BMW is a company renowned for building cars which combine style, performance, and luxury. However, this hasn’t always been the case, but while this 1963 BMW 700 may not possess any of the previously mentioned attributes, it is, without doubt, an interesting and important car. I really have to thank Barn Finder Roger for referring this little car to us. If this is one that really sparks your interest, then you will find it located in Burbank, California, and listed for sale here on Craigslist.
It is hard to understate the importance of the 700 in the history of BMW. At the end of the 1950s, BMW was poised on the brink of bankruptcy, and it was from this environment that the 700 was launched in 1959. The release of the car was brave in the extreme because it was not only the car that would make or break the company, but it was also the company’s first venture into monocoque car construction. Normally, the combination of little money and pioneering engineering would be a recipe for disaster, but not in the case of BMW. The 700 sold in record numbers (188,000 during its 6-year life) and rescued BMW. This particular 700 is in really good condition. The styling was not ground-breaking, and in this ¾ view, there is more than a passing similarity to the Triumph Herald. The panels, paint, and trim on the car look to be in first-rate condition.
That’s a mighty big engine bay for a mighty small engine! Given the model name of the car, it should be no real surprise that the power-plant for the BMW has a displacement of 700cc (697cc to be exact). This rear-mounted flat-twin engine sends power to the rear wheels via a 4-speed transmission. While the owner doesn’t provide a lot of information about the mechanical condition of the car, the engine and its surrounds look really clean and tidy. The air cleaner is missing off the engine, but I would guess that this has been removed to provide a clearer shot of the engine. The air cleaner for the 700 is a pretty substantial item, and it does tend to block your view a bit.
The interior of the 700 really does demonstrate just how far BMW has progressed as a manufacturer since the days when this car rolled off the production line. As well as being their first monocoque construction and the car that saved the company, the 700 was also the last economy car built by BMW. Interior appointments are pretty sparse, but the interior of this particular car still presents well. There is some wear on the wheel and some deterioration of some of the dash trim, but the seats sport new covers, and the rest of the interior trim looks good.
It is hard to comprehend when you look at this little BMW just how important it really is. Without this little car, the M1, M3, and the M5 would never have existed, and these are cars that have defined the luxury sports car and luxury sports saloon genre in their own important way. Even though they sold in reasonable numbers, it is quite rare to see a 700 come onto the market these days, and when they do, they sell for some quite surprising prices. This is a really nice example, and the seller has set the price at $14,000, which is lower than I would have expected.
…or the 1600 and 2002, the beginnings of BMW performance cars.
i am led to believe that it was the Glas designed BMW 2002 that saved the company.
I was led to believe that the Isetta saved BMW. I guess it had many saviors
The development of the 700 almost triggered the sale of BMW to Daimler-Benz in 1959. This would have happened if Deutsche Bank, which at the time held the majority of voting rights in BMW, had prevailed. But because employees, dealers and small shareholders resisted it and one shareholder filed a lawsuit against the balance sheet. He also won and the balance sheet was declared invalid, because the development costs for the 700 were written off in one year, and therefore BMW first made a loss. But then BMW still had no money for new developments and Herbert Quandt (owner of Varta batteries, among others) came to the general meeting in 1960 with a restructuring plan, which was also accepted and Herbert Quandt invested a lot of money in BMW. The restructuring of BMW was then completed in 1964 ans the Quandt family ist the bigger shareholder in BMW since then.
The car that BMW actually saved was the BMW 1500, a notchback sedan designed by Italian designer Giovanni Michelotti, presented in 1961.
The 700 was a development of the 600/Isetta to make it a more conventional sedan, and it was styled by Michelotti before he moved on to the similar Neue Klasse design. This was an important step, but not the salvation of the company.
Interesting car that I suspect will be bought by an ‘investor’, judging by the price.
It was quite a step up from the manufactured-under-license Isetta and its variations. An 1800cc sedan followed, ahead of the successful 1600/2002 models.
why is this so close to me??
This appears to be a 700 LS, which is less desirable than a Sport Coupe or Cabriolet. That being said, any 700 in good condition is fairly rare, and prices have gone up substantially the past few years. So price might be okay. Hard to say given the scarcity of data points.
I’d make a sweet sweet stock looking sleeper out of that puppy. I’d upgrade the drive train, suspension and brakes with later BMW components and drive that doggy.
I’m a BMW owner, and saw these when I was stationed in Germany during the 60’s. Along with probably all of the cars of that era mentioned in the posts on this thread. And I actually owned two of the vehicles that I think it resembles, ’56 Chevy rear treatment, and VW Squareback front end. Your opinions may differ.
One of my SGTs had a 1500, and that was a sweet handling car. He took three of us for a little hill climb action and I was impressed enough to buy a 3 series years later. And I loved the Glas that became a BMW, should have bought one when I had the opportunity !