While the owners, staff, and team of Vintage BMW service technicians at The HAUS naturally love all-things-BMW-related, we do have some dream BMWs in our hearts of which we are particularly fond. Here are 4 of them:
BMW 507 Roadster (1956-1959)
The brainchild of Max Hoffman – an American importer of European sports and luxury vehicles, the 507 Roadster was designed to be the buyer’s choice between the affordable MGB and the luxurious Mercedes 300SL. We don’t love this car with its V8 just because it has sold at auctions for over $2 million (!) or because it is famous for its dependability and longevity; we also love this BMW because it is jaw-dropping gorgeous! With its detailed front grille and side vents, and “come hither” looks, it’s hard to resist. And, for 251 BMW Roadster enthusiasts, it was hard to resist. (BMW only manufactured 252 of these beauties, but Elvis owned two!)
BMW M1 (1978-1981)
This hand-built sports car is undoubtedly on many people’s lists of Top Favorite Vehicles in general – including ours! The M1 is the first mid-engined BMW to be manufactured for the general public; it’s also the first of all the BMW M vehicles. The M1 was designed by Giugiaro and a team of engineers previously employed by Lamborghini – the initial designer contacted for the challenge. The M1 is one of the rarest BMW models — only 453 M1s were produced and 20 of those were race versions.
BMW 2002tii (1971-1976)
There are lots of reasons the mechanically-fuel-injected, 2-door 2002tii is one of our favorite BMWs. Having arrived into the BMW family in 1971, its overall “cool” design caught the attention (and heart) of many (including us here at The HAUS). It’s an appealing mix of both rugged handsomeness with its famous kidney-shaped grille and soft sophistication with its round headlamps and encircling decorative chrome strip. As little as this BMW may appear to be on the outside, it’s really spacious in the cabin! It’s super big window and thin pillars add to its feeling of space and openness. Its oversized steering wheel helps to maneuver through tight moves since it doesn’t have power steering! It’s an overall really nice-looking BMW to drive, to admire, and to own!
BMW Z3 M Coupe (1998-2000)
A top contender for our all-time favorite BMW is the beautiful BMW Z3 M Coupe which was based on the convertible BMW M Roadster. Uniquely designed in the late 1990s under BMW’s design engineer Burkhard Göschel, the M Coupe was unveiled in 1997 and made available to the public from 1998 until 2002. But that didn’t happen without some behind-the-scenes major roadblocks. The Z3 M Coupe is one of those rare designs that either attracts car buyers to it like a magnet and who swear they have finally found their dream vehicle, or it leaves one wondering what the designers were thinking (or drinking). In fact, the design development team actually faced quite a challenge trying to persuade the Board of Directors to approve the model for production. It was finally given the “go ahead” on the condition it wasn’t going to be expensive to produce. The creative and clever design team easily resolved that concern — they simply made sure that the M Coupe’s doors, body panels, and everything from the A-pillar forward were easily interchangeable with the Roadster! Voila! Can’t get more cost-effective for a car manufacturer than that!
You don’t have to own one of our top 4 favorites for us to work on your BMW! We love all BMWs; we just happen to have four of them on our wish list right now!