The sporting qualities of the BMW 700 Coup were evident from the start of production in July 1959: The first Coups were to be admired on the track before the end of the year, on the Sahara-Lappland Rally, for example. In 1960 BMW's fast Coups brought home both gold medals and titles, with Hans Stuck clinching the German Hill-Climbing Championship at the wheel of a BMW 700 at the age of 60.
This created significant demand among many customers for an even more powerful engine, with the big day coming in summer 1961 when BMW proudly presented the BMW 700 Sport to the press at the Nrburgring race track.
With its compression ratio increased to 9:1, an even more dynamic camshaft and Solex twin-carburetors, the two-cylinder boxer engine now developed 40hp at 5700rpm. This sporting package was rounded off by an optional sports transmission and an even harder suspension, featuring firmer dampers and an anti-roll torsion bar. The power unit, in turn, was sufficient for acceleration to 100 km/h in just under 20 seconds and a top speed of 84mph. All the customer had to pay for this extra driving pleasure was DM 550.
This "hot" version of the BMW 700 quickly became a legend in the early '60s, particularly in motorsport, and was lauded by fans as the "little fighter". And indeed, at its time the car put up some exciting duels against competitors from both Steyr-Puch and Abarth.
Moving on to works racing, BMW prepared two truly outstanding performers in parallel to one another: the 700 GT in 1960 and, a year later, the BMW 700 RS. "When a new BMW sports car, the BMW 700 RS, enters the Rossfeld Hillclimb Race on 18 June 1961, this will be in a quest to test the driving qualities of the BMW 700 at higher speeds and under more dynamic conditions," said the announcement.
The fact that this was indeed no more than a test is obvious, considering the BMW 700 RS, in making its debut in the sports car category up to 1600cc, was competing against the likes of the Porsche Spyder and the Porsche RSK, to mention only two formidable rivals.
BMW's small racing machine boasted a tubular spaceframe and aluminum body, with 70hp coming from the side-shaft power unit and with the complete vehicle weighing less than 1323 lb. Depending on the transmission ratio, this small but dynamic performer was able to reach a top speed between 93 and 124mph - enough for Walter Schneider to bring home the German Circuit Championship in 1961 at the wheel of a BMW 700 RS.
The dynamic BMW 700 remained seriously competitive and in most cases superior for years to come, boasting various levels of tuning and engine power. And when BMW's two-cylinder sports car finally reached the end of its career, Hubert Hahne, one of the big stars at the time in touring car racing, had brought home the majority of his wins in this outstanding performance model.
At the same time the BMW 700 had already become the ideal car for young drivers making their first appearance in racing at the time. A very good example is Hans-Joachim Stuck, who has great memories of this great car: "I was just 9 years old when I accompanied my father to drivers' courses held by Scuderia Hanseat at the Nrburgring. There I was able to drive a BMW 700 myself, since it was a closed circuit reserved entirely for our racing activities."
BMW quickly added further versions to the range, making the BMW 700 even more successful: Following the regular 700, the company introduced the BMW 700 De Luxe in February 1961, featuring the same technical equipment but with an even higher level of appointments. The most exclusive model in the BMW 700 range launched at the same time was the BMW 700 Convertible, the Baur Coachbuilding Company in Stuttgart designing and building this open-air version of the BMW 700, as they had already done so often in the history of BMW.
To provide all the qualities for driving in the open air, Baur reinforced the car's load-bearing elements and re-designed the rear end. An uncomplicated, straightforward roof mechanism made open air motoring a genuine pleasure, particularly because the 700 Convertible came as standard with the more powerful engine otherwise featured in the BMW 700 Sport.
The most significant change came in spring 1962 when BMW, while retaining the car's wheelbase, extended the body by no less than 12.6" to offer a significant increase in motoring comfort. This new model was marketed as the BMW LS and the BMW LS De Luxe.
As of autumn 1964, the Coup also received this longer body, coming off the assembly line in its last year of production as the BMW LS Coup. In all, sales of the BMW 700 amounted to 190,000 units by the year 1965. And the car was a great success in many countries the world over, with BMW delivering assembly kits for the BMW 700 to assembly plants in countries otherwise imposing high taxes on completely built-up cars. Hence, the BMW 700 was assembled from kits in Belgium, Italy, Argentina and even - in small numbers - in Israel.
At the end of the day the BMW 700 more than fulfilled its expectations, having given BMW new hope and taking the company successfully through the crisis in 1959 and on to the final breakthrough to profitable large-scale production.