Background
BMW 1600-2 Baur Coupé was a rare prototype created in 1967 and represents one of the alternative ideas considered during the early development of the BMW 02 Series. Karosserie Baur developed both an open Convertible and a fixed-roof Coupé based on the BMW 1600-2. While BMW approved the Baur Convertible for production, the Coupé remained a prototype and the project was not developed into a series-production model.
Baur’s alternative Coupé
The standard BMW 1600-2 was already a sporting two-door car with a coupé-like silhouette, but Baur took the concept further. Its proposal featured a different roofline and rear treatment, giving the car a more traditional and elegant coupé profile. The project demonstrated how the engineering of the 02 Series could also form the basis of a more exclusive low-volume body style.
BMW 1600-2 engineering
Mechanically, the prototype was based on the regular BMW 1600-2. Its 1,573 cm³ four-cylinder in-line engine produced 85 hp at 5,700 rpm. Power was transmitted to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. The standard 1600-2 had a top speed of 160 km/h, while its compact dimensions, low weight and rear-wheel drive helped establish the sporting character for which the 02 Series became known.
The Convertible was chosen
At the same time, Baur was developing an open version of the BMW 1600-2. BMW chose to continue with the Convertible rather than the fixed-roof Coupé. The open car was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1967 and subsequently entered series production in 1968. The Baur Coupé therefore remained one of the BMW projects that reached the prototype stage but never progressed to the showroom.
A rare branch of 02 Series history
The BMW 1600-2 Baur Coupé is significant because it illustrates the variety of ideas explored during the early years of the 02 Series. The successful 1600-2 ultimately developed into a broad model family, but Baur’s fixed-roof Coupé remained an unrealised alternative. Its prototype status makes it one of the lesser-known and more unusual side branches of BMW 02 Series history.
Model in the collection
The BMW 1600-2 Baur Coupé in my collection was produced by Matrix Scale Models and represents the 1967 prototype.
Technical data in brief
Year: 1967
Status: prototype
Body style: two-door coupé
Coachbuilder: Karosserie Baur, Stuttgart
Technical basis: BMW 1600-2
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder in-line
Displacement: 1,573 cm³
Power: 85 hp @ 5,700 rpm
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Drivetrain: rear-wheel drive
Top speed of the base model: 160 km/h
Production: did not enter series production; a prototype is documented
Special feature: Baur’s fixed-roof coupé proposal based on the BMW 1600-2, rejected in favour of the Convertible
Photo of the real car. Source: bmw2002faq.com