Produced for just six years between 1959 and 1965, the 700 is a forgotten BMW economy model. However, it came with an interesting design and technical layout. Available as a two-door sedan, coupe and convertible, the BMW 700 had the engine in the back. But it was its rear-wheel drive and good handling that made it popular among amateur racers. BMW sold the 700 in selected markets, mostly in Europe, building over 180,000 of them.
After the war, BMW wanted to attack Mercedes in the luxury car class, so they introduced the 501 and 502 Sedans. They nicknamed those cars, with their beautiful designs and powerful cruisers, the “Baroque Angel” for their looks and swooping fender curves. Unfortunately, they didn’t sell well, so the company lost money.
To gain more wealthy customers, BMW introduced the 502 Coupe. It was a luxury handmade two-door coupe with an aluminum V8 engine and high price tag. But they only made a few hundred, which makes the 502 Coupe extremely desirable to car collectors.
Although BMW lost money on every luxury model it produced in the ‘50s and early ‘60s, the company didn’t stop making bespoke cars. And one of the rarest is the 3200 CS, which they produced from 1962 to 1965 in only 600 examples. It was an important model for several reasons.
First, it was the last car to feature the special 3.2-liter V8 engine. Second, it was the first car to have the legendary “Hofmeister Kink.” That was a special design of the C-pillar with a C-shaped curve that later became the symbol of BMW design language.
The two and four door “Neue Klasse” models proved to be a turning point for BMW, promoting the company from a little German brand to a global bestseller. The 1800 Sedan was popular with family buyers due to its comfortable yet sporty feel. BMW also successfully raced this model in salon championships all over the Europe and America.
In fact, they built a special homologation model they named the 1800 TI/SA. Presented in 1965 in just 200 copies, the 1800 TI/SA was a sure winner on the track. Best yet, it was one of the few cars you could drive on the track on Sunday and take to work on Monday without any modifications.
In the early ‘60s, BMW experienced a spurt of unbelievable growth due to the enormous success of its “Neue Klasse” models. But the company needed bigger production facilities. So they decided to buy the struggling German independent brand Glas and absorb their models in the BMW lineup.
The result was the BMW-Glas 3000 V8 coupe they unveiled in the late ‘60s. Basically, it had a Glas design, but with BMW mechanics and badges. The car was expensive and they sold it in limited numbers, but it is an interesting part of BMW history.
Everybody is familiar with the BMW 02 or “Neue Klasse” models. They revolutionized the small performance sedan market and made BMW one of the world’s leading brands. The 02 is still a popular model and has been the basis for later 3-Series cars. Among the many variants, there is one interesting and rare one, the 2002 Diana. The Diana is a special version BMW built as a special favor to Hubert Hahne.
He is a former BMW racer and dealer who wanted a special 2002 for his wife, Diana. Hahne specified 12 cars, all with unique features, and special paint, engine and trim combinations. They sold them in his dealership at a higher price with the name, “Diana” on the trunk. From the outside, the four headlights were the most obvious clue, as well as the special metallic paint.
Did you know they produced the first M BMW in South Africa four years before any M cars appeared in Germany? In fact, in 1976, BMW South Africa presented a special model they called the 530 MLE, short for Motorsport Limited Edition. It featured numerous performance upgrades over the standard 5 Series 530 model.
But the biggest change was the almost fully race-prepped six-cylinder, 3.0 liters engine with an upgraded performance intake and cylinder head as well as beefed up internals. The result was a fantastic 274 HP coming from the three liters. And all that made this four-door sedan one of the fastest, most powerful passenger cars in the world at the moment.
For decades, BMW had a long and fruitful relationship with the German design company, Baur. They produced limited edition and special models for BMW and other German brands. Also, BMW supplied the bodies for Baur conversions that were convertibles or Targa-style open tops they based on regular models.
But one of the most interesting was the E21 3-Series Baur TC2 model they produced from 1978 until 1982 in just over 4,500 examples. And, they only sold 25 of their new cars in America.
In 1983, BMW South Africa presented a special and significant car they called the 745i. It got its power from a naturally aspirated M88 engine from the famous M1 supercar. The six-cylinder engine produced 286 HP. In fact, it was one of the hottest engines from BMW that found its way into the biggest, most luxurious sedan in their lineup.
That’s quite an unusual combination, even by today’s standards, but 745i turned out to be a fast and capable car. It was even good enough to go racing. In an extremely interesting turn of events, the big 745i won the South African touring car championship, becoming the first 7 Series sedan to win a major race series.
In the early ‘80s, BMW entered the Formula One race along with Brabham Team. In those days, turbo technology was all the rage, so they equipped the BT52 with a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder heavily turbocharged engine that produced a fantastic 800 HP.
The result was one of the fastest cars on the grid as well as being the first forced induction car to win the Formula One title. Although most have forgotten about it, this race car was immensely important for lifting the BMW confidence in racing.
Before roadsters like the Z3, Z4 and the cool-looking, limited production Z8, BMW introduced the strange looking but interesting Z1. The Z1 was a sleek roadster with uncharacteristic styling and plastic body panels. Also, it had unusual sliding doors, which disappeared in rocker panels when drivers opened them. Technically, you could drive the BMW Z1 with the doors down.
The other interesting feature was the plastic body panels bolted onto the chassis. Z1 owners could buy different color panels and attach them to the car at their will. That means they could change the color of the car just by adding different colored doors and fenders, as well as the trunk or hood.
In 1988, BMW South Africa introduced the 333i E30 coupe with a 3.3-liter straight six that delivered 194 HP and a vivid performance. The 0 to 60 mph sprint took around seven seconds, which was better than the M3 E30. The 333i came with a plush interior, but only two options, air-conditioning or power steering.
Apparently, the big six-cylinder took up so much space in the engine bay that buyers had to choose between an air-conditioning compressor or a power steering pump. Since this was a special model, BMW made only 210 of those fantastic 333i E30s. They are extremely rare today, even in South Africa.
If you ask the average BMW enthusiast if the company ever produced an E30 M3 open top, the answer will be “no.” But, the fact is, they produced that model in fewer than 800 examples and for just three years as a special order. The original E30 M3 was homologation special BMW built for racing, so they didn’t consider a convertible version in the beginning.
However, to widen its appeal, the company decided to introduce such a car they based on a regular E30 3-Series open top. Today, those convertibles are a rare, expensive piece of M3 history.
The E36 M3 is now a legendary car which BMW sold all around the world. And it also proved itself on the race track. But there was one rare and forgotten version which was even better, the M3 GT. BMW built only 365 examples, and for one year only, in 1995.
The M3 GT had more power at 295 HP and less weight at around 60 pounds less. With its unrestricted top speed and stiffer suspension, it was the perfect driving machine. However, they only produced it in only one color, British Racing Green, selling it in selected European markets.
BMW wanted to battle Ferrari and Porsche in the American IMSA racing series. So for that purpose, they prepared the E46 M3. However, instead of a high revving 3.2-liter six-cylinder, their M Performance division installed a special 4.4-liter V8 engine that made the M3 unstoppable at the tracks. But, the other teams in the race series cried foul since the V8 wasn’t a production item in the M3 range.
So, BMW decided to create one of the craziest homologation specials ever, the M3 GTR. It delivered a whopping 493 HP with full racing equipment and an aero package. Interestingly, BMW built 10 cars, but never offered them for sale to the public. Apparently, all 10 are still in BMW’s ownership even though there were interested buyers willing to pay $220,000 apiece.
Even though this was not the first M5 station wagon, BMW produced just 1,025 of them. In fact, only a few people even knew BMW offered the car. It had a high revving 5.0-liter V10 that pumped out 507 HP they derived from a BMW Formula One unit.
However, to fight Audi’s fast wagons, BMW decided to make a Touring version of the M5 and offer it with a manual transmission. So, it this is a BMW M5 station wagon delivering 507 HP with a six-speed manual transmission. It goes from 0 to 60 in just 4.5 seconds with a 205 mph top speed. It’s no wonder that second-hand examples go for over $100,000.
When BMW debuted the E90 M3, most car enthusiasts raved about the glorious new V8 engine. However, they complained about the weight gain, which made the car feel less agile. BMW answered the criticism with a special, expensive and highly limited model they named the M3 CRT. The “CRT” stands for “Carbon Racing Technology” and represents the M3 Sedan with a full carbon body, seats, interior and other pieces.
Although the effort in reducing weight was extensive, the result was just 70 kilograms less than the regular model, which was a bit disappointing. However, BMW installed a 4.4-liter V8 engine from the M3 GTS with 450 HP that provided the M3 CRT with a strong performance. Since BMW only produced 67 examples in 2011, you will need around $300,000 to buy one today.
From 2005 to 2007, BMW produced a special version of its 7-Series luxury sedan they named the Hydrogen 7. This was a specially prepared 760 Li model that could run on liquid hydrogen as well as on regular gasoline. Most importantly, it was the first production-ready passenger vehicle that could run on hydrogen fuel.
Although they only offered it in selected markets and production was reasonably low, it showed BMW’s dedication to clean energy and future technologies.
These are the 20 rare and interesting BMW models you probably didn’t know about, but now you do. Have you chosen your favorite? While some are still around, many of these are rare and highly-collectible models. But, they all show BMW’s dedication to innovation, design and technology.