BMW 700
A rear-engined monocoque car that saved BMW from ruin.
The BMW 700 was a compact, rear-engined automobile built by BMW between August 1959 and November 1965. It marked a milestone as the first BMW car to use a monocoque chassis. With over 188,000 examples sold, the 700 proved a commercial hit during a period when the company was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. The model also found success in motorsport, both in standard trim and as the basis for a dedicated racing variant, the 700RS. When production ended, BMW withdrew from the economy car segment.
The car’s origins trace back to Wolfgang Denzel, BMW’s Austrian distributor, who hired designer Giovanni Michelotti to create sketches based on a stretched BMW 600 platform. In January 1958, Denzel secured a development contract, and by July he presented a prototype to BMW management. The two-door coupé design with a raked roof was well received, though concerns about limited passenger space led BMW to produce two body styles: the coupé and a two-door saloon with a taller, longer roof.
Chassis and suspension work fell to Willy Black, who had previously engineered the 600. The drivetrain and suspension layout mirrored that car, with a rear-mounted flat-twin engine driving the rear wheels, Dubonnet leading-arm front suspension, and semi-trailing arms at the rear. The 700’s steel monocoque body was a first for a BMW automobile. The engine was a bored-out version of the unit used in the R67 motorcycle and the 600, displacing 697 cc from a 78 mm bore and 73 mm stroke. Initially, it used a single Solex 34PCI carburetor and a 7.5:1 compression ratio, producing 30 PS.
The coupé and saloon debuted at the 1959 Frankfurt Motor Show, carrying BMW’s internal code E107 (the later cabriolet became E110). The show generated 25,000 orders, a lifeline for the financially troubled company. In December 1959, shareholders blocked a proposal to sell BMW to Daimler-Benz, and Herbert Quandt’s subsequent heavy investment was partly credited to the 700’s success. By April 1960, daily production reached 155 cars. Over five years, 188,211 units were built.
The first major update came in August 1960 with the 700 Sport, offered only as a coupé. It featured an uprated engine with twin Solex carburetors and a 9.0:1 compression ratio, boosting output to 40 PS and 38 lb-ft of torque. A rear anti-roll bar and a ribbed oil pan were added. In 1963, the Sport was renamed the 700 CS.
Quick Facts
- Aka
- BMW LS
- Manufacturer
- BMW
- Designer
- Giovanni Michelotti
- Class
- Supermini / B-Segment
- Engine
- 697 cc Flat twin
- Production
- August 1959–November 1965 / 188,211 built / Saloon: 154,557 / Coupé: 31,062 / Convertible: 2,592
- Length
- 3540 mm / LS: 3860 mm
- Height
- 1270 mm−1360 mm
- Weight
- 640 kg−690 kg
- Wheelbase
- 2120 mm / LS: 2280 mm
- Layout
- RR layout
- Transmission
- 4 speed manual
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The BMW 700 was conceived when Wolfgang Denzel, the distributor of BMW cars in Austria, commissioned Giovanni Michelotti to prepare concept sketches based on a lengthened BMW 600 chassis. In January 1958, Denzel was awarded a development contract for the 700. A prototype was presented to BMW's management in July 1958. The concept, a two-door coupé with a slanted roof, was generally well received, but objections were raised about limited passenger space. BMW decided to produce two versions: the coupé and a two-door sedan with a taller, longer roof.
The engineer responsible for the chassis and suspension was Willy Black, who had designed and engineered the 600. The drivetrain and suspension were similar to those of the 600, with a rear-mounted flat-twin engine powering the rear wheels, Dubonnet leading arm suspension at the front, and semi trailing arm suspension at the rear. The 700 used a steel monocoque structure, the first BMW automobile to do so. The engine was an enlarged version of that used in the R67 motorcycle and the 600, with a bore of 78 mm and 73 mm of stroke, displacing 697 cc. The base engine used a single Solex 34PCI carburetor and a compression ratio of 7.5:1, producing 30 PS.
The coupé and saloon versions were shown at the 1959 Frankfurt Motor Show. After the show, BMW received 25,000 orders for 700s. Production of the coupé began in August 1959, with the saloon following in December. The large number of orders was welcome news for BMW, which was in a financial crisis. In December 1959, shareholders blocked a proposal by BMW's supervisory board to sell BMW to Daimler-Benz. The subsequent heavy investment in BMW by Herbert Quandt has been attributed in part to the success of the 700. By April 1960, production was at 155 cars per day.
Reader's Guide
The BMW 700 holds a significant place in automotive history as the car that helped rescue BMW from financial collapse. With more than 188,000 units sold over five years, it provided the revenue and confidence that allowed the company to survive a period when it was close to ruin. The 700 was also BMW's first monocoque automobile, marking a technical shift in its construction methods.
In motorsport, the 700 achieved notable success in its class. Hans Stuck won the 1960 German Hillclimb Championship in a 700. Stuck and Sepp Grieger drove another to a class victory at the 1960 Hockenheim 12-hour race. Walter Schneider and Leo Levine raced a 700 to a class victory at the Nürburgring six-hour touring car race in 1960. Schneider went on to win the 1961 German saloon car title. In 1961, a BMW 700 won its class at Monza, beating their greatest rival Abarth on their home ground. Other drivers competing in 700s included Jacky Ickx, Hubert Hahne, and Alpina founder Burkard Bovensiepen. The 700 RS, a sports racing car with a tubular frame chassis, lightweight aerodynamic bodywork, and a double overhead camshaft engine tuned to 70 PS, was campaigned with success by Hans Stuck.
Upon discontinuing the 700 in November 1965, BMW left the economy car market, as the successful New Class cars had established themselves and offered higher profit margins. BMW eventually returned to the economy car market in 2002 with the Mini.
Did You Know?
- The BMW 700 was the first BMW automobile with a monocoque structure.
- A Saxomat semi-automatic transmission was offered as an option from September 1960.
- The 700 was assembled in Argentina by Metalmecánica SAIC and sold as a De Carlo 700 Glamour.
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