BMW 635 CSi - beautiful views

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BMW 635 CSi - beautiful views

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Created on February 24, 2016

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Bruno von Rotz

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BMW AG

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Archiv BMW AG

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Balz Schreier

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - center-mounted dual exhaust

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - around 4.75 meters long

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - the rear wing was standard on the 635 CSi

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - elegant design, a masterpiece

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - the longest-produced model series in BMW history

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - with sports steering wheel

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - people liked to turn here

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - only after the facelift were the instruments for revs and speed the same size

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - the five-speed gearbox was not available from the start

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - pleasant "working atmosphere"

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - with fuel consumption display

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - the trip computer, a kind of early on-board computer

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - Check Control - this can be used to check the functionality of components

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - comfortable Recaro front seats

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - two separate seats in the rear

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - patterned upholstery for the seats

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - Interior door panel

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - beautifully carved BMW kidney grille

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - the catalytic converter version only delivered around 180 hp due to its focus on low-octane gasoline

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - Six-cylinder in-line engine installed longitudinally

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - with a good 3.4 liters of displacement

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - Twin front headlights

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - with large front spoiler

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - Wind deflectors for the windshield wipers

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - Double rear exhaust in the middle

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The E9 series with the coupés 2800 CS to 3.0 CSL was the forerunner of the 6-series

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - Debut of the new front-engined coupé with three-liter carburetor and 3.3-liter injection engine - Geneva Motor Show 1976

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - on a test drive in the new coupé

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - Individual seats with rear fabric center panels

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - no space remains unused

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - Check-Control first variant

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - the carburetor engine

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - still with Solex carburetors

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - Boot space for two people

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - elegance from a standing start

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - in contrast to its predecessor with a "real" B-pillar

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - rear view of the carburetor version

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - early coupé without electric windows

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - Seats not fully upholstered in fabric

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - Speedometer in the center, rev counter on the right

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BMW 630 CS (1976) - chrome-plated exterior mirror

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BMW 630 CS (1982) - USA version with more massive bumpers and side indicators

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BMW 633 CSi (1976) - Coupé at the harbor

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BMW 633 CSi (1976) - Coupé ready for a test drive

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BMW 633 CSi (1976) - with fuel injection

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BMW 633 CSi (1976) - red zone from 6500 rpm

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BMW 633 CSi (1976) - originally the fastest variant with around 215 km/h

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BMW 633 CSi (1978) - also available as 630 CS

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BMW 633 CSI (1982) - many people back then would have loved to have this coupé in their driveway

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BMW 628 CSi (1988) - compared to its later successor

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BMW 635 CSI (1986) - elegant coupé from the E24 model series

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BMW 635 CSI (1983) - a classic right from the start

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BMW M 635 CSI (1986) - the fastest version of the Munich Coupé

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BMW M 635 CSi (1988) - towards the end of the production period

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BMW 635 CSi (1979) - with original 75'000 km according to the seller, Euro 26'900 was on the price tag - Retro Classics Stuttgart 2014

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BMW 635 CSi (1982) - the fastest BMW of its time

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BMW 635 CSi (1982) - the rear spoiler was a typical accessory of the time

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BMW 635 CSI (1981) - larger front spoiler

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BMW 635 CSI (1981) - the most powerful version had more pronounced aerodynamic aids

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BMW 635 CSi (1982) - often photographed in front of modern architecture

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BMW 635 CSI (1981) - Transparent drawing

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BMW 635 CSI (1982) - Individual rear seats

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BMW 635 CSI (1981) - similar features to its predecessor

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BMW 635 CSI (1981) - the successor to the CS/CSL, which was built from 1968 to 1975

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BMW 635 CSI Group 2 (1984) - racing version with factory support

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BMW 635 CSI (1982) - comfortable front seats

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BMW 635 CSI (1982) - after the facelift with equally sized displays for revs and speed

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BMW 635 CSI (1982) - on the road in America

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BMW 635 CSI (1985) - BWM construction program of the year 1985 with the M 635 CSI

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BMW 735i (1981) - like a stretched 6-series coupé

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BMW 735i (1981) - the 6 Series Coupé anticipated the luxury sedan in terms of design

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - the same engine, but very different vehicles - on the left the BMW M1

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - on the handling course

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - on a loose surface

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - the then works driver Nelson Piquet poses with the BMW Coupé

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - Nelson Piquet is very taken with the Coupé

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - the engine from the M1

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - a little more front spoiler, that's it

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - it doesn't always have to be asphalt

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - it could hardly be any faster, 286 hp was quite an announcement

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - on the road in the mountains

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BMW M 635 CSI (1985) - hardly distinguishable from the weaker variants from the outside

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BMW 635 CSI (1985) - Fast touring car on the road

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BMW 635 CSI (1984) - Dieter Quester in the touring car

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BMW 635 CSI (1983) - Jägermeister-BMW in the Touring Car Championship

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BMW 635 CSi (1984) - DTM champion with Strycek in 1984

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BMW 635 CSi (1984) - a close-to-production touring car

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BMW 635 CSi Group 2 (1981) at the Arosa ClassicCar 2013 - Racing & Competition Class

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Overall winner Dieter Quester in the Schnitzer BMW 635 CSi (number 11) next to third-placed Schnitzer BMW number 10 (Roberto Ravaglia, Gerhard Berger, Emanuele Pirro) at the 24 Hours of Spa 1986

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BMW 635 CSI (1986) - Robert Rauschenberg's idea of an art car

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BMW 635 CSi (1982) - Ernst Fuchs dressed up a 6-series coupé

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The six was succeeded by the eight, of which there was also a twelve-cylinder version, the 850i

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - one of the last BMWs to be ordered in red

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - from this perspective it was mostly seen back then

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BMW 635 CSi (1986) - driver-oriented cockpit

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Summary

No other model series was produced by BMW for longer than the E24, built as the 628 CSi, 630 CS, 633 CSi, 635 CSi and M 635 CSi. The coupé, designed by Paul Bracq, proved to be timeless in terms of form and could be continuously refined technically. The performance increased by half, while the price more than doubled. Today, the elegant coupé is considered a classic, but one that is still waiting to be discovered. This report portrays a late coupé with catalytic converter, traces the history of its development and shows all models in many historical photos.

This article contains the following chapters

Elegance of the seventies
Innovative technology
Good right from the start
635 CSi as the answer to the 450 SLC 5.0
Top dog despite only six pots
14 years of evolution and a bit of disorder
Also in motorsport
The over-six
The catalytic converter as a damper
14 years of technological history
Feel-good coupé
Expansive Gran Turismo
Bargain?
Production statistics
Further information

Estimated reading time: 10min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It was the good guys and the bad guys who drove a BMW Coupé of the E24 series - better known under the type designations 628 CSi, 630 CS, 633 CSi or 635 CSi. Cybrill Shepard alias Madelyn "Maddie" Hayes, owner of the detective agency "Blue Moon", for example, drove a 633 CSi in the TV series "The Model and the Sleuth" (original title "Moonlighting"), while Mel Gibson's vicious adversary in Lethal Weapon II drove a red 635 CSi through wild chases without fear of loss. But they were certainly not poor people, because the elegant coupé was never cheap. For just over DM 40,000 or 44,900 francs, you got 4.75 meters of the most elegant car design from the hand of Paul Bracq, refined by Claus Luthe. Large windows, a low waistline, a long front section with a clearly visible raised kidney grille and relatively long overhangs (especially at the rear) created exciting lines that met the taste of the time.

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