10 GREAT CARS FROM BMW’S 100 YEARS

The 100 Masterpieces collection on display at the BMW Museum features great vehicles from throughout the company’s history. Here are some highlights from BMW’s storied past, with most of these models on display in Munich.

303

This is the car that started it all. BMW acquired failed automaker Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach in 1928. The amalgamated company’s first car design, the 1933 BMW 303, introduced the kidney grille to the world. That design feature has become BMW’s signature.

507

Widely regarded as a master class in styling, the BMW 507 is also still prized for its aluminum body and high-performance 3.2-litre V8. Only 254 were produced between 1955 and 1959, and nearly all of the original examples remain preserved to this day.

M1

BMW gathered all of its racing activities under a single banner by creating BMW Motorsport as a subsidiary in 1972. This set the stage for the birth of the M badge, beginning with the iconic M1 that debuted in 1978.

1500

Some nostalgic car lovers will say this is the BMW body shape they relate to most. The BMW 1500 was the first of the Neue Klasse sedans and coupes that sold more than 350,000 units through the 1960s and early ‘70s and led the company back into the black.

007’S 750IL

BMW’s best moment in the James Bond franchise was with its flagship 750iL, which appeared in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies. On top of the standard 5.4-litre V12 that made 346 horsepower, Bond’s version was equipped with a roof-mounted rocket launcher, self-healing tires and a tear-gas-equipped security system. Bond could also control it via his phone, which in retrospect was accurate foreshadowing.

ISETTA

The BMW Isetta was born from the brief 1950s trend of putting roofs over motorcycles because bikes themselves fell out of favour. This quirky little bubble car featured 250- or 300-cc four-stroke engines on a body with a door that opened from the front.

700

Though it’s relatively unassuming, this is the car that saved BMW when it was on the verge of a sale to rival Daimler-Benz. A surge in preorders — there were 30,000 on file — was the sole tipping point that gave shareholders hope. It was first produced in 1959.

ART CAR COLLECTION

Since 1975, BMW has curated a collection of its cars painted or enhanced by internationally-renowned artists such as Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. This example was prepared by American artist Jeff Koons on a BMW M3 GT2 in 2010.

BRABHAM F1

This car and its achievements are remarkable in many ways. It’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder was the first turbocharged engine ever to win a world championship. Racing great Nelson Piquet accomplished that with this ride in 1983, and it’s often regarded as being among the most visually striking F1 cars of all time.

BMW X5

It’s unusual to include an SUV in a list of must-see cars. But the X5 was BMW’s very first crack at the segment in 1999. It gave the company its first off-road-capable, five-door vehicle with all-wheel drive.