BMW 1800
(1963 - 1972)
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Germany
BMW 1800: All models
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At the end of the 1950s and beginning of the 1960s, the future of Bayerische Motoren-Werke looked anything but rosy. The product range included small models such as the Isetta, the 600 and the 700, as well as the elegant "Baroque Angel" and the two sports cars 503 and 507. There was a yawning void between these two extremes, resulting in figures deep in the red. The launch of the "New Class" in between therefore decided the survival or decline of the brand. This vehicle report tells the story of the "Neue Klasse" and shows it in old and new images.
With the 1800, Munich returned to the 'fast' tradition: the friends of the white-blue brand were once again able to show the rear end to the motoring public! This hobby article from 1963 describes what the BMW 1800 was all about from a contemporary perspective, but also where it still had some shortcomings, illustrated with lots of historical images and sales literature from the time.
Although the BMW New Class 1500 sold so well that production capacity was insufficient, there was also a lot of more or less justified criticism. With the BMW 1800, the Munich-based company improved the four-door saloon to such an extent that it could almost be described as an economy TI. The car now offered the performance and handling of a sports car, but could still carry the whole family. However, the car still had a few weaknesses. This article reproduces the original test report from 1963 and shows the car in many historical photographs.
The BMW 1800 TI almost seems to encourage speeding. The handy little saloon with the big engine was not only ideal for outpacing large luxury cars in the left-hand lane. It also automatically made it possible to cover familiar routes much faster. This historical test report from 1964 explains why this was the case and what else BMW's sporty mid-size class was good and not so good at.
No car is so good that it cannot be improved. The "special version", limited to 200 units, was therefore the factory-optimized racing version of the BMW 1800 TI. This historical test report explains that even this outstanding workhorse still had room for "haircuts" and how they should ideally be achieved.
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BMW 1800 - Just before five
The "New Class" from BMW was the five before the five. More than any other German mid-size sedan, it placed particular emphasis on sportiness even in the early sixties. Towards the end of the decade, it may have aged a little visually - but in terms of driving dynamics, hardly any other German brand had anything to offer.
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