1981 BMW M1 Market Value & Price History
The 1981 BMW M1 has a market value of $585,650, based on 10 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex, with half of the verified USD sales since 2008 between $390,000 and $577,500. No comparable sale since Mar 1, 2024, so this value may not reflect today's market. 1 has sold in the past 12 months.
Data: DriveIndex. 10 verified auction sales for the 1981 BMW M1 (8 in USD, the basis for every dollar figure here), latest sale Feb 5, 2026. Methodology
What members see for the 1981 BMW M1
The value above is the headline. Pro shows you what the market did. Collector tells you what to do about it.
- All 10 sold prices, and where each one sold
- The live Value Signal, and how confident it is
- A 1–5 year value projection
- A Buy / Hold / Sell call
- An alert the moment one lists or sells
- A deal verdict on any listing, from any site: whether the ask is fair, and by how many dollars
- Its value with the exact gearbox and options, wherever sales show the difference
- The best and worst months to buy and sell, and an estimated market-bottom date
- Deal Radar: listings across the market priced under their value, the best 20 at a time
- Search Agent: describe the spec you want and get an email when one lists
- Alerts on 200 cars at once (Pro: 10)
- Rad's Picks: cars for sale hand-picked by Rad, DriveIndex's founder, with an email when one is added
Not ready? A free account shows the current value and recent sale dates.
Pro unlocks this car's Value Signal (appreciating, stable, bottomed, approaching bottom or depreciating) and its 1–5 year projection. Collector adds a deal verdict on any listing: the fair ask, the dollar gap and a deal score.
See the M1's Value Signal with Pro →Recent 1981 BMW M1 Auction Results
| Sold | Price | Mileage | Gearbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2026 | 522,500 EUR | — | Manual |
| May 10, 2024 | 342,500 EUR | — | — |
| Mar 1, 2024 | $742,000 | — | — |
| Nov 18, 2022 | $450,500 | 18,437 mi | — |
| Aug 18, 2022 | $692,500 | 13,312 mi | — |
| Jan 17, 2020 | $368,000 | — | Manual |
| Aug 16, 2019 | $390,000 | 70,000 mi | Manual |
| Aug 24, 2018 | $467,500 | — | Manual |
| Aug 19, 2016 | $577,500 | — | — |
| Jan 18, 2008 | $137,500 | — | — |
Verified results from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.
All BMW M1 auction results →See the full picture on the 1981 BMW M1
Browsing is free. Pro shows you what the market did. Collector tells you what to do about it.
- Full Value Signal™ + confidence: appreciating, stable, or depreciating
- 1–5 year price projections
- Buy / Hold / Sell call per car
- Complete sales & listings feed + up to 10 yrs of history
- Analyst notes & compare up to 4 cars
- Price & custom alerts (make, color, options)
- Garage analytics + benchmarks (the garage itself, and discreet offers, are free)
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- Deal verdicts (a fair ask, the dollar gap and a deal score for any listing, from any site)
- Your exact car’s value (manual vs automatic and options priced in wherever sales show the difference)
- Market Deal Radar (listings priced under their DriveIndex value, the best 20 at a time)
- When to buy (each model’s cheapest and priciest months, and where a falling market should bottom)
- Search Agent (describe the car you want and get an email when one lists)
- 200 alerts (price, signal and custom alerts on 200 cars at once, against Pro’s 10)
- Portfolio Outlook (a hold, watch or review call on every car you own)
- Head-to-Head Verdict (compare ends with a winner and the reasons)
- Watchlist Intelligence (the cars you follow, ranked by which to act on now)
- Rad’s Picks (cars for sale hand-picked by Rad, DriveIndex’s founder, with an email when one is added)
- Market Indexes (marque and segment price indexes no single sale can swing)
- Rad’s Market Update (Rad’s market read and buy targets, sent when the market moves)
BMW M1 by Year
1981 BMW M1: Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a 1981 BMW M1 worth?
A 1981 BMW M1 is worth approximately $585,650, based on 10 verified auction sales tracked by DriveIndex. No comparable sale since Mar 1, 2024, so this value may not reflect today's market. Half of all verified sales fall between $390,000 and $577,500; the full verified range is $137,500 to $742,000. Condition, mileage and options move an individual car within that band.
How much did a 1981 BMW M1 cost new?
The 1981 BMW M1 carried an original MSRP of $100,000. Its DriveIndex market value is $585,650. No comparable sale since Mar 1, 2024, so this value may not reflect today's market.
How much has the 1981 BMW M1 depreciated?
It hasn't depreciated. The 1981 BMW M1 is worth about 486% more than its original MSRP of $100,000, with a DriveIndex market value of $585,650. That compares the DriveIndex value with the sticker price, not adjusted for inflation. No comparable sale since Mar 1, 2024, so this value may not reflect today's market.
How many 1981 BMW M1 sell per year?
1 has sold at auction in the past 12 months. DriveIndex has tracked 10 1981 BMW M1 sales in total.
Are 1981 BMW M1 sale prices higher or lower than a year ago?
There aren't yet enough recent sales to compute a reliable 12-month price direction for the 1981 BMW M1. The full Value Signal classification (appreciating, stable, bottomed, or depreciating) and its 1–5 year projection are part of DriveIndex Pro.
Where can I buy a 1981 BMW M1?
DriveIndex tracks for-sale listings and auction results for the 1981 BMW M1 from the world's leading collector-car auction houses and marketplaces.
More BMW Models
All BMW models →Collections Featuring BMW
Pro unlocks its Value Signal, every sold price, a 1–5 year projection and an alert the moment one lists or sells. Collector adds the best months to buy and sell, where the market bottoms, and a deal verdict on any listing from any site.
Get Pro →