Vehicle Description
1958 BMW 600
BMW needed to expand its model range, but they did not have the
resources to develop an all-new car with an all-new engine.
Therefore, it used the Isetta as starting point for a new four seat
economy car.
As a result, the 600 used the front suspension and front door of
the Isetta. The need to carry four people required a longer frame,
a different rear suspension, and a larger engine. A new perimeter
frame was designed, using box section side members and straight
tube crossmembers. The rear suspension was an independent semi
trailing arm design; this was the first time BMW had used this
system. The chassis had a wheelbase of 1,700 millimetres (67 in), a
front track of 1,220 millimetres (48 in), and a rear track of 1,160
millimetres (46 in).
The 600 was powered by the 582 cc (35.5 cu in) flat-twin engine
from the R67 motorcycle/sidecar combination. This engine, which
delivered 19.5 horsepower (14.5 kW) at 4,500 revolutions per
minute, was mounted behind the rear wheels. A four-speed manual
gearbox was standard, while a Saxomat semi-automatic transmission
was available. The 600 had a top speed of approximately 100 km/h.
Access to the rear seats was by a conventional door on the right
side of the vehicle.
The 600 played a direct role in the design of its successor, the
BMW 700. Wolfgang Denzel, the distributor of BMW cars in Austria,
commissioned Giovanni Michelotti to prepare concept sketches based
on a lengthened BMW 600 chassis. Denzel presented the concept, a
2-door coupe with a slanted roof, to BMW's management. The concept
was generally well received, but objections were raised about the
limited passenger space. BMW decided to produce two versions, the
coupe, and a 2-door sedan with a taller, longer roof.
