RARE BAVARIAN!

IN THE LATE 1980S, BMW DIPPED ITS TOE IN THE ROADSTER POOL, WITH THE Z1 BEING THE FIRST OF MANY

- DAVE MORLEY

Never let it be said that BMW doesn’t have a sense of adventure. And for proof of that, look no further than its late-'80s effort, badged Z1. As well as being the first of BMW’s now established line of Z roadsters, the Z1 was also remarkable for taking an unconventional approach to building a fun sports car.

The japesters at Munich started with a galvanised steel monocoque structure, from which were hung the plastic exterior panels (the doors and side panels are thermoplastic, the bonnet and boot are GRP). The party trick was the doors that slid down into the wide, high sill that not only gave the car a real talking point, but also offered much better crash protection in the event of a side impact shunt.

The Z1’s other novelty act, was that you could buy a second set of body panels in a different colour, when ordering your roadster and these could be easily changed using hand-tools. The other look-at-this-kids element, was that in some markets where fun hadn’t been banned, you could drive the Z1 with the doors down, turning it in to a big go-kart with leather and air-con.

There was also a flat undertray for aerodynamic efficiency, a roll-hoop built into the windscreen frame, and clever details like a flexible lacquer paint to cope with the plastic body parts flexing. The Z1 was also one of BMW’s earliest designs with the excellent Z-Link, multi-link rear suspension. Power came from a standard 2.5-litre inline six and a five-speed manual, lifted straight from an E30 sedan.