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What if you took two companies that had contrasting, unique strengths with cars and put them together to build a car emphasizing both of their traits? Well, that’s exactly what happened in the 1970s when BMW and Lamborghini got together to build a legendary car – the BMW M1.

The BMW M1 was a car built in a soap opera environment of sorts. The problem wasn’t BMW, but Lamborghini. BMW had retained the Italian exotic sports car company to design the M1. Alas, Lamborghini was having major financial problems at the time and ended up going bankrupt half way through the project. BMW was thus forced to take the car back and complete the project on its own.

These odd circumstances led to an odd car. The first M1s look more or less exactly like you might think they would if Lamborghini did half the work and then handed the car off to BMW and did not consult on the rest of the project. The car has some of the swooping designs you see with all Lamborghinis, but also some of the typical lines you see in BMW. Put together, the car looks something like…a DeLorean. To some, this is a beautiful design. To others, it is not.

The BMW M1 was sold to the public for only three years – 1978-81. The sales for this period totaled 456 cars, the smallest production line in the history of BMW. Oddly, the base engine was a 6 cylinder, with twin cams and produced a top speed in the 160 miles per hour range. Other BMW models were later given the M1 version, but they were just upgrades of the respective base production cars and not real M1s.

It must be said that the powers at BMW really liked the M1. They actually started a PRO M1 racing series that restricted teams to using just the M1 car. The series became a launching pad for Formula One drivers. The iconic Ferrari driver Niki Lauda won two PRO M1 championships and future F1 Champ Nelson Piquet won one. BMW still supports the series today although M1s long ago were phased out in exchange for 3 series cars.

Why write about a car nearly 30 years old? Well, BMW is considering updating the car and releasing a modern version. It is called the M1 Homage Concept. The car has only been seen once, but it just looks brutally wicked in a good way. The current economic environment has stopped BMW and other companies from pursuing such projects, but expect the car to get some attention when the economic situation improves. I honestly don’t care for the original M1 design, but the Homage Concept looks like an absolutely beautiful and aggressive car design worth every penny of what will certainly be a very high price.

When the word Lamborghini is said, it brings to mind an exotic, sleek Italian super-fast racing machine. They are extortionately expensive, both to buy and to run, and most people have only had a glimpse of one through media outlets. This car is definitely a status symbol and only the elite can afford to buy and maintain one. Given all that, people are still fascinated by this dream machine and while they cannot afford to own or even drive one, seeing a Lamborghini driving by is poetry in motion.

Your vehicle may not be an expensive Italian import but it is your pride and joy. To keep your vehicle, no matter what it is, in mint condition you should always protect it with a car cover when not in use. Custom car covers are designed to fit your exact model of vehicle and conforms to the body to protect the exterior.

When Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to start building cars he already had two factories. One of them produced air conditioners and the other tractors. He wanted to take on Ferraris cars because he felt they were too noisy and plain looking. He envisioned a car that was powerful and fast with a luxurious interior to appeal to the elite who had money to spend and were concerned about looks and luxury.

In 1963, his first dream car, the 350 GTV, was introduced at the Turin Auto Show. In 1966, the Lamborghini Miura was produced. 1968 was when he produced the Lamborghini Espada 400 GT and it was a major hit over the next ten years. The wealthy playboys in the 1960s preferred the brightly colored Lamborghini Miura and they could be found parked in major international airports and hotel resorts around the wealthy parts of the world frequented by the jet set.

The 1970s were a dark period for the Lamborghini Company. The company was suffering, just like all the other automakers, with the oil and economic crisis of the 1970s. Ferruccio sold most of his holding to Georges Henri Rossetti, a wealthy Swiss car enthusiast. The company continued, but without its founder it lost some of its direction and creativity.

The company went downhill from there until it was sold to Patrick and Jean Claude Mimran in 1980. The company than went on to be owned by Chrysler until in 1998, Audi stepped in and bought the company. It introduced the Murcielago and the car dubbed the baby Lamborghini,the Gallardo.

Recently the company has introduced the Lamborghini Reventon that is based on the Murcielago sports car. Its design was inspired by the F22 Raptor fighter jet. It is an open top car that has an aggressive wedge shape. The interior of exclusive vehicle reminds you of a modern plane cockpit.

It has a V12 engine that can go from zero to sixty two miles per hour in 3.4 seconds. It has a top speed of 205 mph. The Reventon is available in only one color and that was specially created for this powerful car.

You may never own a Lamborghini, but you can always dream about having one. Any car is a major investment and you want to do everything you can to keep it in good running condition and looking sharp. By washing it often and using a car cover when not in use, you will have a car that you are proud to be seen in for years to come.