- BMW 700
auction 927, Lot 291
Vintage Culture: From Haute Couture to Generation Z
on 15 July 2019
BMW 700
Differenzbesteuerung
BMW 700
Saloon, two-cylinder (Boxer), 697 cc
First registered in 1962
It is rare to find a BMW 700 in such beautiful condition. The car has been in the same hands since it was first registration almost 60 years ago, the current owners being a very well-known Bavarian folk musician family. The present car was extensively restored in 2006, including new seats and interior upholstery. The engine was overhauled in 2014 (22kW). MOT approval and a vintage certificate are available.
Historically, the BMW 700 is considered the "Savior of the BMW brand". In the late 50s the company was close to bankruptcy, thanks to the Isetta (too small for Italian vacations and caravans) and the V8 Baroque angel (too big, expensive and outdated). The BMW 600 (4-seat microcar) was also not a sales success.
In July 1958 in Starnberg, the Viennese BMW distributor and car designer Wolfgang Denzel presented the designs for the BMW 700, drawn by Michelotti. In October 1958, the decision was made in favor of this design. The designs were further developed, creating two stand-alone body types, the coupé and the slightly larger sedan, that both made it to series production. This decision saved the company, which was at that time close to being taken over by Daimler.
Between 1959 and 1962, this lightweight, small BMW was considered the "Porsche killer", thanks to its great racing performance, especially when it came to hillclimbs. In 1960 Hans Stuck senior won the German Hill Climb Championship at the age of 60 in a BMW 700. Walter Schneider became German Hill Climb Champion with the BMW 700 RS on the Schauinsland Course near Freiburg in 1961 and also won the Swiss and Austrian Hill Climb Championships in the same year.
Provenance: folk musician family, Upper Bavaria
