The most bizarre BMW M1 in the world is for sale

This is no ordinary BMW M1, that much should be clear. For a start, it’s filthy. It’s spent quite a bit of time languishing its gifts away in a shed.

And boy, does it have some gifts. Sure, it started out in life as a regular, really nice BMW M1 with a really nice straight-six engine in 1979. A chap named Harald Ertl bought it in 1981, and immediately began the process of making it more powerful.

In collaboration with BP and their (then) new Autogas, Ertl converted the M1 to run on LPG, and whacked on a pair of KKK turbos to that sixer. So instead of making under 300bhp, it now made over 400bhp.

The nose of the M1 was dropped, and Ertl added an air dam. Smaller wing mirrors were fitted. It got a new rear-wing assembly, too. Later in 1981, Ertl took the car to a (then) record-breaking 186mph.

So far, so good. Unfortunately, it fell into neglect after this high note, changing hands, being resprayed and painted back again, and ultimately laying dormant for years. Hence the car’s current, erm, ‘patina’.

Coys – who are auctioning the rare M1 in its Techno-Classica sale in Essen this weekend – reckon it’ll likely sell for between £125k and £150k, but could potentially go for as much as £250,000. A quarter of a million for an unused, unloved and record-breaking turbocharged M1… would ya?

While you percolate your thoughts, here's a little more on this special Beemer.