This little BMW Z1 is a futuristic Roadster, featuring many amenities such as vertically retractable doors, a Top Red thermoplastic bodywork, a galvanised chassis, and much more! It comes with its entire book set, original tires and - brace yourselves, ladies and gentlemen - just 402 km!!

When it was first introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1989, the Z1 was the first BMW to be awarded with the Z (‘zufunkt’, future) badge, as it was meant to show the world the emerging automotive technologies BMW was putting into their cars. This Roadster, which was developed by BMW Technik GmbH and produced in barely 8’000 units from ‘89 to ‘91, was sporting an ‘internal skeleton’ method of construction which led to a stiff chassis and incredible roadholding; moulded plastic panels were designed to cover said chassis and to be so easily removable that BMW claimed the entire body could be swapped over within 40 minutes!

Due to the low production volume and limited availability of this specific model, the rarely seen convertible Z1 has gained a reputation among car enthusiasts as a true collectible modern classic. This one’s optionals include a period-correct BMW Bavaria C Exclusiv Business Cassette player and BMW alarm system.

This example is one of just over 3’000 examples to be ordered in Toprot (257) with a black soft top, as well as vertically retractable doors. The front bumper and rear inner fender liners show no sign of age - please remember this car has run barely 400 km in its 33 years of life - but the seller reports a crack just above the edge of the front left wheel-arch, as pictured in the gallery.

The paintwork and exterior trim are shown up close in the photo gallery. The Factory 16-inch seven-spoke alloy wheels are mounted with the original Pirelli P 700-z original tyres, 225/45ZR16 for the front and for the rear. All four-wheel disc brakes appear to be in good shape as well.

Internally, the bolstered seats are made of grey upholstery with patterned inserts resembling the appearance of marble, which are in like-new condition, as the body-colour seat backs. The seller reports the only major signs of tear and wear can be found on the driver seat’s left pad, as reported in the gallery. The three-spoke steering wheel frames instrumentation that includes a 240-Km/h speedometer, a 7k-rpm tachometer and a six- digit odometer, striking the amazing amount of 402km!

The black soft top pictured here has allegedly never been completely folded since the car was purchased.

Mechanically, this BMW hosts the same 2.5-litre inline-six that was shared with the contemporary 325i, which still appears to be in stunningly new condition, as pictured in the gallery. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, which still works as new, the seller states. Given the ultra-low mileage, the seller also reports this car still awaits its first proper service, as it was first purchased in Germany in 1989 and parked indoors ever since.

This BMW Z1 Roadster received new italian registration and plates in 2010 and it’s now offered for auction by its current owner with its stock keys and ownership titles, along with a landmark model which continues to be highly sought after by BMW collectors.