Featured: BMW's Grown-Up Bubble Car Saved The Ultimate Driving Machine

BMW’s Grown-Up Bubble Car Saved The Ultimate Driving Machine

By Alan Franklin
May 9, 2013

In 1957 Bayerische Motoren Werke were on the brink of insolvency. They very nearly didn’t make it. One millimetric skip away in the time/space groove there exists a place where you are you, I am me, and nearly everything is the same, but BMW doesn’t exist—there’s no such thing as a sports sedan, no M3, no M5, no driver’s limo Seven Series. There’s also no X6. Pros and cons to every situation. Fortunately for us on this side of the groove, they’re still around, 10 generations deep into making the best driving mass-market cars on the planet.

The Isetta, a design built under license from an Italian refrigerator manufacturer, had gotten the Munich firm through tough early post-war times; being a moderate success despite the fact it was unbelievably awful. As sales started to slump, BMW concentrated their limited resources on a larger, more powerful version of the front-opening, slightly-motorized coffin on wheels which would become known as the 600. It was an umitigated flop, and production ended within two years. The public’s expectations were changing, and no longer would underpowered bubble cars suit their needs—improving economic conditions brought out a latent desire for more sophisticated, safer, and more stylish automobiles. Enter the 700.  

Commissioned by BMW’s Austrian head of distribution, Michelotti prepared sketches of a conventionally-doored coupe based on a lengthened 600 chassis. Munich liked what they saw, but were concerned about the limited appeal of a coupe-only design, so it was decided to build two versions—the proposed two-door as well as a more practical sedan. The resultant 700 was shown at the 1959 Frankfurt auto show, and the orders flowed in right away—by show’s end, Munich had taken deposits on 25,000 cars, more than the entire production run of the 600. This immediate success negated the need for a Diamler-Benz merger then in its infancy—let the potential implications of that one role around in your head for a bit.

The 700 was built using unibody construction, BMW’s first-ever use of this technology. Utilizing an enlarged and improved version of the 600’s boxer twin, it made a grown-up 30 HP, one whole third more than its predecessor managed. Combined with modern aerodynamics and a 1,500 lb. curb weight, the 700 offered performance that enabled use on Germany’s growing network of motorways, an utterly foreign environment to Isetta and 600 drivers.

True to its heritage, the 700 was no slouch in motorsport, piloted to many important wins by nascent legends Hans Stuck and Jacky Ickx, the highlight of which was a class victory in 1960’s Hockenheim 12 hour at the capable hands of Stuck and Sepp Grieger.

After a run of more than 188,000 cars, production ended in 1965. BMW’s Neue Klasse, launched three years earlier, was an even greater success, gaining the company a healthy world-wide sales presence for the first time in their history. The 2002, and indeed all successive Beemers—from Batmobile to Z1—owe their creation to the humble little motorcycle-engined 700.

Photography by Josh Clason

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Darren
Darren
6 years ago

One clarification necessary here: the only thing “Beemer” these little beasties have is the engine, being from a motorcycle; the cars are “Bimmers” with a short “i” (all BMW Motorrad riders cringe when they hear the backwards ballcap brigade refer to the cars as “Beemers”….).

Mark Clem Fandango
Mark Clem Fandango
7 years ago

Such a cool little car. Just a shame I wouldn’t fit inside.

Bolo
Bolo
7 years ago

This make me immediately thinks ” is it a vw type3 ? ” looks a lot like vw’s karmann ghia and type 3… But yes I’m into vw 🙂
Never saw that car and this looks very nice !

Carlos Ferreira
Carlos Ferreira
8 years ago

My dad’s first car! Love it, but the oversized Italianate 5 spokes look out of place on this car.

Merrill Aldrich
Merrill Aldrich
8 years ago

Ouch, why harsh on the little 600? It’s a micro car, sure, and not for everyone, but they were awesome in their own way.

sonofspermcube
sonofspermcube
11 years ago

The X6 is the greatest vehicle BMW has ever made, and is the biggest favor they’ve ever done motorists in general; as you can now identify at a distance the drivers who have the least business being behind the wheel. Same goes for the Porsche Cayenne.

tropics
tropics
11 years ago

You know, many years ago – right after the earth cooled – Hot Rod magazine did an article on swapping in a Corvair engine (with 6 Amal carbs) into a BMW 700. It would be interesting to find a copy of that article.

tapz
tapz
11 years ago

[quote]…there’s no such thing as a sports sedan…[/quote]

I agree with the general sentiment, but that’s a bit extreme, perhaps. I mean… Alfa Giulia Super?

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