BMW 600 Classic Cars for Sale

The BMW 600 is microcar that was made in the period between 1957 and 1959 and it featured four-seat cars. The BMW 600, which was designed and manufactured by BMW, was their first four-seat car to produce after the Second World War. The idea behind the production of the BMW 600 was to offer an economy car that would probably attract more sales, but this was not the outcome since the sales were not as impressive as the company anticipated. This inspired BMW to make some changes to the car so they could get grip in the market, so they later re-introduced the BMW 600 as the BMW 700, but this time with better features and shape.

History of the BMW 600

The concept behind the development of the BMW 600 is based on the Isietta engine. BMW wanted to increase their models, but they lacked sufficient resources to produce a new engine and four-door car entirely. So, they opted for the Isietta engine, which had already proved reliable for previous models. The BMW 600 was designed as a four-door economy class car that was meant to attract more sales and market the brand beyond. Consequently, the BMW 600 was made with a front suspension and a door at the front, which was previously the case with the Sietta. Due to the fact the car would be used to carry four people, the engineers at BMW decided to make a semi trailing arm rear suspension. They also engineered a perimeter frame that would most perfectly match with the weight and functionality of the BMW 600.

Another argument that was presented to help make the car more refined was the size of the engine. They, therefore, designed a slightly larger engine (582 cc) but retaining the same technology as used in the Isietta. The car was also fast as it had a maximum speed of 100 km/h. The reception of the BMW 600 went totally against the expectations of BMW. In the period between 1957 and 1959, BMW made more than 35, 000 BMW 600 cars, but the market was highly competitive at that time. This competition is attributed to the availability of alternatives like the Volkswagen Beetle, which were relatively more attractive and conventional. The production of the BMW 600 was, therefore, closed in 1959 due to imminent losses the car would bring if the company continued to trade in the model. This allowed them to focus on bigger models, this time upgrading the BMW 600 to BMW 700, a better structured monocoque BMW.

Legacy of the BMW 600

The BMW 600 influenced the design and manufacture of its successor, BMW 700. The 700 was designed based on the BMW 600 chassis and the first 700 was a two-door coupe with a slanted roof.