Item No.: 20030814
BMW M1 … in factory livery
No, this isn’t just a smaller version of the well-known 1:24 scale livery, but a “slightly” different car, as at least the details and the driver are different.
Actually, Mario Andretti drove the Lotus 79 in Formula 1 during the ’79 season (yes, that’s right… the black John Player Lotus). For him, it was a dramatic but also extremely successful season, which he capped off by winning the world championship title.
Unthinkable today, but back then, the five fastest Formula 1 drivers from the respective Friday practice sessions competed in races with BMW M1s as part of the supporting program. They raced against 19 privateer and sports car drivers, also in BMW M1s… that was the Procar Series. Niki Lauda won the 1979 series; Mario Andretti is not listed in the 1979 Procar championship standings.
Other Formula 1 legends, such as Nelson Piquet, Jacques Laffite, and Clay Regazzoni, have also raced on the circuits in the Martini-liveried BMW works car.
In my personal opinion, the 1:32 scale model is very well proportioned.
The front and rear lights, as well as the brake lights, are well executed and glow quite realistically. The printing and decals are flawless, clean, and rich in detail.
The axles run smoothly and quietly, as does the gearbox and motor.
There is very little room for trim weights in the chassis. The deep-drawn rear section is in two parts, with one part glued to the chassis.
On the track, the M1 is a real blast; it handles quickly and confidently. The wheels are quite small, and the tires have very little tread for drifting… but in my opinion, that’s not necessarily a problem.
We can look forward to the next variants and then race 1:32 Procar cars.
See you later
, joergW
