BMWs Rocky Road to Success
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All on Fri Dec 18 11:53:10 2020
Kevin HodgkinsonInnovative, Banned, and Unique Racing Vehicles.
1h ยท
BMWs Rocky Road to Success, - By the mid 1950s the company were in
financial difficulties, very much like other German companies True they
had made top of the market vehicles, but few people could afford them
after WW2. permission had been given to re commence with Motorcycles,
but Aero Engines had been & gone. They had tried Microcars licenced by
Isetta, but the problem was still there & even produced their own larger version in the 600 series, by using a 600cc version from their 500cc R67
Flat Twin motorcycle engine, which had really failed to take
off......... What was needed was their own Saloon Car & to make matters
worse Daimler Benz were knocking on the door for a take over bid......
Enter the BMW 700 their 1st Saloon Car & last chance to survive, again
with the same engine but enlarged to a 700cc giving 32 bhp With what
money they had a prototype was made & a meeting of Shareholders was made
& after the proto had been viewed & all costings done, 2 particular Shareholders from the same family were very impressed & invested all
their families money into the venture to commence production in 1959,
competing in the same market as BMCs Mini & Fords Anglia, but this time
with luck on their side when the Proto was but on display at the
Frankfurt Motor Show the orders began flooding in. But not only that
there were many enquires about a competition version as well via the
Motoring press in Germany........... The Proto was given to BMWs small
Racing Dept who extracted more power from the engine to 50bhp as well as
more work on the Cars weight, handling & brakes etc and extending the
Race Dept to deal with the competition orders - one such customer being
a young Jackie Ickx.
The Normal Car was the BMW 700, the Competition Coupe the 700 CS, They
were produced from 1959 to 1965 & were quite successful in National
Class Touring Car & Rally type competitions, & allowed BMW to produce
there own M10 1.5 L sohc Saloon Car in 1962.......... As for the 700
within Mountain Climbing in Germany & Austria it was very prestigious
among respective manufacturers such as Porsche, so decisions were made
to make 2 special Spyder 700 versions but using a 700cc Rennsport Dohc
Engine as used in their W/ Champ Sidecar Outfits but using a tubular
spaceframe chassis & Alloy Bodywork, with power of 80bhp at 8000rpm &
Kerb Wt at 500Kg driven by Hans Stuck aged 60 yrs old & despite having a
900cc Handicap in the Sports Racing Class managed to win on occasions
against Porsche 750 Spyders............. So all in all BMWs last gamble
led to eventual Success, with possibly with their least known about Car.
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