Actor Paul Walker (1973-2013), primarily known for his role in the setting of the movie series “Fast and the Furious.” But it wasn’t just a role for the American. In real life, too, Walker was a car-loving horsepower freak. On November 30, 2013, he had a fatal accident with his friend and racing driver Roger Rodas. Before that, they ran the AE Performance workshop in Valencia (USA).
At the time of the accident nine years ago, this workshop had a particularly rare BMW: the M1 AHG study. Even a regular M1 is rare as BMW’s first pure M model and first mid-engined sports car (and the only car other than the i8). The Munich-based company produced only 453 units between 1978 and 1981. Of these, 399 were legal on the streets, while the rest were used in racing.
Why is the car so rare?
As part of a study, BMW dealer AHG modified M1s one by one. The racing clutch and changes to the engine and exhaust system boosted the M1 from 277 to 350 hp (203 to 257 kW). Peter Gartemann, AHG’s general manager at the time, planned about ten tracks, a small series of the small series, so to speak. It is unknown how many copies actually set off with this setting. As if the M1 AHG work with chassis number 090 wasn’t rare enough, Paul Walker also has a famous former owner who appreciates the car.
The history of this M1
Despite the M1’s only 6821 kilometers per hour, it is a true navigator. In 1979 AHG delivered the sample to BMW Schneider in Bielefeld (Germany). It was later exported to the US and owned by various private collectors – until 2011 when AE Performance M1 bought it from Paul Walker and Roger Rodas. A year after the crash between the two, the M1 was sold in 2021 without going to a collector calling himself “muc.collector” on Instagram.
According to the German trade magazine “Auto Motor und Sport” this is a German car collector from Munich. The car number in the post shows the BMW returning to its Munich home. However, RM Sotheby’s, the auction house that has put the M1 AHG work up for auction this weekend, writes from a California-based seller. Since the auction was held in Miami (USA), BMW may not have ever left the US.
a bargain
Anyone bidding at the RM Sothebys auction in Miami on Saturday, December 10, 2022 can find a bargain. The M1 is in good condition and all maintenance is documented. The auction house expects a price of around 450,000 to 550,000 francs for Paul Walker’s old BMW. In 2014, Sotheby’s still expected 600,000 to 800,000 francs for this M1 – without success. It’s actually a fair price, because according to MotorGT and ClassicDigest, both models have appeared in the last three years for around 870,000 and 930,000 francs – and without Paul Walker as the previous owner. Saturday will show whether Sotheby’s accounts are too cautious.