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An immaculate and rare BMW M1 AHG Studie once owned by actor Paul Walker from the Fast & Furious movie franchise is one of only 10 examples.
A rare 1980 BMW M1 AHG Studie sports-car once owned by the late movie star Paul Walker – who shot to fame in the Fast and Furious movie franchise – has sold for $US648,500 ($AU948,064) at an auction in Florida.
The rare example of BMW’s hand-built homologation special has only 6821km on the clock and last sold in early 2021 for $US500,000 ($AU731,245).
The latest sale means the car gained $AU216,819 in value in less than two years.
Mr Walker, the star of the popular Fast and Furious movie franchise, and his friend, Roger Rodas, purchased the car for their extensive shared collection in 2011. The pair jointly owned the BMW M1 until their deaths in a car crash in 2013.
As the German marque’s sole supercar, the M1 is often regarded as one of “the rarest models BMW has ever built” with roughly 400 road-going models ever made.
This particular example, however, is even more scarce – believed to be one of only 10 in existence.
Called the M1 AHG Studie, it was fitted with a limited-run modification package created by German BMW dealer AHG.
The ‘AHG Studie’ option package was designed as a tribute to the M1 race cars used in the popular – albeit short-lived – Procar BMW M1 Championship series that ran from 1979-1980.
As part of extensive internal and external changes, the M1’s 3.5-litre, six-cylinder ‘M88’ engine was uprated, raising its peak power output from 277hp (206kW) to 350hp (260kW).
Adjustable racing suspension, a racing clutch and a new exhaust system also amped up the car’s performance credentials.
Aesthetic tweaks included Procar-inspired bodywork like front and rear spoilers, flared wheel arches, three-piece BBS wheels and a unique tri-colour livery custom-painted to the customer’s preferences.
In the interior, leather seats replaced the original fabric upholstery and additional speakers were added to the soundsystem.
The model-year 1980 M1, which was first delivered to a BMW dealer in Germany in August 1979, has had at least six previous owners.
It was purchased by an unknown buyer on December 10, 2022, at an auction conducted by the Miami arm of RM Sotheby’s.
Susannah’s background is news journalism, followed by several years spent in celebrity journalism, entertainment journalism and fashion magazines and a brief stint hosting a travel TV show for Channel Ten. She joined Drive in 2020 after spending a year and a half at the helm of Harper’s BAZAAR and ELLE’s online platforms.
Susannah holds a Bachelor in Media and Communications from the University of Melbourne and cut her teeth as an intern for Time Inc in New York City. She has also completed a television presenting course with the National Institute of Dramatic Art. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and her one-year-old son who, despite her best efforts, does not yet enjoy a good road trip.
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