Here, in all its black-and-white glory, is one of my favorite classic sedans, the BMW 1800, also known in Europe as the Neue Klasse. It made a huge impression on me during my young years as a Canadian auto magazine editor when the only BMWs I was then aware of were the Isetta and the little Michelotti-designed 600 coupe. I was stunned by the elegant style and amazed by the build quality, the latter of which I'd only seen matched in the lowly VW Beetle. Most of all I was delighted by its overhead-cam 4-cylinder engine and all-independent suspension. Remember, we're talking 1960s here.
An 1800 sedan came briefly into my life for testing and I loved it… so much so that when I moved to New York from Toronto and the BMW 2002 was introduced I became one of the first in that city to own the compact 4-seater and later took it to London when transferred overseas.
I'm reminded of these events by the tales now circling the Net concerning the resignation of BMWs design chief, Chris Bangle, who has greater ambitions than being responsible for the styling of autodom's most successful maker of performance sedans and sports cars, although its hard to imagine what that might be. Bangle took many knocks when he introduced the BMW 7-Series to catcalls over a squared-off trunk lid that came to be known as the "Bangle butt," though the actual design was created by Adrian van Hooydonk, who has been in charge of BMW brand designs for the last couple of years. Bangle was also chastised then later admired when other manufacturers copied, for his introduction of "flame" styling on the Z3 and Z4 roadsters.
Examine this BMW and every Bimmer up to the Bangle days and you'll instantly recognize the marque. Yet BMWs management felt the style no longer reflected its hoped-for new direction. BMW was looking old, even stodgy. That's why it hired the young American, who had been exploring new concepts for Fiat. A tough assignment: how to maintain a familiar corporate identity while simultaneously moving forward. For more on this controversial auto designer I recommend SpeedSportLife's comprehensive review and for those with less time, this from Motor Trend. Meanwhile, be happy that you don't have to explain and correctly pronounce the "van Hooydonk-Butt" to your friends.
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August 25, 2009 @ 9:29 am