1962 BMW 700

The BMW 700 was introduced in 1959 at the Frankfurt Motor Show and served as a replacement for the 600. It was the first BMW model to receive a monocoque chassis and was available in both sedan and coupe versions, followed by a convertible. The power was sourced from a rear-mounted flat twin-cylinder motor based on the 600 but with a larger displacement size of 697cc. Improved brakes and rack and pinion steering endowed the 700 with excellent driving characteristics. Later additions included the 700 Sport, with twin carburetors, and the Luxus on a longer wheelbase.

The BMW 700, which wore a design by Giovanni Michelotti, was never imported to the United States. It was very popular in its home country of Germany and performed well in motorsport, with Hans Stuck winning the 1960 German Hill climb Championship and Walter Schneider taking the 1961 German Saloon Car title. It was very successful in hill climbs, on rally stages, and racing circuits, especially in purpose-built 700 RS form.

The engine, sourced from the 600 which itself came from the R67 motorcycle, had a bore of 78 millimeters and 73 millimeters. With a compression ratio of 7.5:1 and a single Solex 34PCI carburetor, the engine offered 30 horsepower and was paired with a four-speed manual transmission. A Saxomat semi-automatic transmission was offered as an option on 700s from September 1960. The wheelbase measured 83.5-inches while the LS (Luxe) version measured 89.8 inches. It stood approximately 50 inches tall, was 58.3 inches wide, and its length was 139.4-inches. The LS version was larger at 152-inches.

The 700 Sport version, introduced in August 1960, received a pair of Solex carburetors, a 9.0:1 compression ratio, and delivered approximately 40 horsepower. In 1963, the 700 Sport was renamed as the 700 CS.

Production of the BMW 700 ended in November 1965 and during its production lifespan, a total of 188,211 examples were built. The Saloon was the most popular body style with 154.557 examples constructed, followed by 31,062 of the coupe and 2,592 of the convertible.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2022