The 700 model was the car heralded as turning around BMW in the late 1950s. When BMW showed off the 700 coupe and sedan model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the autumn of 1959, it received enough orders for two years of production. The 700 was masterminded by Willy Black, the man who had designed the 600 that it replaced, Black again drew on the com,pany��s motorcycle technology, but this time, he enlarged the twin-cylinder engine of the R67 motorcycle to get the power he needed for this larger car. Giovanni Michelotti of Italy styled the car, carrying over themes from his Triumph Herald, a contemporary of the 700. His first sketch was for a slant-roof coupe, which appealed to BMW although the company wanted more passenger room. Michelotti returned with a sketch of a saloon variant, and BMW decided to build both. The 700 Coupe entered production in August 1959 and the 700 Saloon joined it at the end of the year.
No comments:
Post a Comment