How the interior of the BMW Turbo study was created

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How the interior of the BMW Turbo study was created

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Created on April 21, 2020

Text:

Hans A. Muth

Photos:

BMW Group Archiv

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Hans A. Muth

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BMW AG/BMW AG

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Bruno von Rotz

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Archiv

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Cockpit of the BMW Turbo (1972) - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2015

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BMW Turbo (1972) - concept car with shifted rear wheels

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BMW Turbo (1972) - a new bumper system celebrated its premiere in the mid-engined car

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BMW Turbo (1972) - three-dimensional interior sketch with driver-oriented cockpit

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BMW Turbo (1972) - Schematic sketch of the most important controls in the cockpit

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BMW Turbo (1972) - View into the cockpit

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BMW Turbo (1972) - the cockpit of the mid-engined sports car

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BMW Turbo (1972) - View of the cockpit through the open gullwing door

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BMW Turbo (1972) - Sketch of the Turbo (1972) and 328 (1940) in comparison

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BMW Turbo (1972) - Presentation at the Paris Motor Show

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BMW Turbo (1972) - Presentation at the Paris Motor Show

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BMW Turbo (1972) - Portrait of Paul Bracq standing behind the BMW Turbo

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BMW Turbo (1972) - at the Bremen Classic Motorshow 2016

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Summary

In 1972, the BMW Turbo study was presented in Munich, with an interior that had been designed in just a few minutes. The man who supplied the drawings remembers this very special project. This report recounts episodes from the development history of the BMW Turbo and shows the interior in sketches and in the finished car.

This article contains the following chapters

Safety thinking
First meeting with Paul Bracq
Turbo cockpit at high speed
From the sketch to the seat box
Presentation as a milestone
Unintentional crash test
New cockpit trend
Hardly any effect of the "Turbo" line on the series design

Estimated reading time: 9min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The author of this article, Hans A. Muth, worked successfully and influentially for BMW between 1971 and 1979 as head of design for vehicle interiors and motorcycle design, setting trends in both sectors and is therefore an enthusiastic, committed player and directly involved contemporary witness. The "vehicle safety" debate triggered in the USA by Ralph Nader also spread to European car manufacturers. BMW had made many new friends in the USA with its model range, starting in the 1960s, which was reflected in an impressive increase in registrations, but was now also affected by the new safety requirements initiated by the American licensing authorities, which had a strong influence on both exterior and interior design.

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