Yeah. You read that right. Unbelievable!
Who knew this was out there????
Stirling Moss in a BMW Baur. And writing a review of it. In 1979.
Mama mia!
Somebody up there likes me. That is the only possible explanation for finding this tonight.
;)
From Der Bayerische December 1979/January 1980.
RAG TOP BMW?
Thanks to Baur owner Adam (Twelvizm) in E21 Bimmerforums, here is a more legible version. Thank you Adam! The original version is printed below.
Ed. Note: This is the original version (below) that I posted last night.... it is cut and paste from Der Bayerische in 1979, and I believe their version was printed by mimeograph, thus the lousy, hard to read typface/typespace. I apologize for the poor quality, but I hope you understand that I was so excited to find it, frankly, I just wanted to get it posted in here to share it. Thank you again to Adam for taking the time to make it more presentable (above).
Thanks to Howard Fong of Baltimore for passing along the following a r t i c l e from the
October 1979 issue of the B r i t i s h magazine
HARPERS & QUEEN.
CAR TEST
by S t i r l i n g Moss
In recent years the a c t u a l joy of motoring
has diminished. Of course, overcrowded
roads and often needless speed l i m i ts a r e
l a r g e l y to blame, but somehow I c a n ' t help
thinking t h a t today's family car, for a l l
i ts advanced technology, offers l e ss enjoyment than one might expect. The performance is often sporty, but the experience
of driving can be far from i t .
The reason for t h i s , I think, l i e s in the
f a c t t h a t a saloon car, however quick i t
may be, is not open. And even a sports
car can seem a b i t boring if i t has a
s o l i d roof. Get rid of the roof and even
the most pedestrian of vehicles suddenly
becomes fun to drive—ask any lucky owner
of a Morris Minor convertible . But where
a r e the convertibles of the 7 0 ' s, or
rathe r '80s? The number of convertible s
on the market is very small indeed, and
few of t h e s e have more than two s e a t s.
BMW d e a l e r Sytner of Nottingham is now
trying to f i l l t h is gap in the market. In
a deal with the German coachbuilders Baur,
open-air motoring for the wh l e family is
once again a v a i l a b l e , providing you a r e
prepared t o pay an extra $7,500 for the
p r i v i l e g e . For t h is sura any 3 s e r i e s BMW
can be converted to Cabriolet s p e c i f i c a t i o n ,
a l l the work being carried out by Baur in
S t u t t g a r t . Take your saloon into S y t n e r 's
and a m^nth or so l a t e r you take delivery
of a sporty four-seate r convertible . The
conversion can be carried out on any 3
s e r i e s model, old or new.
.
As one of the f i r st t o sample the Baur Cabr i o l e t , I must say a t once t h a t the conversion is of t h e highest q u a l i t y . BMW
themselves a r e in f u l l approval of t h e d e -
sign and so the maker's guarantee is in
no way invalidated. The 3 - s e r i e s BMW is
a familiar enough c a r in i t s e l f, so I w i l l
concentrate here on t h e way t h is new variant affects d r i v e r and occupants. F i r s t ,
I can report t h a t the a c t u a l manoeuvring of
the hood is r e a l l y q u i t e easy. Anyone with
two hands can remove or replace the top in
a matter of seconds. The solid roof section
above the front s e a ts simply detaches and is
stored n e a t l y i n the boot, taking up s u r p r i singly l i t t l e space. Over the rear s e a t s,
t h e r e 's a s o ft section which folds down
n e a t l y . Seperating the two halves is a
Targa r o l l - b a r which has the effec t of
strengthening the c h a s s is and offering p r o -
t e c t i o n .
The o v e r a ll layout of the c a r remains very
much as standard, with no room being l o st
a t the back. Tn e s o ft top p i l e s up a b i t
when it'sdown, which does tend t o give a
misleading view in the m i r r o r — it looks as
if the road is coming into the back of the
car. But one soon g e ts used to t h i s. The
ca r w i l l do over 100 miles an hour with the
top down and, c r u i s i n g a t around 90, I r e -
turned about 23 miles per gallon. The
model I drove was an automatic and using the
kick-down through t r a f f i c did r a t h e r d e stroy the economy. But I would say the ca r
should give between 18 and 26 miles per g a llon, depending on the d r i v e r and conditions.
The car f e l t super on the road, and although
the seats ar e f a i r l y hard (as is so often
the case with German cars) there seems l i t t l e
likelihood of f a t i g u e , something an open
model does tend to promote. Road holding is
good, with l i t t l e l e an or r o l l . Perhaps
the one big problem with convertibl e vehicle s is t h a t when i t rains and you have
the roof off, you g e t wet. The BMW is no
exception, although I found t h a t with only
two in the c a r, I only needed to replace the
front part of the roof to remain dry.
( E d i t o r 's n o t e : The NY TIMES or WALL STREET
JOURNAL r e c e n t ly c a r r i e d an ad for a New
York or Connecticut dealer t h a t is making
the Baur Cabriolets a v a i l a b l e in the U.S.A.,
so you may see one on the road someday.)
Addendum:
Two brief excerpts from Der Bayerische May 1972:
1) Notice
For those of you that missed a
recent "made for T.V." movie, you
not only missed a good flick but
something quite a bit more interesting. The movie's name was
"Assignment in Munich" and, you've
guessed it, just about everyone
drove BMWs. The hero drove a new
2002tii "targa" with guest appearances by numerous 2002s, 1600s,
Bavarias, CSs, and a rare 1600GT.
Highlight of the film was a chase
scene through the streets of Munich
—beautiful. And what did the bad
guy drive? — a Mercedes! Hal
Ric Cavallero
2) It has been brought to my attention that a number of noteworthy
people and certain celebrities
(other than Bill Mason) drive
BMWs. Those names are:
Briggs Cunningham 2 800CS
George C Scott 2 800CS
Raquel Welch 2 800CSA
Stirling Moss 2002tii touring !!!!!
"The third Grand Prix at Ardmore in 1956 was headlined by Stirling Moss, then the most brilliant young driver on earth – a 26-year-old Englishman who, six months earlier, had taken his debut world championship Grand Prix victory for Mercedes-Benz at Aintree with his mentor, Juan-Manuel Fangio, following in his wheel tracks. Two months earlier, Moss scored a now legendary victory around Italy in the Mille Miglia. Following the death of Alberto Ascari Moss was, without doubt, one of the two best drivers in the world and arguably even better than Fangio in a sports-car."
Stirling Moss in a BMW Baur. And writing a review of it. In 1979.
Mama mia!
Somebody up there likes me. That is the only possible explanation for finding this tonight.
;)
From Der Bayerische December 1979/January 1980.
RAG TOP BMW?
Thanks to Baur owner Adam (Twelvizm) in E21 Bimmerforums, here is a more legible version. Thank you Adam! The original version is printed below.
"Anything worth posting, is worth posting well." ---- Twelvizm 8/9/2012.
Hear, hear. ----Ed. ;)
Thanks to Howard Fong of Baltimore for passing along the following article from the October 1979 issue of the British magazine HARPERS & QUEEN.
CAR TEST
by (Sir) Stirling Moss
In recent years the actual joy of motoring has diminished. Of course, overcrowded roads and often needless speed limits are largely to blame, but somehow I can't help thinking that today's family car, for all it's advanced technology, offers less enjoyment than one might expect. The performance is often sporty, but the experience of driving can be far from it.
The reason for this, I think, lies in the fact that a saloon car, however quick it may be, is not open. And even a sports car can seem a bit boring if it has a solid roof. Get rid of the roof and even the most pedestrian of vehicles suddenly becomes fun to drive—ask any lucky owner of a Morris Minor convertible. But where are the convertibles of the 70's, or rather '80s? The number of convertibles on the market is very small indeed, and few of these have more than two seats. BMW dealer Sytner of Nottingham is now trying to fill this gap in the market. In a deal with the German coachbuilders Baur, open-air motoring for the whole family is once again available, providing you are prepared to pay an extra $7,500 for the privilege. For this any 3 series BMW can be converted to Cabriolet specification, all the work being carried out by Baur in Stuttgart. Take your saloon into Sytner's and a month or so later you take delivery of a sporty four-seater convertible. The conversion can be carried out on any 3 series model, old or new.
As one of the first to sample the Baur Cabriolet, I must say at once that the conversion is of the highest quality. BMW themselves are in full approval of the design and so the maker's guarantee is in no way invalidated. The 3-series BMW is a familiar enough car in itself, so I will concentrate here on the way this new variant affects driver and occupants. First, I can report that the actual maneuvering of the hood is really quite easy. Anyone with two hands can remove or replace the top in a matter of seconds. The solid roof section above the front seats simply detaches and is stored neatly in the boot, taking up surprisingly little space. Over the rear seats, there's a soft section which folds down neatly. Separating the two halves is a Targa roll-bar which has the effect of strengthening the chassis and offering protection. The overall layout of the car remains very much as standard, with no room being lost at the back. The soft top piles up a bit when it's down, which does tend to give a misleading view in the mirror — it looks as if the road is coming into the back of the car. But one soon gets used to this. The car will do over 100 miles an hour with the top down and, cruising at around 90, I returned about 23 miles per gallon. The model I drove was an automatic and using the kick-down through traffic did rather destroy the economy. But I would say the car should give between 18 and 26 miles per gallon, depending on the driver and conditions. The car felt super on the road, and although the seats are fairly hard (as is so often the case with German cars) there seems little likelihood of fatigue, something an open model does tend to promote. Road holding is good, with little lean or roll. Perhaps the one big problem with convertible vehicles is that when it rains and you have the roof off, you get wet. The BMW is no exception, although I found that with only two in the car, I only needed to replace the front part of the roof to remain dry.
(Editor's note : The NY TIMES or WALL STREET JOURNAL recently carried an ad for a New York or Connecticut dealer that is making the Baur Cabriolets available in the U.S.A., so you may see one on the road someday.)
Sir Stirling Moss autographs my copy of his TC1 Baur Review. Lime Rock Raceway Park, Historics Weekend, September 2012.
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2012/09/baurspotting-at-lime-rock-historics_12.html
Thanks to Howard Fong of Baltimore for passing along the following article from the October 1979 issue of the British magazine HARPERS & QUEEN.
CAR TEST
by (Sir) Stirling Moss
In recent years the actual joy of motoring has diminished. Of course, overcrowded roads and often needless speed limits are largely to blame, but somehow I can't help thinking that today's family car, for all it's advanced technology, offers less enjoyment than one might expect. The performance is often sporty, but the experience of driving can be far from it.
The reason for this, I think, lies in the fact that a saloon car, however quick it may be, is not open. And even a sports car can seem a bit boring if it has a solid roof. Get rid of the roof and even the most pedestrian of vehicles suddenly becomes fun to drive—ask any lucky owner of a Morris Minor convertible. But where are the convertibles of the 70's, or rather '80s? The number of convertibles on the market is very small indeed, and few of these have more than two seats. BMW dealer Sytner of Nottingham is now trying to fill this gap in the market. In a deal with the German coachbuilders Baur, open-air motoring for the whole family is once again available, providing you are prepared to pay an extra $7,500 for the privilege. For this any 3 series BMW can be converted to Cabriolet specification, all the work being carried out by Baur in Stuttgart. Take your saloon into Sytner's and a month or so later you take delivery of a sporty four-seater convertible. The conversion can be carried out on any 3 series model, old or new.
As one of the first to sample the Baur Cabriolet, I must say at once that the conversion is of the highest quality. BMW themselves are in full approval of the design and so the maker's guarantee is in no way invalidated. The 3-series BMW is a familiar enough car in itself, so I will concentrate here on the way this new variant affects driver and occupants. First, I can report that the actual maneuvering of the hood is really quite easy. Anyone with two hands can remove or replace the top in a matter of seconds. The solid roof section above the front seats simply detaches and is stored neatly in the boot, taking up surprisingly little space. Over the rear seats, there's a soft section which folds down neatly. Separating the two halves is a Targa roll-bar which has the effect of strengthening the chassis and offering protection. The overall layout of the car remains very much as standard, with no room being lost at the back. The soft top piles up a bit when it's down, which does tend to give a misleading view in the mirror — it looks as if the road is coming into the back of the car. But one soon gets used to this. The car will do over 100 miles an hour with the top down and, cruising at around 90, I returned about 23 miles per gallon. The model I drove was an automatic and using the kick-down through traffic did rather destroy the economy. But I would say the car should give between 18 and 26 miles per gallon, depending on the driver and conditions. The car felt super on the road, and although the seats are fairly hard (as is so often the case with German cars) there seems little likelihood of fatigue, something an open model does tend to promote. Road holding is good, with little lean or roll. Perhaps the one big problem with convertible vehicles is that when it rains and you have the roof off, you get wet. The BMW is no exception, although I found that with only two in the car, I only needed to replace the front part of the roof to remain dry.
(Editor's note : The NY TIMES or WALL STREET JOURNAL recently carried an ad for a New York or Connecticut dealer that is making the Baur Cabriolets available in the U.S.A., so you may see one on the road someday.)
Sir Stirling Moss autographs my copy of his TC1 Baur Review. Lime Rock Raceway Park, Historics Weekend, September 2012.
Here is Sir Stirling Moss autographing my copy of his 1979 review of the BMW 323i Baur at Lime Rock Park, Historics Weekend, September 2012.
http://baurspotting.blogspot.com/2012/09/baurspotting-at-lime-rock-historics_12.html
Ed. Note: This is the original version (below) that I posted last night.... it is cut and paste from Der Bayerische in 1979, and I believe their version was printed by mimeograph, thus the lousy, hard to read typface/typespace. I apologize for the poor quality, but I hope you understand that I was so excited to find it, frankly, I just wanted to get it posted in here to share it. Thank you again to Adam for taking the time to make it more presentable (above).
Thanks to Howard Fong of Baltimore for passing along the following a r t i c l e from the
October 1979 issue of the B r i t i s h magazine
HARPERS & QUEEN.
CAR TEST
by S t i r l i n g Moss
In recent years the a c t u a l joy of motoring
has diminished. Of course, overcrowded
roads and often needless speed l i m i ts a r e
l a r g e l y to blame, but somehow I c a n ' t help
thinking t h a t today's family car, for a l l
i ts advanced technology, offers l e ss enjoyment than one might expect. The performance is often sporty, but the experience
of driving can be far from i t .
The reason for t h i s , I think, l i e s in the
f a c t t h a t a saloon car, however quick i t
may be, is not open. And even a sports
car can seem a b i t boring if i t has a
s o l i d roof. Get rid of the roof and even
the most pedestrian of vehicles suddenly
becomes fun to drive—ask any lucky owner
of a Morris Minor convertible . But where
a r e the convertibles of the 7 0 ' s, or
rathe r '80s? The number of convertible s
on the market is very small indeed, and
few of t h e s e have more than two s e a t s.
BMW d e a l e r Sytner of Nottingham is now
trying to f i l l t h is gap in the market. In
a deal with the German coachbuilders Baur,
open-air motoring for the wh l e family is
once again a v a i l a b l e , providing you a r e
prepared t o pay an extra $7,500 for the
p r i v i l e g e . For t h is sura any 3 s e r i e s BMW
can be converted to Cabriolet s p e c i f i c a t i o n ,
a l l the work being carried out by Baur in
S t u t t g a r t . Take your saloon into S y t n e r 's
and a m^nth or so l a t e r you take delivery
of a sporty four-seate r convertible . The
conversion can be carried out on any 3
s e r i e s model, old or new.
.
As one of the f i r st t o sample the Baur Cabr i o l e t , I must say a t once t h a t the conversion is of t h e highest q u a l i t y . BMW
themselves a r e in f u l l approval of t h e d e -
sign and so the maker's guarantee is in
no way invalidated. The 3 - s e r i e s BMW is
a familiar enough c a r in i t s e l f, so I w i l l
concentrate here on t h e way t h is new variant affects d r i v e r and occupants. F i r s t ,
I can report t h a t the a c t u a l manoeuvring of
the hood is r e a l l y q u i t e easy. Anyone with
two hands can remove or replace the top in
a matter of seconds. The solid roof section
above the front s e a ts simply detaches and is
stored n e a t l y i n the boot, taking up s u r p r i singly l i t t l e space. Over the rear s e a t s,
t h e r e 's a s o ft section which folds down
n e a t l y . Seperating the two halves is a
Targa r o l l - b a r which has the effec t of
strengthening the c h a s s is and offering p r o -
t e c t i o n .
The o v e r a ll layout of the c a r remains very
much as standard, with no room being l o st
a t the back. Tn e s o ft top p i l e s up a b i t
when it'sdown, which does tend t o give a
misleading view in the m i r r o r — it looks as
if the road is coming into the back of the
car. But one soon g e ts used to t h i s. The
ca r w i l l do over 100 miles an hour with the
top down and, c r u i s i n g a t around 90, I r e -
turned about 23 miles per gallon. The
model I drove was an automatic and using the
kick-down through t r a f f i c did r a t h e r d e stroy the economy. But I would say the ca r
should give between 18 and 26 miles per g a llon, depending on the d r i v e r and conditions.
The car f e l t super on the road, and although
the seats ar e f a i r l y hard (as is so often
the case with German cars) there seems l i t t l e
likelihood of f a t i g u e , something an open
model does tend to promote. Road holding is
good, with l i t t l e l e an or r o l l . Perhaps
the one big problem with convertibl e vehicle s is t h a t when i t rains and you have
the roof off, you g e t wet. The BMW is no
exception, although I found t h a t with only
two in the c a r, I only needed to replace the
front part of the roof to remain dry.
( E d i t o r 's n o t e : The NY TIMES or WALL STREET
JOURNAL r e c e n t ly c a r r i e d an ad for a New
York or Connecticut dealer t h a t is making
the Baur Cabriolets a v a i l a b l e in the U.S.A.,
so you may see one on the road someday.)
Addendum:
Two brief excerpts from Der Bayerische May 1972:
1) Notice
For those of you that missed a
recent "made for T.V." movie, you
not only missed a good flick but
something quite a bit more interesting. The movie's name was
"Assignment in Munich" and, you've
guessed it, just about everyone
drove BMWs. The hero drove a new
2002tii "targa" with guest appearances by numerous 2002s, 1600s,
Bavarias, CSs, and a rare 1600GT.
Highlight of the film was a chase
scene through the streets of Munich
—beautiful. And what did the bad
guy drive? — a Mercedes! Hal
Ric Cavallero
2) It has been brought to my attention that a number of noteworthy
people and certain celebrities
(other than Bill Mason) drive
BMWs. Those names are:
Briggs Cunningham 2 800CS
George C Scott 2 800CS
Raquel Welch 2 800CSA
Stirling Moss 2002tii touring !!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment