1968 BMW 1600 GT

Body No. 6779 Engine No. W002192First launched at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show as the Glas 1300 GT, the new car from the boutique manufacturer was a sporting two-door coupe with the lines penned by Pietro Frua. Powered by a 1.3-liter inline-four, the engine was upgraded in 1965, along with the name, to the 1700 GT, which featured a 1.7-liter engine. Shortly after this, BMW purchased Hans Glas GmbH to increase its engineering and production capacity to satisfy the increasing demand for its popular Neue Klasse models. BMW immediately retired the nearly the entire Glas model range but kept the 1700 GT. The GT was thoroughly upgraded with a BMW 1.6-liter inline-four engine and a completely reengineered semi-trailing arm rear suspension in place of the solid rear axle with leaf springs. What started as the Glas GT had now fully evolved as the BMW 1600 GT.First registered on 10 December 1968, this BMW 1600 GT was initially owned by renowned German journalist and author Werner Büdeler. Delivered through Munich dealer Schorsch Meier, this example is one of just 350 that were finished in Chamonix (White) from new. The accompanying service book shows that the car received regular servicing through 1976, when it was imported to the U.S. by Otto Winzer. The car remained in Texas until 1984, when it ventured back across the Atlantic, once again residing in Germany with its new owner, Günter Otto. As a long-term custodian, he retained the car for 21 years until 2005 when Susanne Thiemann acquired it. The car remained in her care for nearly the next 20 years, until 2024 when it was purchased by the current owner.Benefiting from a comprehensive restoration performed in the 1990s, the car remains in outstanding condition today. The 1600 GT marks an essential milestone in BMW's history. Building on the success of the Neue Klasse models, they bolstered the early sporting image that BMW is still known for six decades later. As a result, this rarely seen 1600 GT should be a welcome addition to any collection that celebrates the best of mid-century BMW.