The BMW 1600 GT is a mid-level passenger car produced jointly by German automakers Glas and BMW between 1967 and 1968.

The history of the 1600 GT begins when Glas, a Bavarian car manufacturer active since 1956, was acquired in 1966 by BMW. As Glas at the time was already thinking about modernizing its range of high standard sports, BMW decided to combine the previous models of the Glas brand, the 1300 and 1700 GT, in a single model with intermediate engine. on the sole condition that the latter had to be marked BMW. In reality, the 1600 GT is a private car because it is not officially clear which of the two brands it belonged to, and this is due to several contradictory aspects that characterize the car from the point of view of the brand to which it belongs. In fact, the 1600 GT is the result of a purely Glas vehicle, namely Glas GT, but it gathers much of the original BMW mechanics and is marked with the blue and white emblem of the Monaco house, but was sold and distributed through Glas dealers . In addition, currently, the specialized press tends to include it in the production of the Dingolfing House. The same principle is similarly applicable in the case of the contemporary Glas-BMW 3000 V8 flagship.

Features and profile

On the other hand, it was not just a question mark: if the new car remained intact and the front end of previous models of the body, on the other hand, saw the adoption of the rear axle, engine and gearbox, borrowed from the BMW 1600 - 2 IT.

Motor

The result was a new model, almost identical in appearance to the 1300s and 1700s, except for the small double kidney grille and the round taillights taken from the 1600-2. However, things have changed, since the new car was equipped with a distribution of 1573 cm³ in 4 cylinders in line with valve distribution in the head, driven by a camshaft. The energy was entrusted to two two-body Solex carburetors. It was the same engine as the 1600-2 TI, which was able to deliver a maximum power of 105 hp at 6000 rpm and push the car at a maximum speed of 190 km / h.

The new model was launched in June 1967 under the name 1600 GT and under the BMW brand.

Performance

The performance and determination of the line put it in direct competition with cars like the Giulia Sprint GT 1600 and the Porsche 912, against which it was certainly not disfigured. The 1600 GT, however, did not meet the public's favors: in just over a year of production it reached 1256 units, probably because the public did not consider it a true BMW, given the more humble origins (it must be remembered that only twelve years ago, Glas made his automotive debut with the super-economical Goggomobil). That was enough for BMW to stop production in August 1968. Together with the aforementioned Glas-BMW V8 3000, the 1600 GT was the last model that, despite having the BMW brand, saw Glas's participation: removed from production, the brand was extinguished, the plants were dismantled and new ones were built, which are still active today.