The larger, more powerful machines have it easy on the straight but come the corners, the lightweight machines make the ground back. It’s in the latter category that the little
BMW sits with its
700cc engine.
Compared to some of the 7-litre-plus machines it is fighting a losing battle until of course, you see that it only weighs 500kg.
BMW has quite a lot to thank the little 700 for. Through the 1950s and ‘60s, the motoring world was evolving quickly. Despite BMW being known for larger saloons, the 700 was its own entry into a market demanding cheap, small and reliable transport. Like its cousins – the Mini, Fiat 500, VW Beetle – it was built for the masses and was the antithesis to BMW’s lower-volume past.
The Quandt brothers – industrialists and shareholders on the BMW board – foresaw this market evolution and, with the disinterest of the other board members noted, oversaw the development and introduction of the 700. The subsequent 300,000 sales rescued a then-ailing BMW from the brink and helped position the Quandt family as the majority shareholder that it is to this day.
The 700 in its layout closely resembles the Beetle, but it’s there the similarities end. Sit the two next to each other and the pretty and sleek Michelotti-styled saloon is a far cry from the utilitarian design of the Beetle, giving away little indication of its near-identical rear-mounted boxer setup.