Ed. Note: I found this in the German Car forum below. It is a 'one-off' concept car in a design that was never pursued by BMW. Interesting design, including the idea for the steel roof panels to retract into the Baur-like roll bar.
1969 BMW 'Spicup' Convertible Coupé
"Its futuristic appearance notwithstanding, the Spicup's main talking point was its novel roof, which consisted of stainless steel panels that retracted into the hefty roll bar."
The press release below was issued by Bonham's, the auctioneers. Now restored to concours condition, the Spicup concept has been showcased at Villa d'Este and at the BMW Museum in Munich. That's where Bonhams just auctioned it off at its POWER by BMW event, where it sold for a high bid of €460,000 (~$600k). Other highlights of the event included a Le Mans and Spa-winning '75 3.0 CSL (est. €350,000/$460k), a '79 M1 Pro-Car (€500k/$660k), a '37 328 Roadster (€500k/$660k) and even a BMW-powered Abbatte wooden speedboat (€150k/$200k).
Press release
Coachwork by Carrozzeria Bertone
Chassis no. V.0010
Engine no. V.0010/2800
The 'concept' or 'show' car emerged after WW2 as a means of generating publicity and gauging the public's reaction to often-radical ideas for new models. They were built as design proposals, rolling laboratories, marketing experiments, automotive provocations and everything in between. Without them and their (usually) female decoration, international motor shows would have remained little more than uninspiring mega-showrooms. Most of these show cars enjoyed only limited exposure, mainly for the benefit of the international motoring press.
What happened to these extraordinary vehicles after their short-lived career in the public eye depended primarily on the period they were made in. During the 1950s, development budgets were tight and one-off experimental cars were usually sold after the show period, just like a car from the production line. Such disposal was made possible by the fact that these early show cars were (more or less) normally functional, being largely based on the chassis and mechanical components of some existing model.
Until the 1970s, show cars were produced by specialised coachbuilders, which would deliver tailor-made cars to both carmakers and an affluent international clientele. This haute voiture niche, the heritage from the inter-war period, would quietly fade away, affected by changes in mass-production technology and increasingly stringent homologation requirements.
After this period, modern show cars would mostly disappear into carmaker's storage facilities, some of them eventually appearing in museums or exhibitions as static icons.
In recent times the Italian school of automotive design and coachbuilding has generated the richest variety of innovative ideas. The art and science of conceptual automotive culture flourished in the Turin-Milan-Modena axis, in the fertile soil of old and new car makers, design studios and international motor sports. There, on the verge of modern times, the BMW Spicup was born.
During the 1960s BMW enjoyed a close relationship with Carrozzeria Bertone, whose star designer Giorgetto Giugiaro had been responsible for the 3200CS coupé, so when the Italian coachbuilder wanted to showcase engineer Enzo Cingolani's idea for a retractable roof, it was to the German firm that they turned. The 'Spicup' (Spider/Coupé) was the result. BMW's E3 saloon platform was chosen, the example supplied to Bertone having the 2.8-litre version of the SOHC straight-six engine installed. The chassis was numbered 'V.0010' – the V standing for Versuchswagen (experimental car). Its futuristic appearance notwithstanding, the Spicup's main talking point was its novel roof, which consisted of stainless steel panels that retracted into the hefty roll bar. Although the idea never made it to production, it did influence the lines of Bertone's Targa-top FIAT X1/9. With Giugiaro off to Carrozzeria Ghia, it was left to Marcello Gandini to finish the Spicup, incorporating what for a time was his signature front end with its part-concealed headlamps, seen also in the Alfa Romeo Montreal and Lamborghini Jarama.
After premiering on Carrozzeria Bertone's stand at the 1969 Geneva Salon, the Spicup was exhibited at the Concorso d'Eleganza in Allassio in June and finally at that year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Its subsequent whereabouts are not totally clear, though it appears that the car was sold to a private owner shortly afterwards. Several sources have reported the Spicup being present in the mid-1970s at the German mega-dealer Auto Becker in Düsseldorf, which had a special showroom devoted to exotic cars at that time.
A few years later, the Spicup was purchased by a Dutch motor dealer who decided to keep the car and obtained regular road registration. The exterior colour was changed from green to orange and the elaborate multi-hued green and silver interior was sprayed over – in black. In this configuration the car was used as a daily driver for the next 10 years, covering some 100,000 kilometres, which makes it probably the most-used one-off show car in the world!
Without doubt, the Spicup has turned a lot of heads during its outings. The previous owner particularly admired the car's versatile roof, although reported by him as 'not completely watertight' (which probably is an understatement considering the Dutch climate). The BMW drivetrain performed flawlessly during the entire period. Emigration plans could not influence the owner to sell the car, so it was put away in storage in the 1980s, remaining there for more than 20 years. It resurfaced in 2008, offered as 'some weird model with BMW badges', and was purchased by the current vendor, a noted collector of coachbuilt exotica.
Tired, incomplete, scratched and dented, and with some serious signs of corrosion, the car was transported to Carrozzeria Granturismo in Milan for a complete restoration. Although they had restored various historic concept cars and other complex coachbuilt automobiles, the Carrozzeria Granturismo team, headed by technical director Aldo Goi, was fascinated by the project. Show cars are necessarily rare, but Italo-German examples are even rarer. The first phase of the work consisted of making a thorough inventory, diligently searching for the original colours and materials, and researching original documentation and pictures from the period. Removing the paint from the body revealed a patchwork of earlier repairs that had resulted in a mishmash of multiple layers of sheet metal, filler and rust. Obviously, the steel body had never received any protection against corrosion (not really essential for car shows) so humidity and salt had enjoyed free access.
The complete floorpan of the car, including the sills, was replaced and the doors mostly reconstructed. Moulds were made for new window glass, as all of it was broken, and the upholstery meticulously washed down, revealing the original interior's spectacular shades of dark green, lime green and silver metallic fabric. Other parts remade to the exact original specifications are the steering wheel, Spicup emblems, interior trim and rear bumper. The original bumpers were made of wood (!), neatly covered with black skai; however, the rear example had been ravaged by termites and was beyond recovery.
Once totally restored, the bodywork was repainted in its original green metallic livery with silver grey accents and embellishments. The engine cover, originally fixed to the air filter, had been attached to the bonnet at some point in the car's life, probably for reasons of practicality. It was returned to its original location, remaining in position when the bonnet is opened, a modern engine 'disguise' avant la lettre.
The final phase of reassembling the Spicup involved restoring the unique design features incorporated by Carrozzeria Bertone, focusing on details including the special roof mechanism, taking maximum care of the aesthetics, and keeping a critical eye on the overall result. Carrozzeria Granturismo's interior specialists had to go to extraordinary lengths in order to get the seats right. Finally, the finished body was reunited with the BMW drivetrain and other mechanical parts, which had undergone a total overhaul and restoration at the specialists Red Willow Racing in the Netherlands.
Putting the finishing touch to any total restoration project is always immensely satisfying. But in case of the Spicup, the return to its original splendour really offers an extra dimension. It brings back the feeling of Geneva '69, the late 1960s, an era of unlimited possibilities, growth and promise. It reconfirms the essential value of a true show car: to inspire, provoke, evoke emotions and offer a glimpse of the future.
Forty years after its first appearance, the BMW Spicup has not lost any of its charisma. It was first shown again to the public at the Villa d'Este concours d'élégance in 2009, and subsequently at the BMW Museum during the summer of 2010.
At the end of the thread below I found the following comment from October 5, 2011: "This car was sold last saturday for 460000 Euro by Bonhams. Incredible!!"http://www.germancarforum.com/community/threads/1969-bmw-spicup-convertible-coup%C3%A9.39989/In Detail
submitted by Richard Owen type Concept / Prototype Car released at 1969 Geneva Motor Show body stylist Marcello Gandini coachbuilder Bertone production 1 engine Inline-6 position Front, Longitudinal aspiration Natural valvetrain SOHC, 2 Valves per Cyl fuel feed 2 Zenith Carburetors displacement 2788 cc / 170.1 in³ bore 86 mm / 3.4 in stroke 80 mm / 3.1 in compression 9.0:1 power 126.8 kw / 170 bhp @ 6000 rpm specific output 60.98 bhp per litre bhp/weight 127.82 bhp per tonne torque 235.9 nm / 174 ft lbs @ 3700 rpm body / frame Steel BMW 2500 Chassis driven wheels RWD f suspension MacPherson Struts r suspension Semi-Trailing Arms weight 1330 kg / 2933 lbs wheelbase 2340 mm / 92.1 in front track 1445 mm / 56.9 in rear track 1465 mm / 57.7 in length 4150 mm / 163.4 in width 1780 mm / 70.1 in height 1207 mm / 47.5 in transmission 4-Speed Manual top speed ~210 kph / 130.41 mph
Read more at http://www.supercars.net/cars/2256.html#v8HAjylc7ypeGLGv.99
Built as both a spider and a coupe, the Spicup was daring prototype made by Bertone and Marcello Gandini for BMW. A highlight of the design was the three-piece sliding top made of stainless steel, but this didn’t stop the Spicup from becoming a relative failure. It was totally out of place with BMW's refined model line and was not suitable for production.Using the BMW 2500 as a backbone, the designers at Bertone shortened the chassis to fit a new body and interior. Inside, only the gauges and pedals remained stock. Bertone fitted a new dashboard, seats and carpet with two tone, green on green upholstery.Bertone describes the car: "The considerable dimensions of the mechanical components were handled by creating almost excessively fluid vertical lines. At the same time, the relatively important tail and wings become the car's focal point. The rollbars had to satisfy a combination safety needs and design criteria, and Bertone solved the problem with an automatic mechanism which also contained the elements for the transformation from spider to coupé and back again.For the Spicup, Bertone used the larger inline-6 from the BMW 2800. This capable 2.8 liter, six-cylinder engine produced 170 bhp and drove the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual transmission. These components made the prototype fully functional.Revealed at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, the Spicup had a great resemblance to the Alfa Romeo Montreal prototype released at the 1967 Montreal Expo. This was especially true of the semi-hidden headlights with motorized flaps. However at the front Bertone kept BMW's 'double kidney' motif, but with obscure padded inserts.Having little to do with past or future BMWs, the company quickly sold the Spicup to an enthusiastic owner that racked up over 60,000 miles (100,000 kms) traveling constantly from the Netherlands to Germany. This was largely possible due to the BMW 2500 underpinnings. At some point the body was painted orange and the engine cover was attached in unit with the hood.In recent times the Spicup was found by Paul Koot in the Netherlands along with an Intermeccanica Indra. It was complete and a subsequent restoration was completed for Roland D'Ieteren in Belgium. Painted its original hue of green with triple-tone interior, the Spicup made its debut at the 2009 Villa d’Este Concours with BMW as the acting sponsor.
Story by Richard Owen
Read more at http://www.supercars.net/cars/2256.html#v8HAjylc7ypeGLGv.99
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/10/04/bonhams-auctions-one-of-a-kind-bertone-spicup-concept-at-bmw-mus/Photo gallery at the BMW Museum!!!!:
Amazing group of pics here!:
ADDENDUM:1969 BMW ‘Spicup’ Concept Car
Profiles - German Written by Donald Osborne Wednesday, 01 February 2012 00:00 BMW regularly took turns down dead-end roads, and this strange and wonderful car is one of them
Chassis number: V0010
Engine number: V00102800
Coachwork by Carrozzeria BertonThe concept, or show, car emerged after World War II as a means of generating publicity and gauging the public’s reaction to often-radical ideas for new models. They were built as design proposals, rolling laboratories, marketing experiments, automotive provocations and everything in between. The BMW offered here, “Spicup” — the name arises from the concept: half Spider, half Coupe — originates from an important European private collection and was shown for the first time in 1969 on the Bertone stand at the Geneva automobile salon. Contrary to many studies and prototypes then and now, Spicup was without reservation ready to drive and is based on a shortened BMW 2000 CS with the 2.5-liter BMW inline 6-cylinder engine.
First registered in the Netherlands and used for ten years as a daily driver, the car was stored for 20 years before it was given to the company Carrozzeria Granturismo in Milan for a complete restoration. The entire chassis and body structure were renewed, including the sills and a large portion of the doors.
New forms were made to re-manufacture the glass, which had been broken. After a thorough cleaning, the interior revealed the original spectacular color combination.
Many of the original parts were re-manufactured with the utmost care. Following the restoration, the body returned to a lacquer finish in the original green metallic color with silver gray accents. The technical director of Carrozzeria Granturismo, Aldo Goi, put extreme value on all the unique design characteristics of Carrozzeria Bertone, including the special roof mechanism and the interiors.
All parts of the entire drivetrain were overhauled by the specialists of Talk Willow Racing in the Netherlands. This beautiful car is in concours condition and already has been shown at the 2009 Concorso Villa d’Este and in the BMW Museum in Munich during the summer of 2010. It certainly has the potential for an invitation to the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance or Amelia Island.SCM AnalysisThis car, Lot 175, sold for $612,138 (€460,000), including buyer’s premium, at the Bonhams Power by BMW sale at the BMW Museum in Munich, Germany, on October 1, 2011.Years Produced: 1969 Number Produced: 1 Original List Price: None SCM Valuation: $500,000–$600,000 Tune Up Cost: $275 Chassis Number Location: Engine compartment bulkhead Engine Number Location: Right side of engine block Club Info: BMW Car Club of America Website: www.bmwcca.org Alternatives: 1971 Maserati Boomerang, 1980 Aston Martin Bulldog, 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Rondine
The magnificent brand engine that is BMW today is amazingly less than 50 years old. While the company has long roots back to the first decade of the 20th century in aero engine production, the current “Ultimate Driving Machine” image looks for inspiration to the 328 of the late 1930s and then picks up with the 1800ti and 1600 of 1964. Even then, BMW regularly took turns down dead-end roads, and this strange and wonderful car is one of them.
By 1969, the in-house design team, led by Wilhelm Hofmeister — he of the “Hofmeister Kink,” which is the trademark forward curve of the C-pillar on BMWs — was firmly in charge of the brand’s look. However, Italians had provided designs for the company, notably Giovanni Michelotti, who styled the BMW 700 that literally saved the firm, and Carrozzeria Bertone’s Giorgetto Giugiaro, who penned the range-topping 3200CS coupe. That car, the replacement for the elegant-but-slow-selling 503 V8 coupe, was the last of the post-war luxury line introduced by BMW in the early 1950s.
A chassis for Bertone
That there was confusion — and more than a bit of desperation — at BMW as the 1960s rolled around is apparent in this incredible story, as recounted in Jan Norbye’s 1984 book, BMW—Bavaria’s Driving Machines: Apparently the company’s marketing manager discovered that the body of the Lancia Flaminia Pininfarina Coupe fit almost exactly on the chassis of the big BMW 3200L V8 sedan. He proposed that BMW should have Pininfarina build Lancia coupe bodies modified with BMW grilles to serve as a range-topping model.
Fortunately for all concerned, this idea was not pursued. But when Bertone asked BMW for a chassis to build a concept car showcasing a unique retractable hard top, Munich didn’t hesitate. While the idea of retractable, non-fabric roofs had been kicking around since the Peugeot Eclipse created by Georges Paulin in the 1930s, the execution generally left something to be desired. The ingenious solution devised for the Spicup was to have the rigid brushed stainless steel targa roof divided into sections, which then telescoped into a C-pillar roll bar structure.
Also finished in brushed stainless, the roll bar looks a bit bulky, sort of similar to the control bridge on a World War II Japanese battleship or perhaps the roof of a Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. Neither look is terribly desirable in a sporting GT, and that is another reason this idea wasn’t pursued further. Setting that aside, the design, said to have been begun by Giugiaro and finished by Marcello Gandini, is really quite smooth and almost elegant — if a bit chunky. Bertone at the time was captivated with geometric shapes — think of the Marzal and Espada — and the blocky seats and dashboard are a bit at odds with the exterior.
A flimsy future
The idea of using a show car on the road is an intriguing one. Truly driving the future in a one-off prototype puts an owner in what would seem to be an enviable position. In reality, the lion’s share of such display gems are distinctly more paste than precious. The catalog mentions that the bumpers were originally made of wood and covered with vinyl, and the Dutchman who drove the Spicup for more than 60,000 miles reported that the clever telescoping top was not “completely water-tight.”
As designed, the hood is cut out around a decorative engine cover. During the car’s everyday use, the cover was attached to the lid, doubtless to keep weather out of the engine compartment. It is inconceivable in today’s litigious world that a prototype such as this would be sold to a private buyer for use on public roads, but such were the wonderful 1960s.
RM Auctions’ recent sale of Bertone show cars and prototypes in Italy during May 2011 showed both that there was great interest in the work of the firm and its designers — and that there was a time when it was common to have running, functional concept cars.
Of course, “run” and “function” do not equal usable, but they are all art objects more than anything else, and it’s wonderful to be able to hear and see these sculptures moving. The Spicup is a silly idea as a car — but a neat piece as an object. In the context of important BMWs or Bertone products, it’s not high on the list, so it has to be placed in the well-sold column. As a surefire invite to any concours, it’s cheap at twice the price.
(Introductory description courtesy of Bonhams.)
No comments:
Post a Comment