While “Z” badged roadsters feel normal nowadays (even if production is ending) there wasn’t such a thing in the Eighties. Interestingly, BMW didn’t even want to make a little roadster. Instead, it created a small technology subdivision, headed by a man from Porsche, who came up with the idea for what basically became a Bavarian Miata: a small, lightweight, two-seat roadster that was fun to drive. Except he took it a few steps further, most famously with slide-down doors, and created the BMW Z1.
In a recent Hagerty video, Jason Cammisa breaks down the history of the Z1 and it’s even more fascinating than the hilarious, absurd doors make it seem. In the Eighties, BMW realized that its stuffy corporate penny pinchers couldn’t come up with something new and special for enthusiasts on their own, so it created an entirely new company called Technik GmbH and handed the keys to one man: Dr. Ulrich Bez. Before his time at BMW, Bez worked for Porsche and his outside-the-box thinking was exactly what BMW needed. What he came up with was a Miata-sized roadster with doors that slid down into the chassis and plastic body panels that could be replaced to change the car’s color. It was a hilarious idea, far from the very serious cars BMW was already selling, but the board loved it and so it became reality.
The high desert roads of Southern Utah were a true test that proved the handling prowess of the Z1.
The BMW Z1 is easily one of the silliest cars to ever wear a Roundel, but it was also a groundbreaking car in many ways. The innovative rear suspension, for example, was even used on the E36 M3 afterwards. Bez also used several interesting techniques to not only make the chassis extra corrosion resistant, but incredibly stiff. That stiffness not only helped improve overall rigidity with the top down but it also made the Z1 surprisingly safe for a two-seat convertible that could drive doorless like a Wrangler.
Most BMW enthusiasts know of the Z1’s funny doors and plastic body. But if you don’t know its origin story, go watch Hagerty’s video, as you’ll gain a newfound appreciation for the Z1’s history and engineering. It’s easily one of the most fascinating Bimmers of all time.
