Sixty years after the BMW 600 Limousin started production as a four-seat derivative of the beloved BMW Isetta, the stretch bubble car first built in 1957 finally received its due. The readers of Auto Bild Klassik awarded the BMW 600 the "Golden Classic" award for 2017. Ralph Huber, Director of the BMW Museum and Communication BMW Group Classic, accepted the award for the BMW 600 in a ceremony in Augsburg, Germany on October 6th.
Sporting a larger 19.2-horsepower engine than the original BMW Isetta and a longer wheelbase, the 600 added a side door and a folding rear seat. The BMW powers that be needed something larger than the original Isetta, but the BMW 700 was still two years away when they green lighted the 600 for sale. So the Isetta 600 finished with a short production lifespan.
To be eligible for the "Golden Classic," a vehicle must be undergoing a round anniversary—like the Isetta 600's 60th birthday this year.
The readers of Auto Bild Klassik made another award to a BMW that like the Isetta 600 had a very short production run, but unlike the Isetta 600, would be instantly recognized by every BMW nut in the world. A BMW M1 rediscovered in a garage in Sicily after sitting there for a decade received the "Find of the Year" prize. That classic is currently undergoing restoration at BMW Group Classic in Munich.—Scott Blazey
[Photo courtesy of BMW AG.]
