Item No.: 20030814 BMW
M1 … in factory livery
No, this isn’t just a smaller version of the well-known 1:24 scale livery—it’s a “slightly” different car, since 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 each Friday’s practice session 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. Nikki 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 Lafitte, and Clay Regazzoni, have also raced on the tracks in the Martini colors of the factory BMW.
In my personal opinion, the 1:32 scale model is very well proportioned.
The front and rear lights, as well as the brake light, are well-designed and illuminate quite realistically. The paintwork and decals are flawless, clean, and rich in detail.
The axles run smoothly and quietly, as do the transmission and motor.
There’s very little room for trim weights in the chassis. The deep-drawn rear section is in two parts; one part is glued to the chassis.
On the track, the M1 is a lot of fun—it handles quickly and safely. The wheels are quite small, and the tires have very little tread for drifting… but in my opinion, that isn’t really necessary anyway.
We can look forward to the next versions and then race in 1:32-scale Procar races.
See you later,
joergW
