If you haven’t had the chance to see the BMW Art Cars in person you can now see them “virtually” on the internet. To coincide with BMW’s 40th anniversary of commitment to culture and the arts the 17 examples of “art on wheels” will be fully explained and exposed via the world wide web.
The full collection can be viewed online at the BMW Art Car Tour site.
As we know all too well, enthusiasts are extremely difficult to please. We are a demanding bunch that want things to be perfect, from new cars to those old timers we cherish. BMW has attempted to appease us (quite effectively I might add) in the new car department for decades but have stayed out of the business of restoring customer cars until recently.
For decades BMW restored cars as part of its Mobile Tradition program, cars the company felt were collectible and wanted as part of its own history on display. Mobile Tradition has transformed in BMW Classic and opened its shop doors to the demanding collector with a big wallet. A perfect restoration requires manufacturer involvement, so going to the very company that built the car originally just makes perfect sense.
The first customer car to be delivered was a 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi-which was beautifully restored to its original state; minus the customer requested switch from a 4 speed manual to the prototype only automatic. While we are a little confused why anyone would spend the money on a perfect restoration the bastardize it by swapping in an unspecified transmission the final product looks like it just rolled off the line. The delivery was completed just as a new late model would be, at BMW Welt.
With this article we introduce Saad, our newest contributer here at BimmerFile. Saad has a passion for cars, BMWs in particular and will initially be providing us with some history behind the brand we love. Enjoy, as we are sure you will find the articles informative and engaging.
After World War II, Germany was in a state of destruction. A dreadful economy, the consequence of involvement in the war, and Allied bombings had left the German car industry in a perilous state. BMW had suffered badly, but the sanctions placed upon it were generously waived by the Allied Control Commission. This meant that, despite the war wounds and amputations, BMW could start over. With the glory years behind them, it was never underestimated how difficult it would be for a new beginning.
BMW demonstrated its postwar panache by producing timeless sports cars, like the 507, and the infamous Baroque Angels. By the end of the fifties, however, BMW had yet to produce a revenue generating automobile. The Baroque Angels were simply too expensive given the European economy of the time with limited sales potential and the diminutive Isetta just wasn’t selling well enough. The void between the V8s and the bubblecars had to be filled. The Goldilocks formula was a four-cylinder family car sized and priced between the Isetta-derived flat-twin rear-engined 600 and the elegant Goertz designed 503 sports car.
Official Release: 7,500 miniature models of the BMW Isetta – the diminutive vehicle built in Munich between 1955 to 1962, and one of the most famous ‘bubble cars’ – have been produced to greet the citizens of Munich and its visitors. The 5-centimeter model cars are supported by an advertising campaign designed to convey the Museum’s greetings from newspapers as well as outdoor posters. The campaign is capped by a 60-second cinema commercial relating the journey of the pocket-sized Isettas from the BMW Museum to the centre of Munich.
Does anyone else think this is at all related to BMW introducing a new city car code-named Project i? It may be a coincidence but it works on a couple of levels.
Official Release: The cruising altitude of modern airliners ranges from 10 to 12 kilometres. It is hard to imagine, then, that a pilot managed to broach these heights a full 90 years ago. It was a BMW engine which, on 17th June 1919, propelled Franz Zeno Diemer to an altitude of 9,760 metres. If further proof were needed of the superiority of the ingenious yet simple concept of BMW’s highaltitude engines, it was furnished during that summer of 1919 at Munich’s Oberwiesenfeld airfield. No human had previously piloted an aircraft to a greater height.
BimmerFile is dedicated to bringing you the most interesting news, links and reviews related to the BMW brand and it's vehicles.
We believe in the old school BMW ownership experience. We believe in garage nights with a six pack and some friends. We believe in 2002s, in E30 M3s and E34 540s with the 6 speed. We believe in progress in both design and engineering but we haven't lost sight of what made the brand and its products great all those years ago. And yes, we believe in the manual transmission.
We long for the days of the wave and for the days of roll-up windows. Yet we love the gadgets on the inside and the xenons on the outside.
In short, we can't get enough of BMWs. This is BimmerFile.
Sections: BMW History, Official News, Video, Vintage BMW Jul 11th, 2011 No Comments 
