The classy 3200 CS Bertone Coupe set the standard for all the BMW coupes that followed.

Starting with the now-iconic 2000CS launched in 1965, BMW coupes have represented a certain style and elegance that has set them apart from their competitors. Many BMW enthusiasts like to think that the line started with the lithe 2000 CS, but there is a predecessor that set the standard for all BMW coupes that followed: the 1962 to 1965 3200 CS Bertone. Until recently I had never seen one in the flesh, but now I have the pleasure of showing you Donald Crevier's stunning 1965 3200 CS.

The 3200 CS (coupe sport) story starts at the 1961 Frankfurt Auto Show when BMW, in an attempt to find its niche in the emerging West German and European markets, first showed the Bertone-styled coupe which was built on a variation of the 502 sedan chassis and shared its single-overhead-cam 3.2-liter, 160-horsepower V8. It turned out to be the final model of BMW's initial V8 model range which spanned its big postwar sedans, coupes, and cabriolets as well as the sporty, two seat 507s. The 3200 CS would become BMW's last V8-powered car before the 740i was introduced in 1992.

Walking around the 3200 CS one is immediately struck by its excellent proportions, later adopted and modernized in all the BMW coupes starting with the 2000 CS introduced in 1965. While it has its roots in the continental designs of the late fifties, it served as a precursor to all the great BMW coupes that followed.

The styling element most notable in this regard is the well-known Hofmeister Kink, which is the forward bend of the C-pillar; seen now as a trademark of BMW design. It got its name from Wilhelm Hofmeister, BMW's director of design from 1955 to 1970.

On the inside, the 3200 CS shows its Italian roots with its tasteful execution of a classic four-place coupe cockpit, reminiscent of Alfa Romeos and to a degree, Ferraris of the same era. In the case of Donald Crevier's 3200 CS, the restored interior invites you to get behind the wheel and hit Germany's rapidly expanding Autobahn network of the early sixties and drive from Munich to any major city in Europe, maybe crossing over the frontier between East and West Germany in 1965 on the way to the then-divided Berlin. 

With its literally hand-built body and luxuriously trimmed cockpit, the 3200 CS was costly to build and BMW could never make an economic case for the car, especially with entrenched competition from the graceful Mercedes-Benz SE coupe of the same era. At the same time, a range of small sports sedans were introduced, starting with the New Class 1500 4-door sedan--which grew into the now legendary 1600 and 2002 models--finally putting the marque from Munich on its present course: building the world's ultimate driving machines. With the success of the New Class 2- and 4-door sport sedans, by the fall of 1965 with only 603 built, the days of the 3200 CS were numbered.

1962-1965 BMW 3200 CS Specifications

• 2+2 Fixed head, 2-door coupe
• Wheelbase: 111.61 inches
• Length: 72.44 inches
• Width: 67.71 inches
• Weight: 3306 pounds
• Fuel capacity: 19.81 US gallons

For high-resolution images of the 3200 CS, visit the Automotive Traveler image gallery.

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Andys120 |10-6-2008 There\\\'s a strong resemblance between the side profile of this Bertone design for BMW and that of the \\\'65 Corvair coupe. That\\\'s kind of ironic sice BMW\\\'s stylists borrowed their trademark beltline from the original 1960 Corvair. ReplyQuote 0 0

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