BMW 700
BMW 700 (E107) | ||
---|---|---|
Curb weight 640 kg (1,411 lb)−690 kg (1,521 lb) | | |
Chronology | ||
Predecessor | BMW 600 |
The BMW 700 is a small
More than 188,000 were sold before production ended in November 1965. Upon discontinuing the 700, BMW left the economy car market.
Concept, design, and engineering
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
The engine was an enlarged version of that used in the
Reception
The coupé and saloon versions of the 700 were shown at the 1959
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
By April 1960, production of the 700 was at 155 cars per day.[6] In five years of production, 188,211 BMW 700s were built.[1]
Development
The first variant of the 700 to appear after the original coupé and saloon was the 700 Sport in August 1960. Available only as a coupé, the Sport used an uprated engine with a pair of Solex carburetors and a 9.0:1 compression ratio. This brought the power output to 40 PS (29 kW) and 38 lb⋅ft (52 N⋅m) of torque.
The 700 Cabriolet was introduced shortly after the 700 Sport, and was available only with the Sport's 40 horsepower engine. The convertible body was made by Karosserie Baur of Stuttgart.[6][15] 2,592 convertibles were built.[6]
A Saxomat semi-automatic transmission was offered as an option on 700s from September 1960.[14]
The 700 Luxus (deluxe) replaced the original saloon in 1962.[6] A longer wheelbase variant, the LS, was also added, extending the wheelbase by 16 centimetres (6.3 in).[16]
In February 1963, the size of the inlet valves in the 700's base engine was increased. This increased power to 32 PS (24 kW) and 37 lb⋅ft (50 N⋅m) of torque.[16]
The final development of the 700 was the 700 LS Coupé of 1964. This was a long-wheelbase coupé with the Sport engine. 1,730 LS Coupés were built.[6]
Production of the BMW 700 ended in November 1965. By that time, the successful
An attempt to transfer the rights to body production and export markets of the 700 to Autocars Co. in Israel in 1965 fell through. E. Illin Industries had earlier tried to start an enterprise in assembling 700s in Israel, which resulted in four 700s being assembled there in April 1963.[18] The 700 was assembled in Argentina by Metalmecánica SAIC and sold as a De Carlo 700 Glamour until 1964 when the same running gear was clothed with a Simca 1000 look-alike body as the De Carlo SL. A small number of coupés were assembled there in 1961.[19]
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BMW 700 Saloon
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BMW 700 Sport
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BMW 700 LS Coupé
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BMW 700 Cabriolet
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BMW 700 interior
Motorsport
Several racing drivers competed in BMW 700s.
700 RS
The 700 RS was a
References
- Citations
- ^ ISBN 3-613-02131-5.
- ISBN 9783938118009. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ "Elenco delle Vetture progettate da Giovanni Michelotti conosciute al momento" [List of currently known cars designed by Giovanni Michelotti]. archiviostoricomichelotti.it (in Italian). Retrieved 11 January 2020.
- ISBN 978-3-613-02808-1.
- ^ Claus Jacobi (managing editor), Rudolf Augstein (proprietor & former managing editor) (13 May 1959). "BMW: Das rettende Modell". Der Spiegel. SPIEGEL-ONLINE. p. 28. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
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has generic name (help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines, Norbye, pp. 124-125
- ^ a b "History: The 700 Story, p.1". BMW700.net. 1958-07-30. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ "History: The 700 Story, p.2". BMW700.net. 1958-11-21. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ a b "History: The 700 Story, p.3". BMW700.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines, Norbye, p. 132
- ^ The BMW Story Horst Monnich
- ^ Roberts, Andrew (2007-09-25). "BMW 700". The Independent. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ "BMW 700 Sports Coupe Road Test". Autocar. 1962-01-19.
- ^ a b "History: The 700 Story, p.4". BMW700.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ Deutsche Autos 1945-1990, Band 4, Oswald, p.184
- ^ a b "History: The 700 Story, p.5". BMW700.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ The Ultimate History of BMW, Noakes, pp.172-174
- ^ "BMW 700, the Haifa version". The Israel Motor Industry. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- ^ "The BMW 700 Story – BMW 700 – the car that saved BMW".
- ^ Rombauts, Walter, ed. (1979-09-15). "Hoe een dubbeltje rollen kan" [How the penny might drop]. Keesings Auto Magazine (in Dutch). 2 (17). Antwerp, Belgium: 59.
- ^ a b Noakes, The Ultimate History of BMW, pp. 60-61
- ^ "700 RS". Ultimate Car Page. 2009-04-17. Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2012-08-11.
- Sources
- "BMW700.net - History - The 700 Story". BMW700.net. Retrieved 2010-07-01.
- Gloor, Roger (2007). Alle Autos der 50er Jahre 1945 - 1960 (1. ed.). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-02808-1.
- Melissen, Pieter (2009-04-17). "Bmw 700 rs". Ultimatecarpage.com. Wouter Melissen. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
- Norbye, Jan P. (1984). BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines. Skokie, IL, USA: Publications International. pp. 124–125, 132. ISBN 0-517-42464-9.
- Noakes, Andrew (2005). "Chapter 4: Rescue and Revival 1959-72". The Ultimate History of BMW. Bath, UK: Parragon Publishing. pp. 60–61. ISBN 1-4054-5316-8.
- Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos 1945-1990, Band 4 (1. ed.). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. p. 184. ISBN 3-613-02131-5.
- Roberts, Andrew (25 September 2007). "BMW 700". The Independent. London, UK: Independent Print. paragraph 6. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
BMW was saved from bankruptcy in the late Fifties by this Herald lookalike
- IsraelMotorIndustry.org. "BMW 700, the Haifa version". Retrieved 2011-09-10.