Here’s an auction any collector in the market for something unusual will want to keep their eye on.
A 1990 BMW Z1 roadster with sliding doors will be auctioned off by Artcurial later this week in Paris. If that wasn’t intriguing enough for connoisseurs of odd-ball German autos, the vehicle has also barely been driven since leaving the factory.
Not only was the Z1 the debut Z Series roadster, it was also the first, and up until now only, BMW to come with sliding doors. At some point during the car’s half-decade-long development, someone at the marque had the novel idea of equipping the vehicle with doors that retract vertically into their sills. Was the feature necessary? Absolutely not, but it looked cool There are even regions where it is legal to drive it with the doors down, though it’s unclear why anyone would want to do that. If that wasn’t strange enough, the two-seater also comes with removable plastic body panels.
The 1990 BMW Z1 Roadster came with sliding doors
Artcurial
This roadster’s sleek-for-its-time body is finished in a coat of True Red over a black leather interior. Although designed for having fun in the sun, you’re not limited to driving the Z1 when it’s nice out. This example comes with a removable, color-matching Wiesman hard-top. The part is rare—only 500 Z1s came with it—and it allows you to easily transform the vehicle into a zippy little coupé (the vehicle also comes with the standard black folding fabric top.
BMW only offered one powertrain option during the three model years the Z1 was in production: a 2.5-liter straight-six. The mill was mated to the same five-speed manual, both of which came from the E30-generation 325i, and could generate 168 hp and 164 ft lbs of torque. Combine that amount of pep with a 2,760-pound curb weight and you end up with a roadster that can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds and hit a top speed of 136 mph. This Z1 is also in tip-top shape, having totaled just 65 miles over the past 34 years.
This example also comes with a rare Wiesman hard-top
Artcurial
If your interest is piqued, you’ll want to make your way to Paris for Artcurial’s “Rétromobile 2024” sale, which runs from Friday, Feb. 2, to Saturday, Feb. 3 (the Z1 is scheduled to go up for bid on the first day). Be prepared to spend at least double the car’s original $55,000 sticker price, though. The auction house expects the roadster to fetch between €100,000 and €150,000, or roughly $108,000 and $162,000.
Click here for more photos of the 1990 BMW Z1.
Artcurial
