Fast forward to 2023, and it’s once again looking for a new home.
Assembled largely by hand on January 15, 1990, the Fun Yellow Z1 with its plastic body has covered only 17,891 kilometers (11,117 miles) and comes bundled with a car cover as well as the original first aid kit. The future owner will also receive the manuals and the toolkit that came with the car a little over 33 years ago.
As with all the other BMW Z1s, power is provided by an inline-six engine sourced from the 3 Series E30. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter gasoline engine is good for 168 horsepower channeled to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox taken from the same 325i. It was enough muscle for a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in eight seconds before reaching a respectable top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h). While the front suspension was also taken from the E30, the rear consisted of a newly developed multi-link arrangement (Z-Axle) with two transverse control arms and one longitudinal control arm.
Part of The Carrera Collection being auctioned by RM Sotheby’s, the Z1 is being offered without reserve and is expected to fetch anywhere from €50,000 to €70,000. It will go under the hammer on July 12 in Milan, Italy.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
