Do you recognize this convertible?

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Don’t cheat. We’ve only shopped out the badges on the main picture, but the ones below will give it all away. It’s looking rather Italian, isn’t it? Alfa-esque? An ASA or OSCA perhaps?

Well, it’s a BMW 1600 with convertible body by Ghia of Turin, so that does explain the Italian looks. It is said to have been commissioned by BMW itself  after importer Max Hoffman came up with the idea. It is supposedly one of just two built by Ghia, with this one being the only survivor. Both 1600 GTs left the Dingolfing assembly line in the fall of 1967, but during a test drive one of them was involved in a crash, leaving it with so much damage that it had to be scrapped.

The surviving car was then handed to Herbert Quandt, who was BMW’s major shareholder at the time. From him it went to a fashion model from Munich and to a businessman from Fürth next, before being taken back to BMW to receive a major restoration. BMW Group Classic has now finished that job together with a team of apprentices. The whole restoration process took place at BMW’s Dingolfing plant and was meant to train apprentices who want to make a living out of rebuilding cars. Well done boys and girls!

Words editor, pictures BMW Classic

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