Over the weekend at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este (May 24-26, 2019) at Lake Como, Italy, BMW brought along a very intriguing one-of-a-kind automobile that is sure to put a smile on any BMW classic car lovers, or any classic car lover for that matter. The German automaker has recreated the BMW Garmisch as a homage after the lost BMW concept car by Marcello Gandini for Bertone which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 1970.
It is a tribute to the car’s design and the man behind it: visionary automobile design maestro, Marcello Gandini. BMW followers will immediately notice the bold, vertical and almost angular variation of BMW’s kidney-shaped radiator grille, flanked by the era-appropriate square glass-covered headlights. It is an unusual looking sport car of its time and it is so today.
Highlights include sport car-like louvers on the C-pillars, honeycomb-patterned mesh cover for the rear window, unusual vertical radio on the center console, a lavish fold-out mirror for the passenger, and an interior light champagne metallic interior that was an Italian fashion trend of that time.
The car was created in a matter of couple of months, but it wasn’t quite a walk in the park as the original documents detailing the car’s design were sparse. BMW Group Design and BMW Classic departments had to rely on black and white the handful of period images as guide in recreating this gorgeous ride. Fortunately, Marcello Gandini was involved in the research process too, digging through his memories to contribute to the recreation.
In a perfect homage to the original ride, this 2019 rendition of the lost concept was coach-built by the skilled craftsmen in Turin as was the original car nearly five decades ago. Keep reading for video to learn more about the recreation of this fabulous concept.
All images courtesy of BMW AG.
