We all know the stories of BMW’s impending financial ruin in the post-WWII period and how the Isetta helped BMW recover from this struggle. But let’s not forget BMW’s other motorcycle engine-powered economy car that has made every other ultimate driving machine possible.
In 1958 the BMW distributor for Austria, Wolfgang Denzel, commissioned Michelotti to design a car based on the BMW 600 chassis. This became the BMW 700 coupe.
However, due to concerns about headroom, it was decided that both a coupe and a 2-door sedan with a lengthened roof would be produced.
Powered by a flat-twin engine also used on the R67 motorcycle, the BMW 700 had a whopping 30HP under the hood, erm, trunk lid when it was released in 1959.
From 1960 the 700 was also available as a Sport version, with 40HP thanks to the addition of a second Solex carb and a slight compression ratio increase. A cabriolet was also soon introduced, using the same ‘powerful’ engine from the Sport. In 1962 the Luxus replaced the 2-door sedan and had a 16cm longer wheelbase. 1963 saw the introduction of a simplified Luxus, called the LS, the car which we will be discussing below.
The 700 was in production up to 1965, when it was essentially replaced by the car we all know and love, the 1602.
Believe it or not, the 700 was very successful in motorsport, particularly in bergrennen, or hillclimbs. Hans Stuck won the German championship in one in 1960. He also scored a class victory in the Hockenheim 12 hours that same year alongside Sepp Grieger. Those race prepared 700s look so good I’m almost tempted to modify this one to make it look like that!
Alright, on to the model. This is a 1:18 BMW 700 LS, so I’ll call it a 1963, made by Signature Models. I came across it on Ebay last week, no one else was bidding on it, so I got it for what I think is a decent deal, and it arrived yesterday right on time for Teutonic Tuesday!
Sorry for the photos. My lightbox was built with 1:64s in mind, and is already a bit of a stretch for 1:43s, and you can definitely see the limitations in these photos.
Design/Accuracy 9/10
From all the pictures I’ve seen, accuracy is great. Proportions are spot on, the trunk lid is well done, there is a spare in the frunk, the interior is accurate, the dash is very well detailed, and all badges are accounted for, including the Luxus badge on the trunk lid and the LS badge on the rear. Nothing really to complain about. If anything the wheels look a tad smallish, but they are not that big on the 1:1 so I think it looks fine. Plus, they are REALLY shiny!
Features 7/10
Trunk opens, frunk opens, doors open, and the steering works (with the terrible turning radius that most 1:18s are plagued with). I think those really are all the openings that there are on this car...
Fit/Finish 7/10
The door hinges are not those big metal pieces, but actual small plastic two-part hinges. The down side is that they don’t feel as sturdy as metal ones, and I opened the drivers door a little too much and was immediately afraid I snapped something.
The trunk lid is actually rivetted to the hinge, but that does have the unfortunate side-effect that it’s not rivetted as tightly as it should be and rattles a tad. But it does look good!
From the nitpicking department, the headlight lens covers are not on straight, the print on the glass is at an angle on both lights. But all the badges look good, chrome trim is plastic, not painted, and the roundels are as well.
Value 10/10
I scored this little guy on Ebay for about $25 shipped. It didn’t come with a box, but was well-wrapped in bubble wrap and newspaper. I see a few others selling out of the UK for $90 + $47 shipping, so I think I got a decent deal... The AutoART 1:18 700 Coupe starts around $85ish.
Rarity 8/10
I don’t see very many of these for sale besides those two British ones mentioned above. The AutoART coupe is more prevalent, in both racing and regular forms, so high marks for rarity! :D
Final Score 41/50
I am really enjoying this car, and it’s a happy addition to my now 4-strong 1:18 collection. I’ll have to get that AutoART coupe or the racing version in the future perhaps, but for now I’ll stick with my 30HP Italian designed, motorcycle powered BMW econobox.
