Paul Walker's BMW M1 sells for $500k

This 1980 BMW M1, previously part of the AE Performance collection (Paul Walker and Roger Rodas), and believed to be one of just ten examples modified by German BMW dealer AHG, has sold again, fetching $500,000.

BMW's mid-engine supercar was already a spectacular homologation special that was ultimately little more than a race car for the road. AHG's modifications took it to the next level, massaging another nearly 75 horsepower out of the engine (for a total of approximately 350) and bedecking the car with a unique body kit, a custom paint job and three-piece BBS wheels. 

This particular car (chassis # WBS00000094301090) shows some wear, especially on the inside, but nothing at all alarming. The Bring a Trailer listing notes that it is not eligible for registration in California due to emissions. We suspect the dealer-installed engine modifications may be to blame for that. Extracting that much extra horsepower from an emissions-choked engine of the late 1970s likely meant circumventing some of those controls. 

After looking back at some previous sales and auctions, we had the feeling this one could go for quite a bit of money just based on its celebrity connection. A sampling of 21 two- and four-wheeled vehicles from the personal collection of the late "Fast & Furious" franchise star fetched more than $2.3 million at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale a year ago largely in part due to healthy bidding on Walker's collection of 1995 BMW M3 Lightweights. Desirable as those cars may be, however, Walker's affiliation with them certainly didn't hurt.

AE Performance (owned by Walker and Rodas) owned the car only briefly. Until 2011, it resided in Texas. The seller purchased it from the collection in 2014. 

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