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BMW Hurrican - sports car dream as final thesis

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Created on May 22, 2014

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

52

Archiv

4

Daniel Reinhard

52

Archiv

4

BMW Hurrican (1965) - looks like no other car, even today, 50 years later, the shape looks attractive

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - it always seems to smile at you

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the one-off hardly drives any differently than a production model

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - Driving performance and suspension comfort satisfy even the most demanding connoisseurs

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - drives comfortably and surprisingly mature

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the crease in the flank alone must have taken hundreds of hours to repair

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the cabin tapers sharply towards the top

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the fuel filler cap is at the back

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - no well-known designer drew the shape, it was the young master aspirants

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BMW Hurrican (1976) - it took around 10 years from the first ideas to the state shown here

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the front headlights come from a Volvo 122

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the radiator grille was made by hand

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the headlights are kept under Plexiglas covers, a requirement of aesthetics and aerodynamics

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BMW Hurrican (1976) - still with aluminum wheels without spokes

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - elongated silhouette, sophisticated two-tone color scheme thanks to vinyl roof

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the gap dimensions also meet modern requirements

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - crafted to perfection

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the bumper was also custom-made

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the entire body was built by hand, by students

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the rear lights are from the Fiat 850 Spider

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the body is made of sheet steel, doors and hood are made of aluminum

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BMW Hurrican (1976) - all of a piece, elegant and beautiful

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - has something dolphin-like about it, at least that's what Max Stoop thought in 2008

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the view to the rear is very good, thanks to the large rear window

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - a car like a hurricane

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - attractive inside and out

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the windshield of the Ferrari 250 LM creates a Le Mans feeling in the cockpit

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the instruments come from BMW and Jaguar

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - all instruments are grouped around the driver

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the bucket seats were made to measure

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - like in an airplane, the Jaguar switches on the roof console

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - many switches and indicator lights

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the eight-track tape recorder between the seats

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the exterior mirror can be adjusted from the inside

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the spare wheel lies upright in the trunk

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - enough space in the trunk, but everyone can see what's inside

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BMW Hurrican (1976) - the interior is lined with light-colored carpets

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the tailgate is held in place by Citroën dampers

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - two twin carburetors from Weber provide plenty of power

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the original 1.8-liter engine was replaced by that of a 2000 ti in the 1970s

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the very special nameplate

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the production of this edge must have cost the students many a sleepless night

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - individually manufactured headlight covers

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - these flaps do not conceal the fuel filler neck, but the adjustable suspension struts of the BMW 1800 TiSA

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - simple door handles

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the rear-view mirrors are from Pontiac

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - no tinkering, the prototype is superbly crafted

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - perfect fit

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - designed for unleaded 98

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the rear lights come from the Fiat 850 Spider

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - Vinyl on the dech and on the rear end

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - only on the rear there is a BMW sign

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - generously glazed tailgate

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - good performance is possible with the 2-liter engine

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the driver sits relatively far forward, even though he is over 1.8 meters tall

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BMW Hurrican (1965) - the headlights are kept under Plexiglas covers, a requirement of aesthetics and aerodynamics

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Summary

Only rarely does a one-off automobile succeed with the perfection that characterizes the BMW Hurrican. Built and designed by students, the compact sports coupé even meets the requirements one would expect of an everyday vehicle. The fact that the car has nevertheless only covered just under 4500 km in its almost fifty-year life is therefore due to other reasons. At one point, there was even a chance of series production. This report portrays the BMW Hurrican and tells the story of its creation and life.

This article contains the following chapters

Challenging diploma thesis
The alternative to the BMW 1600 GT
Unusual design
Craftsmanship perfection
Completed in over 10 years
Switzerland-Germany and back
Incomparable
Not a show car
Almost suitable for everyday use
Further information

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

Ferrari 250 LM, Opel Manta, Volvo 122, Fiat 850 Spider, Jaguar XJ6, E-Type, Porsche 911 or BMW 1800/2000, the list of parts donors is long and perhaps also partly responsible for the fact that even connoisseurs don't recognize the whole thing for all the parts. Although there has rarely been a one-off in the classic car press as frequently as the BMW Hurrican from 1964, many observers are still unsure what exactly they are looking at when the sleek coupé appears. The adventure began in 1965 when, at the age of 22, the Swiss Max Seelaus got together with seven fellow students at the Palatinate Master Craftsmen's School in Kaiserslautern to identify a suitable topic for their diploma in the specialist department for bodywork and vehicle construction. It is not known how many beers and heated discussions were involved, but in the end the plan was clear: a visually attractive sports coupé suitable for everyday use was to be built on large-scale production mechanics.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

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