Electric doors! The BMW Z1 Story

[@JarvisBoots1]

I've had my Z1 for about 20 years now, (bought for £17500) and love it! i could never sell it as on sunny days, driving it with the roof and the doors down is a totally amazing experience. 100k+ miles and still going strong. People generally refuse to believe it's 34 years old!!

[@10secondsrule]

Congratulations you are a lucky man. It is an amazing looking car but it looks very odd with the doors down I must say.

[@TheBogdanator]

Neah, no way a BMW still works after all that time. BMW is shit.

[@AMindInOverdrive]

I think the door are so cool. I'd surely have broken them by now, letting them down and up constantly as I drive along LOL

[@huleyn135]

@@TheBogdanator there are a billion 90s bmw builds around lol

[@TheBogdanator]

@@huleyn135 a billion? You rarely see a 90s bmw on the streets. Maybe in your country. They are extremely unreliable. All i remember I used to see a lot of 3 and 5 series or the 7 series the "ugly one" . Not anymore. All gone lol. Broken, fked lol.

[@Gogettor]

God, I love BMW. I was born in 1986. Three years earlier, my parents almost killed themselves when my dad fell asleep driving his 316i coupe. In 1998 we bought (i was 13 but begged my dad to buy it) a 2000km used 1992 E36 sedan. My dad still drives this car.

[@pretty00lights]

As an engineer that works with the designers, my job is to make sure that whatever they come up with can actually be built at the plant. You would be surprised how big the disconnect can be sometimes. Also, thank you for acknowledging us :)!!!

[@pistonburner6448]

As someone who has worked with architects and structural engineers I can imagine what the situation is like... Seriously, how on earth have architects managed to fool everyone to pay their massive fees...for essentially creating innumerable problems which all phases from then on will struggle to solve? It seems like architects have some kind of a sick competition going on, trying to make the most impossible and expensive to build designs. With parts and solutions which only one supplier in the world can provide, who also happens to be the most obscure, faraway and expensive possible.

[@jevonmayo7338]

Can I get one put on a 1981 chevy elcomino

[@CodewortSchinken]

To my knowledge not only the engine and transmission but also the fron suspension of the Z1 were lifted straight out of the E30. The Rear suspension was basically a prototype of what would become standart of the upcoming E36. On the Z3 it was the other way round. E36 front suspension, but the rear from an E30/E36 compact to save on cost and weight.

[@benzina5917]

Thank you so much for making this. I was just looking at the RM Auction listing for one that is to sell in February that has NEGATIVE 3 kilometers on it. Apparently it was common for BMW and other auto makers to manufacture their instrument clusters at just below zero kilometers to account for moving around until they got to the dealership. This particular Z1 was collected at the factory and only driven once and apparently not enough to roll the odometer over to zero.

[@smorris12]

Later on for the digital odometers there's an option in the BMW software to reset it back to zero at any distance up to 255kms.

[@ThunderChunky101]

Wonder what that will sell for. You got a link? I'd love to see it.

[@zimzam9166]

Surprised sliding doors arent more popular these days. Car park parking makes this feature useful

[@nizzy277]

makes car heavy af tho

[@Rascofresco11]

Lincoln's version of the pop-up door concept made sense. You should do a whole video on failed automotive designs that were too ahead of their time

[@yungboicontigo9278]

Love that recommendation!

[@lewis72]

*In German, the "z" is pronounced as a "ts" sound, so it would be pronounced "Ulrich Bets". You're very right about highlighting the amount of time, effort and cost it takes to put a car into production... all of the legal hoops that you have to jump through too ! It did help that the engine, gearbox and most likely much of the front suspension was stock 3 Series.

[@babelhuber3449]

When it was new, it was ridiculed by some press outlets as a design failure - they made a BMW that doesn't look like a BMW! Others loved it from the start. And now I smile when I see one!

[@exoticautomotive]

Two of my acquaintances owned Z1s. The story goes that for a couple of years, one of the Christmas competitions in the BMW Engineering department was about who could enter and exit a Z1 the quickest, with the roof up and the doors down.

[@anthonystevens8683]

Back in the late 80's a bunch bonkers midland motorcyclists, OK bikers went on a trip to Germany to see the German bike grand prix at the Hockenheim ring. While out and about we got talking to an owner of a Z1 and by shear luck I was offered a passenger ride in the car. This experience was not about the speed or acceleration but how the car handled at on the twisties and it was an experience that I remember to this day. It was frankly the best that I had experienced ever at the time. Back then I had nigh on 2 feet of hair that got a tad knotted on the air but it was well worth it. The dropping door mechanism was very well done as well. I might be wrong but this car also had ground effect aerodynamics and was one of if not the first to be available on a production car. .

[@althejazzman]

Haha relatable. Long hair and open top cars are not compatible.

[@OneDullMan]

BMW had a number of classy vehicles back in the day. It would be refreshing to see if they could do something similar in the 2020's

[@Leipaa]

What, BMW not classy now? But they have BIG GRILLS!!

[@davidrbrtsn]

BMW needs to rediscover what their brand stands for.

[@andreasstrauss5194]

@@davidrbrtsn when you get over the design they are super nice to drive

[@davidrbrtsn]

@@andreasstrauss5194 I hear you, but design is just really important to me. I like looking back at my car and smiling 😁

[@andreasstrauss5194]

@@davidrbrtsn yes me too although there are still some nice bmws around like the 5 series and non m 3 series

[@jeffzekas]

Reminds me of the Saturn with its plastic panels, I’ve always wondered why auto manufacturers abandoned these self-healing body parts.

[@Happymali10]

Usually German law says if you can drive with the door "open" (think of a morgan) there has to be a rope or chain as protection against falling out. BMW's development-team invited the TÜV's head engineer at the time to their testing-grounds, sat him in a preproduction Z1 and janked that thing around like crazy, at speed. Sensing the safety provided by seat design, sill and seatbelt BMW was granted an exception from the law.

[@andyroid7339]

Big Car on a Friday night is a perfect evening! Thanks.

[@ys_a1659]

The Z1 prototypes were built by a company called Karosserie Baur (not written together) close to Stuttgart which had built their own convertible version of the 3 series before BMW built their own starting with the E30. BMW also had the 850i at that time which had similarities in Design. Unfortunately they never built a convertible of that.

[@privatesocialhandle]

Hands down the coolest innovation in the history of automobile industry.

[@bigmanjorge]

wake up babe new big car video just dropped

[@harapaki3412]

Big CoR

[@Leipaa]

BMW in 1989: sleek and lightweight BMW in 2023: BIG GRILLE!!

[@Porsche1969]

Your opinion about "grille" is irrelevant, dude!

[@Leipaa]

​@@Porsche1969my opinion is relevant, I bought a current 5 series but won't buy the redesign if it looks like the rest of BMW's shite.

[@Porsche1969]

@@Leipaa Your opinion is bullshit, dude! Your dogmatic shit is boring!

[@Porsche1969]

@@Leipaa Go away, you clown!

[@iangrice329]

Possibly the best looking car ever made.

[@DoctorRazzArea4]

I can't even explain how happy I am everytime I see a new Bigcar video, thank you so much! I don't fit into the world much these days, and these videos are a reprieve for me

[@WelcomeToDERPLAND]

I love the pop up doors, wish they caught on more...

[@BOABModels]

By the standard of BMWs, this was really eccentric.

[@larsr2000]

Great video on the quirky Z1. While I definitely appreciate this car and the engineering that went into it, I’m very happy with my Z3 I’ve owned for 20 years. The styling has fared better and the fact that most of the chassis and underpinnings are from the E36 and E30 makes it very easy to maintain. Now the Z8- I’d love one of those. My neighbor owns a black Z8 and every time I see it I’m a bit jealous.

[@schunkolade8217]

The Z3 is the more sensible option. Same fun with less running costs. I have a 3.0, it's great! But the Z1 is a icon. And I think the design has aged better than on all other Z Roadsters.

[@dlevi67]

I'd be jealous too!

[@snbala]

Unique and not afraid to try something new, I have got to applaud BMW for going ahead and putting it into production. Not surprised on the success upon launch and even now, they command some hefty premium, and for good reason as there will never be one like it again.

[@ionutdincu2577]

Such a cool car

[@shroomkingdom8152]

Love the smile on the MX-5 😅10:46

[@ramadhanisme7]

Thank you for sharing this knowledge

[@MikeArott]

While working for a short while as a courtesy driver at a BMW service centre, I had a chance to drive a Z1 around the block on day (on an industrial estate), sometime in the 2000s. It was already a few years old and rattling from everywhere worse than a Lotus Elise. Older Z3s were also rattling, typical of used BMWs in those days, at least in my experience, but not as badly. Z4s seemed better built, but I'd still chose any MX-5 over a 'Z' car any day.

[@Mike-rk8px]

I live in the US and the Z1 was sadly never offered here, which is a shame because it would’ve been a big hit. My uncle who lives on Mallorca has a Z1 and I’ve gotten to drive it dozens of times. It’s a fantastic car in Mallorca’s near perfect climate, and driving with the doors dropped down, as well as the top, is very enjoyable. However, there have been numerous problems with the doors, namely the electrical system failing. In the US I’ve owned 5 Mazda MX-5’s since 1992, and it’s a superior car in every way compared to the Z1, except for looks, but that’s a matter of personal taste. I’ve owned 3 different BMW’s as well (733, 635 CSi, Z3) and the MX-5 is still a better car to drive and own than any of them. The MX-5 seldom needs more than the recommended maintenance, and all of them have been as reliable as a Toyota Camry. The build quality is typically Japanese, and I know people who abuse their MX-5’s and they still keep running. The only drawback to owning an MX-5 is its size, but I don’t have children, and the space in the trunk is enough for me to get groceries or take luggage, so it’s not an issue. I’ve even driven them in winter and there’s no issues, although I do drive my Toyota 4-Runner during snowstorms. Another huge advantage to an MX-5 over European sports cars is obviously cost. Not only is an MX-5 a bargain price wise, the costs of maintenance, parts, and service are about what you’d pay to own a Toyota Camry.

[@djremotion2]

Your take fortunately does not portray in any shape or form the general truth about Z1 or Z3 quality.

[@saurannuraliyev1695]

Can't stop wondering of your language teaching abilities!

[@rob1tnt]

Always liked the look of these! Great video Andy!

[@KilowattAvenue]

This video cam our 1 min ago! How did you comment 2 days ago?

[@automobilistic]

Great video! I knew very little about this car, and honestly had no idea that pop-up doors had made it to production. It's a shame they weren't able to make more of them but I can't imagine they would have sold in massive numbers even if they had.

[@joebloggs4369]

How about one on NSU? The Ro80 was a fantastic looking thing and they did produce what became the Polo.

[@djverhulst]

I can remember this Z1 , I was working on a large BMW dealer , and admire the looks ,

[@alecbrown66]

People forget that until the mid 80's BMW was a small unit seller, limiting sales in each country to keep the cars rare and expensive. The z1 caught the attention of the traditionally uk/usa small roadster market, and raised interest in the brand before BMW went mass market throughout the range. They even bought rover to learn how to make a small car, and roadsters, getting hold of the tricks used in the mini, and with the z1, the mg's and triumphs.

[@TheFarCobra]

“Toothbrush mustache” … now that cannot be unseen on any Bimmer.

[@VIPOdyssey176]

Had the pleasure of doing a mild recommission on an alpina z1 a few years ago. Such a cool little car

[@zzhughesd]

E30 325i just looks so so so lovely. Maybe advancements in tech and design didn’t work. Fun was had in the 80/90s

[@puttemacguff7666]

Cutest BMW ever made

[@shaunw9270]

I like the idea and that M version could have been an awesome car!

[@nadeemchaudhry6585]

Happy new year and thanks for great video!! It's amazing how nobody wanted the 507 back then, whereas now people are desperate to get hold of one.

[@kerrysgold1]

One of these was an attraction, driving through our local St. Patrick's Day parade last week. It looked amazing, & the guy was winding doors up & down while driving along 😂😂🇮🇪💚 great channel btw my go to motor channel on KZbin 👏👏

[@decisionsdecisions8906]

I get soo excited when you post a video love watching these thank you

[@100brsta]

I’ve seen one owned by the person who I bought my S4 from. I did not realize until now how rare this car is.

[@darrensharpe3345]

The R170 slk fulfilled the niche with it's folding hard top when it launched a number of year's later ....... the waiting list for the slk was massive at the beginning, a folding hard top was always a better idea than sliding down doors and probably caused a similar weight penalty! It likely helped that the slk wasn't as specialist in platform/deign as the Z1 was.

[@GGN-92]

That was a very good repport - Thanks for sharing.

[@rogerdecourt]

Thank you so much for making a video with the history of the Z1. For more than 20 years I was looking for a decent Z1. Now I have one since 2015. The thermoplastic panels are often cracked at the attachment points and often tear further. It was difficult and expensive to find new body panels....

[@pgtmr2713]

One day 3D printing will catch up. Scan a good panel, get it printed out in plastic for cheap, carbon fiber for fun. Maybe 3D printers could paint for a finishing touch.

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@pgtmr2713 coloured resins as we have today are far more likely than auto-painting printers imo.

[@BOABModels]

On the subject of convertible sales in the US, when BMW owned Rover, they stopped MG from selling the new MGF in north America as they didn't want to them to eat into sales of their Z3.

[@trabantfreak2370]

woaauuuw and thanks alot for making a video on one of my favourite bimmers.

[@waynemorris8388]

A big thank you I love your videos

[@torgeirbrandsnes1916]

Great vlog as always. I saw at least ONE car that made it on to Norwegian roads. Keep up the good work! How about a vlog about the 507? Strange that BWW got to name the car that. Did not Porsche get in a lot of hot water from Peugeot when they had to name their model the 911 instead of the 901 because Peugeot had Dips on numbers with 0 in the middle?

[@dlevi67]

The 507 dates to 1956, the 901 to 1963. I can't find when Peugeot trademarked the x0y numbering pattern (if they did!), but it may well have been between the two dates; it certainly wasn't the case pre-WWII as there are numerous car models with that pattern (e.g. the Fiat 501, 502, 503, 505, 507 and 508) produced and sold between 1919 and 1939.

[@Mnkskanal]

@14:41 Freedom on 4 wheels. The car came out in 1989, the year when the iron curtain fell.

[@dilloninja]

Been waiting for this one, thanks!!!!

[@1970DAH]

12:03 Is that an actual BMW mockup of an M-Z1? It looks like someone's fever dream.

[@victoryepik]

This car is really cool this reminds me safari cars like jeeps or land Rover defenders that had removable doors and this just works like power windows

[@macdaniel6029]

One of the coolest BMWs of all time!

[@cornishrider]

Excellent! Entertaining and informative as ever!

[@Tacko14]

As Jeremy said: ‘why don‘t all cars have no doors? It’s just better!’ If ever I can lay my hands on one of these…

[@humphreybradley3060]

I had a green one with funky moleskin cammo seats, I loved it & wished I hadn’t sold it but a stint abroad forced the sale 😢

[@2many2say]

I take it you had the Green exterior and cream seat combo edition Z1.

[@humphreybradley3060]

@@2many2say actually no, it was a dark green & subtle multi colour design. Sounds odd but it worked really well with the exterior paint colour

[@JarvisBoots1]

@@humphreybradley3060 Exactly like mine!! Urgrun metallic exterior; dark grey leather dashboard; dark grey nubuck leather on the seats; and grey and green camo leather seat inserts: the best colour combo by far :-)

[@2many2say]

@@humphreybradley3060 I see, you had a (Ur-gruen) Dark green exterior with a (Grau) Light&Dark gray cammo which is the common & best edition for the green exterior cars. 2040 (Ur-Gruen) z1's were produced of the 8000 z1's made. 1062 (Ur-Gruen) Z1's with the (Grau)/Gray interiors. 967 Ur-Gruen z1's with (Gelb)Light Yellow interiors were produced.

[@Gogettor]

[potential video idea] Hey @Big Car : I just realized the Z29 concept from “2001” is, at least from its fascia, extremely similar to the Opel Speedster (Vauxhall VX220), which according to Wikipedia was sold from 2000-2005 (I remember it from Need For Speed games). Knowing BMW, I have a feeling they were first to the idea and would never say they “copied” GM/Opel/Vauxhall. Sorry about the rant, but maybe it’s an interesting idea for a video / research

[@BigCar2]

As I'm sure you're aware that car was basically a Lotus Elise. I see a bit of the Ford New Edge styling in the Z29 personally.

[@neilturner6749]

I remember seeing Jeremy Clarksons green one for sale in a classic car dealer near to me in London about 20yrs ago. If memory serves me correctly it was about £25k. Z1s were never popular here in the UK because they weren’t available in RHD.

[@JarvisBoots1]

I've heard Mrs Clarkson had a yellow Z1, with the lemon interior. Betty Boo had a red one!! Mine is green with the camo leather. The issues in the UK were LHD as you say, but also price and the relative lack of power: it's no pocket rocket!!

[@KubikCv]

I love your videos and also your english.Your accent sounds beautiful to me as a foreigner :)

[@Bod8998]

Excellent was wondering when a new episode was coming

[@BigCar2]

I did a new video on Little Car last week.

[@jrushen4235]

Great stuff. Super interesting. Thanks.

[@Hollandda]

Do primeiro Z1, passando pelo Z3, Z4 de primeira, segunda e terceira geração, Z8 e Z9 concept...uma história de belíssimos esportivos!

[@markymark3075]

Thanks!

[@jonlee580]

They should bring the z1 back and the pilot type fashion they had in the ad is awesome ..dude and lady had all white wit goggles

[@RandyArmy]

Amazing idea

[@miffedmax]

The Kaiser Darrin had disappearing doors back in the ‘50s. It flopped, too

[@sasak9794]

Hi 👋 love your work,videos are great, would be great to do Ford Edsel sometime in the future, it's a great story. Keep up the good work 👍👏

[@niklaswejedal463]

My absolute favorite non-EV BMW - what a beauty! The Mazda MX-5 is a good looking car, but the Z1 is beauty on wheels. To me it was always a bit mythical - I haven't seen more than a handfull and each time is a very special moment. I remember seeing the first one on a trip to Paris back in 1993, on the other side of the Champs Elysses, parked on a side street. Close enough to be identifiable, but far away enough to not be more then a speck on the photo... For years that was the closest I came.

[@ap9970]

Got taken for a ride in a Z1 in about 1990.

[@schunkolade8217]

My heart was bleeding, when I saw a crash this summer, involving a green Z1. No human injuries. But the backend of the Z1 was severely damaged, probably totalled. One less on the road.

[@mheijne2]

First galvanized car was the Matra Murena, a company that also built the Espace

[@stevieinselby]

I can't believe that I didn't know the Z1 had those strange doors 😯 how had I missed that for all these years?

[@sambagogo777]

If I'm not mistaken the Z axis also featured on the first generation BMW Mini before the bean counters ensured it was replaced with a cheaper alternative in subsequent generations.

[@alphadawg81]

It is so refreshing hearing the "Z" pronounced properly!😅

[@ThunderChunky101]

A properly cool car!

[@yungboicontigo9278]

Back when BMW was one of the top car brand at the time! I love how the Z1 look it aged well IMO. Nowadays they make cars that either look bland or not that good looking.

[@aregularperson7573]

I have only seen one of these once and that was at the BMW museum in Munich Germany and the first time I saw it my first question was what happened to the doors did Hans cut half of the door off

[@benzinapaul7416]

Pedant here but my pet hate is 'heads up display', lose the 's'!! Love your vids

[@ilkekah8210]

I know someone who had 2 of these in old days, never closed the doors when he was in city… used it like a buggy

[@NafanyaZX]

Let's not forget about the Pontiac Fiero and its lightweight plastic panels

[@pascalp.9378]

Great Video and research again 👍 one small comment though: the division was not called “BMW Technik” but “M-Technik”. I used to work there 25 years ago. A small branch with 2 offices/manufacturing capabilities all within 3km of the BMW HQ at Petuelring in Munich but totally anonymized from the outside.

[@BooTub3]

Could you make one on the MK4 Supra?? You’re so tedious, I love it! You’d probably find so much info that even me as a Supra enthusiast wouldn’t even know probably

[@BigCar2]

Tedious?!?

[@grantsnyder3028]

I am imagining how cool it would be if Jeep made a way to stash the Wrangler's doors like the Z1. That would be much more popular on a vehicle where driving without doors is encouraged.

[@Bellett64]

As a 12 year old, I lost my mind when one of these did a parade lap of the 1990 Adelaide Grand Prix circuit, partially because I never thought I'd see a then-new BMW Z1 in Australia, but mainly because Celebrity Race participant Elle MacPherson was sitting on the back deck waving to the crowds. Truth be known, I was also a bit mystified how and why it was here given there was never an intention for RHD examples. About 25 years later, I was looking at a huge under cover display of BMW vehicles as part of the Adelaide 500 touring car race weekend (itself held on a modified version of the original AGP track) when I spy a mint-condition, green LHD BMW Z1, the same colour as the one that ferried The Body all those years ago. Much of the display was part of a single collection owned by a family whose wealth stems from the long-term ownership of several prestige dealerships, including BMW. I don't know for sure, but I suspect they were able to secure one 'just because' despite its ineligibility for registration in Australia, and given it had about 1300kms on it when I most recently saw it, that checks out. Of course, being over 30 years old now, it can be registered in LHD, but if that was the owner's plan all along, that's definitely a long game!

[@ianmangham4570]

You gotta love it 😀

[@Gogettor]

Also, the Z1 really feels like an early 😊Z3 concept

[@BigCar2]

In a sense it was.

[@Gogettor]

@@BigCar2 love your content btw

[@davidorama6690]

The Z1 has a strong hint of how silly BMW design would become.

[@dannyboyy31]

Well-researched and informative video as always. Took me a moment to work out who 'Die-oo' is, then I realised it's probably the correct pronunciation of what I stil ignorantly call 'Day-woo' 😀

[@BigCar2]

In the first take I said it your way (because that's how we said it when Daewoo first came to the UK), but yeah, that's closer to how it should be said.

[@kaitlyn__L]

And then HubNut splits the difference by saying “day-oo”!

[@jamesengland7461]

I love this car! So odd to me that such a big manufacturer couldn't do a better job of designing this for manufacture. It seems they had a harder time than brand new Tesla did starting from scratch. After all, Chevy had been building the Corvette for over 30 years with an inner steel structure and plastic body panels.

[@ingvarhallstrom2306]

Always when a car company do a lot of "firsts" there's gonna be problems, because they simply don't have the know how or production experience. And there was a lot of "firsts" with this one. First in-house convertible, before their own 3-series convertible they had only had that cabrio-coach outsourced to Baur. First 2 seater roadster (in thirty years). First with those doors. First BMW with the engine in a front mid-engine configuration mounted aft of the front wheel centerline. First space frame chassis. And so on and so forth....

[@fastinradfordable]

Tesla didn’t start from scratch

[@traviswalker8933]

Tesla didn't start from scratch at all. Further, Chevrolet made the Corvette using body on frame technique for a long period before switching to the widely adopted production methods used by others. The panels were made of fiberglass and not plastic.

[@Avrelivs_Gold]

Peugeot Feline concept was looking exactly like this car

[@fsfs555]

They do look good, from an era before BMWs became 30% grille, but between the fragile door mechanisms, tendency of the plastic panels to crack, choice of either heat or A/C (you couldn't get both), lack of interior space, and very high prices means they're just toys for rich people. If I was looking to buy an impractical toy car there are many better choices for far less money.

[@vikingsystem]

at last one bmw video, I know you don't like bmw's but you should post more videos about this brand, believe me.

[@timwilliams113]

Could you do a video about the BMW i3 please?

[@benzinapaul7416]

Great video, you need to do a video of it's Italian rival, the Alfa SZ ES30

[@BigCar2]

I'm going to cover it (briefly) in the next video.

[@benzinapaul7416]

@@BigCar2 can't wait

[@timelord6540]

I noticed you gave credit to the Espace produced by Matra as the innovative galvanised chassis design. - Please look at their earlier car the Murena the sports car, BMW took inspiration from in galvanised chassis and plastic panel design.

[@reinierdeman8147]

No mention of the designer? It was Harm Lagaaij. He also did the Porsche 993. Amongst others.

[@roelandzw1846]

Sorry, 996😇

[@asupremechieften]

I really want one of these cars I'm hoping one day I can buy it or one of these type of cars!!!!!!!!!