BMW 3200 CS

BMW 3200 CS

The BMW 3200 CS ( internal type 532 ), also called " Bertone " is a luxury-class automobile that was introduced at the IAA in 1961 and built from February 1962 to September 1965 at BMW in Munich in collaboration with Bertone.

He is the successor to late-breaking of the BMW 503 Coupe for BMW 501/502 " Baroque Angel " series and is technically based on this, but is the body - build not aluminum like the 503, but conventionally made ​​of sheet steel, and was not at body manufacturer Baur, but at Bertone in Turin produced. The bodies were then transported by rail to Munich and completed at BMW.

The design of the car is one of the first of Giugiaro, who spent his apprenticeship with Bertone and the car a restrained Italianate - line sports car with panoramic windows and frameless side windows gave. Two prototypes emerged in 1960, but since there was BMW at the time in a heavy sales crisis, you could not decide to build, because despite the high price of nearly 30,000 DM -crafted quality and crafted BMW Great cars were considered to be loss-making. The 3200 CS was luxuriously equipped (including first electric window in a German passenger cars ) and offered for the car class, a spacious interior and trunk, but was in 1961 barely considered in the presentation at the IAA, as presented at the same time, long-awaited "New Class " (BMW 1500) all attracted attention. The marketing by BMW was weak. So he has not undergone any test during the entire production period of the Germany's leading car magazine, unlike competing models from Mercedes or even Alfa Romeo.

The BMW 3200 CS was the last BMW with traditional frame construction without self-supporting body. Also the transmission was (as in 501/502, 503 and 507 ) is not mounted directly on the engine, but mounted in the front seat height elastic on the frame and connected by a short drive shaft with the motor. Seat belts were not standard. With front double wishbones and torsion bars, the chassis was very expensive. Different rear axle ratios were ordered, but not a 5 -speed gearbox. Unlike the Mercedes coupe there was no power steering, and the disc brakes on the front wheels only. Characteristic elements of style of the BMW 3200 CS as today typical BMW C-pillar with the sg Hofmeister kink, C / CS or six-cylinder coupe (E9 ) repeatedly taken over by BMW in subsequent coupes such as the " gooks Coupe " in 2000 and continued.

The 3.2- liter V8 aluminum engine with twin carburettors develops 160 hp and a top speed of 200 km / h

By 1965, about 600 pieces from the BMW 3200 CS created (some sources say 532, others 603). Of these, more likely about 1/3 ready to drive or move into a running order be.

With chassis number 76,176 a facelift was performed: changes from plate to a wooden dashboard design, standard leather seats, a viscous fan and flange-mounted directly on the motor gear are the main changes.

As a single piece of a convertible for the BMW Herbert Quandt main shareholder was built as a thank you for their financial and personal commitment in the renovation of BMW early 60s.

In order to have sufficient capacity for the 02 BMW alongside the four-door models from 1966 newly offered, BMW introduced the production of the V8 coupé in 1965. For the time being the era of luxury cars from BMW came to an end - except for a brief interlude from the end of 1966 after the takeover of Glas in Dingolfing, which had developed its own luxurious V8 model ( named because of the originating also from Italy designs " Glaserati " ), but this has continued to be built only until 1968 when BMW V8.

The next developed by BMW even eight-cylinder coupe was again until July 1993 in the program ( BMW 840i ).

Competitors

• Mercedes 300 SE Coupé
• Ferrari 250 GTE 2 2
• Maserati 3500 GTIS ( Sebring )
• Alfa Romeo 2600 Sprint
• Jensen C- V8
• Gordon - Keeble