The pioneering days

BMW Motorsport GmbH was established on 1 May 1972 as the motor-sport department headed by Jochen Neerpasch. Together with two external specialists (racing driver Alexander Freiherr von Falkenhausen and engine designer Paul Rosche), the BMW M1 (E26) was planned as the first major project. However, development took a long time and instead the focus from 1974 was on the creation of sporty conversions of the BMW 5 Series (BMW 533i E12). The cars were diverted directly from the assembly lines in Dingolfing and refinements were handcrafted by the BMW Motorsport department. The BMW M1 came along in 1980 and later additional conversions were carried out within the BMW 5 Series (BMW M535i E12 and E28). The BMW M635 CSi was manufactured from 1984 and marketed in America also as the "BMW M6".