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Created
by Paul Bracq as a
celebration for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the Turbo
showcased innovative design features.
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Design
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Paul
Bracq was Director of Design at BMW during the formative period of
the 1970's. The Turbo was one of his most striking creations.
Gullwing
Doors
One of the greatest cars in the vast BMW stable is the 1972 Turbo prototype or
concept car, created for the 1972 Summer Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.
In 1972, the eyes of the world were squarely on Munich, Germany. BMW had built a new corporate headquarters, remarkably styled on the
shape of the cylinders of a 4-cylinder engine. A satellite building
houses BMW museum pieces.
And for the occasion, renowned designer Paul Bracq created an innovative design for a BMW automobile, the BMW Turbo. Only 2 Turbos were ever built. Today, it is
one of the rarest of BMW's, with its elegant design, gullwing doors and futuristic cockpit.
The
Cockpit
Inside, the Turbo had a number of safety features, while on the outside it had large window areas, a
distinguished, sloping front and balanced proportions throughout.
The
Turbo was powered by the 4-cylinder 1990cc turbocharged engine
with 280 hp at 5200 rpm and a top speed of 165mph. The Turbo
was BMW's first mid-engined car.
Bracq's Turbo was awarded Concept Car of the Year honors in 1973.
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By 1979, the Turbo evolved into the original
M1, BMW's first M Car.
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The
front end design is similar to the design used in the 8
Series cars.
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If you visit Munich, you can see
a Turbo on
display in the BMW Museum. The
other Turbo is in the BMW Zentrum museum in Spartanburg.
Turbo
in
the BMW Museum
| "I could express with complete freedom my ideas
concerning automobile style while respecting the image of BMW of the Seventies."
"J’ai pu exprimer en toute liberté mes idées en matière de style automobile tout en respectant l’image BMW des années 70."
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Paul
Bracq
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