Powertrain families
BMW 697 cc flat-twin
700 (700) — Cabriolet
1959–1965
Editorially reviewedReviewed 2026-08-10; market and model-year scope is stated in the record sources.
- Internal code
- 700 Cabriolet
- Production
- 1959–1965
- Body style
- 2-door convertible
- Platform
- historic BMW platform · model-specific layout
Body variants
700 → 700 → Cabriolet
700 700: history, design and engineering
How this generation came about, what made it different and how the selected cabriolet fits into the family.
The rear-engined BMW 700 translated lessons from the 600 into a more conventional small car. Giovanni Michelotti shaped the clean two-door body, while the mechanical package retained a rear-mounted, air-cooled flat-twin and semi-trailing-arm rear suspension derived from the 600.
It was the first BMW automobile built around a unitary steel body instead of a separate frame. Coupe production began before the two-door sedan in 1959, a cabriolet followed in limited numbers, and the longer-wheelbase LS sedan and LS Coupe extended the range from 1962.
The 700 was strategically important as well as technically distinct: strong early orders and more than 188,000 cars across all bodies gave BMW a much-needed volume product while the Neue Klasse was being developed. Its sedan, coupe and cabriolet therefore require separate body records and production counts.
1959–1965generation lifecycle
3body branches
1engine/drive families
4range designations
700factory code
historic BMW platform · model-specific layoutarchitecture
Cabriolet: dimensions and packaging
Dimensions can change with body, market and model year, so this page keeps them tied to the exact factory branch.
Length3,540 mm
Width1,480 mm
Height≈ 1,300 mm
Wheelbase2,120 mm
Luggage≈ 200 L
Fuel tank30 L
Seats4
Doors2-door convertible
| Body | Code | Production | Doors / seats | Length | Luggage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-door Sedan | 700 | 1959–1965 | 2-door sedan / 4 | 3,540 mm | ≈ 240 L |
| Coupe | 700 Coupe | 1959–1965 | 2-door coupe / 4 | 3,540 mm | ≈ 240 L |
| Cabriolet | 700 Cabriolet | 1959–1965 | 2-door convertible / 4 | 3,540 mm | ≈ 200 L |
Engines and powertrains
The generation could span very different engines and drivetrains. The table keeps output, gearbox, market and production period together.
Factory modification matrix
Documented cabriolet applications; output and availability remain market- and model-year-specific.
| Model | Years | Engine | Output | Transmission | Drive | Market | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 700 / 700 Luxus | 1959–1965 | 697 cc BMW flat-twin | 30–32 hp | 4MT | RWD | Global range | BMW 700 model series |
| 700 Sport / 700 CS | 1960–1964 | 697 cc BMW flat-twin | 40 hp | 4MT / sports 4MT | RWD | Global range | BMW 700 Sport |
Factory designations
700 · 700 Luxus · 700 Sport · 700 CS
Petrol engines
Inline and V engines are grouped by engine family, displacement, induction system and emissions specification.
Diesel derivatives
Where diesels were offered, output, injection generation and emissions hardware are recorded market by market.
How power reaches the road
Gearboxes, driven wheels and final-drive hardware changed with engine, market and production date.
Transmissions
Gearbox type and unit code follow engine, market and production date. Gear count alone does not identify the transmission.
Driven wheels
Catalog architecture: historic BMW platform · model-specific layout. All-wheel-drive availability and hardware remain derivative-specific.
Final drive
Ratio, differential type and electronic control belong to the exact derivative and can differ on performance models.
What changed underneath
Suspension, brakes, safety systems and electronics evolved across the range, even when cars shared the same basic architecture.
Body-branch dimensions
- 700: 3,540 mm × 1,480 mm × 1,360 mm
- 700 Coupe: 3,540 mm × 1,480 mm × 1,270 mm
- 700 Cabriolet: 3,540 mm × 1,480 mm × ≈ 1,300 mm
Body & suspension
- Mounting points and geometry follow the body branch
- Springs and dampers follow axle load and chassis package
- Wheels and permitted loads follow the factory label
Brakes & steering
- Brake size follows engine and equipment
- Assistance type and steering ratio can change
- ABS/DSC generation follows model year
Passive safety
- Airbag count varies by market and year
- SRS parts are VIN-specific
- Structural repairs require factory procedures
Electronics
- Vehicle-bus generations changed during production
- Control-unit software levels must remain compatible
- Retrofits are recorded separately from factory equipment
How the generation evolved
The important launches, additions and updates did not always happen at the same time for every body or market.
Coupe and sedan launch
The 700 debuted with Michelotti styling, a unitary body and rear-mounted flat-twin power.
Cabriolet and Sport
Open and higher-output derivatives broadened the range beyond the initial coupe and sedan.
Longer-wheelbase LS
The revised LS sedan adopted a longer wheelbase and larger body; an LS Coupe followed.
Production ends
Production ended after the Neue Klasse had become BMW's higher-margin core range.
The versions that stood apart
Performance models, option packages and regional editions may look related, but their engineering and production identity can be very different.
Two-door Sedan
700700 700 is a distinct 700 body branch. A two-door three-box body: visually close to a coupe, but catalogued within the model line’s sedan family. Engines/drive: BMW 697 cc flat-twin.
Coupe
700 Coupe700 700 Coupe is a distinct 700 body branch. A lower-roof two-door body with longer doors and a more overtly sporting brief than the corresponding sedan. Engines/drive: BMW 697 cc flat-twin.
Cabriolet
700 Cabriolet700 700 Cabriolet is a distinct 700 body branch. An open body with a folding roof and generation-specific structural reinforcement, seating and luggage packaging. Engines/drive: BMW 697 cc flat-twin.
Inside the car
Cabin technology and standard equipment changed by country and year; a build sheet remains the best guide to one individual car.
Cabin & comfort
- Trim and seats follow option codes
- Climate systems vary by market
- Audio and navigation changed by model year
Lighting & assistance
- Lamp technology and modules follow production date
- Driver assistance cannot be inferred from buttons alone
- Regional rules affect lighting and warnings
What to check today
A practical starting point for inspecting and maintaining a car from this generation — not a diagnosis of an individual example.
Identify first
- Match VIN on body and documents
- Obtain the factory option list
- Confirm market and production date
Inspect the structure
- Check repairs and corrosion
- Assess suspension, brakes and tyres
- Compare fitted parts with factory specification
Mechanical history
- Read faults with compatible diagnostics
- Verify engine and transmission maintenance
- Separate invoices from unsupported verbal history
| Item | Interval / trigger | Catalog note |
|---|---|---|
| Engine oil & filter | CBS/factory schedule; time and mileage for historic cars | Oil approval follows the exact engine and market. |
| Brake fluid | Time-based factory schedule | ABS/DSC-compatible bleeding procedure is required after hydraulic work. |
| Coolant | Factory schedule and condition | Fluid specification and bleeding method are generation-specific. |
| Transmission & final drives | Unit type and operating conditions | Use the exact approved fluid; no one interval fits every derivative. |
How to identify the exact car
The badge and registration year tell only part of the story; production date, body code, engine and factory options complete it.
- Factory body codes
- 700 — Two-door Sedan; 700 Coupe — Coupe; 700 Cabriolet — Cabriolet
- Range designations
- 700, 700 Luxus, 700 Sport, 700 CS
- Powertrain families
- BMW 697 cc flat-twin
- VIN
- Identifies model, plant and production branch and keys the parts catalog and factory equipment record.
- Production date
- More useful than first-registration year when choosing parts and locating technical revisions.
- Type code
- Refines engine, body, market and transmission combination.
- Option codes
- Confirm factory equipment; later retrofits are recorded separately.
- Unit number
- Supports engine or gearbox originality checks and component applicability.
Where the information comes from
The story is mapped through English Wikipedia and its bibliography, then important dates and technical claims are checked against BMW material.
- 01BMW 700Wikipedia contributors
Secondary development, body, production and motorsport history.
- 02BMW 700 model seriesBMW Group Archive
Factory-archive origin, engineering relationship to the 600 and production period.
- 03BMW 700 SedanBMW Group Archive
Factory-archive sedan/LS chronology and body-specific production total.
Notes and limitations
- Research revision dated 2026-08-10: English Wikipedia was used as a subject and bibliography map; key claims were checked against the listed primary BMW Group material.
- BMW Archive and secondary references differ by several months on the exact start/end boundary. The public card keeps year-level dates until the month-level production ledger is reconciled by body.
- The sedan is a two-door body; it must not inherit the generic four-door sedan description.
- Tree years describe the worldwide generation lifecycle; individual market dates may be narrower.
- Exact dimensions, power, weight and emissions belong at body, engine, market and model-year level.
- Known-issue guidance is editorial context and never replaces inspection of the individual vehicle.
3 primary references · market differences documentedPhotography: Lothar Spurzem, CC BY-SA 2.0 de · Wikimedia Commons. Rights checked 2026-08-06; wikimedia commons 1,800 px derivative downloaded; local 640 px and 1,280 px avif versions created without cropping.Updated 6 August 2026