Fritz Wagner Honored for His Exceptional Dedication to the BMW M1
The Prof. Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein BMW Classic Award is a prestigious distinction awarded to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the preservation, documentation, and history of classic BMW vehicles. The award is presented by BMW and is named after Prof. Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein, the former head of BMW Motorsport, who is regarded as a key figure behind the creation of the BMW M1.
Award Ceremony at the 2023 BMW M1 Meeting
At the BMW M1 Meeting held on August 26, 2023, in Weilburg/Lahntal, Fritz Wagner was honored with the Prof. Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein BMW Classic Award.
The official laudation was delivered by Wolfgang Melter, Honorary President of the BMW M1 Club. His heartfelt speech, which paid tribute to Fritz Wagner’s life’s work, as well as further details about the award ceremony, are shared below:
Laudation
Laudation for Fritz Wagner on the Occasion of the Presentation of the Prof. Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein BMW Classic Award at the BMW M1 Meeting on August 26, 2023, in Weilburg/Lahntal
Foreword
The award was established in memory of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein, founding president of the BMW Veteran Club.
It is presented to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to preserving and promoting the history of the BMW brand. The award expresses BMW’s gratitude and is also intended as an encouragement to continue pursuing shared goals with passion and commitment.
Now to the Awardee
Fritz Wagner has made extraordinary contributions to the BMW M1 Procar legacy. He was already involved at the very beginning of the Procar series in 1979, working as a mechanic for the Cassani Racing Team.
He began collecting parts early on—parts that other teams discarded after race accidents. At the time, he didn’t know the true value of what he was saving. With skill and dedication, he repaired and restored these parts, making them usable again. To this day, Fritz Wagner still draws from this remarkable collection.
When BMW withdrew from factory-backed Procar racing in 1980, all parts inventory was sold off. Fritz Wagner learned of this and, at considerable personal expense, acquired the remaining stock from BMW.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the M1 Procar was undervalued, which worked in his favor—he was able to acquire one or another Procar.
Today, he proudly owns a significant collection of M1 Procar vehicles, and BMW regularly draws on his inventory for events. Sometimes, Wagner even builds an M1 Procar from scratch for a race in Daytona, USA—with Dieter Quester driving it to a strong result.
Fritz Wagner is affectionately and rightfully known as the “Godfather of the BMW M1.”
He also acquired and restored the prototype with chassis number “1”, which was presented by the M1 Club at Techno Classica 2017 in Essen. I showed the vehicle to Tonio Lamborghini, nephew of the company’s founder, who was in attendance—he could hardly believe it still existed.
Because I believed that such deep commitment to the M1 deserved recognition, I proposed to the BMW International Council that he be honored with the Prof. Dr. Gerhard Knöchlein Award. I am pleased that the Council approved the award at its annual meeting, and I am proud to present Fritz Wagner with the official certificate today, which reads:
(Certificate text not included in source)
At the same time, Fritz Wagner also receives the BMW Badge of Honor.
Let us raise our glasses and toast to Fritz Wagner!
Wolfgang Melter
Honorary President, BMW M1 Club e.V.
P.S. Fritz Wagner is only the 6th German to receive this award, which has been presented since 2001.
