BMW 600 “Limo” With Needs

This is technically NOT an Isetta – this is the “limo” version, which has a conventional side door and back seat.  Otherwise, it is similar to an Isetta, though it has double the cylinders and double the power.

The 600 was only made for the 1958 and 1959 model years, so there are fewer of these than Isettas.  For better or worse, this one has a semi-automatic gearbox called the Saxomat.  We imagine it must be terrible to drive.

This is a project car needing just about everything in terms of refurbishment, but the seller claims all original parts are included.  The engine is mostly complete and the trans is all there.  Given recent microcar prices, this will probably be bid up some past the current $1500 price and there’s probably still money in it if the buyer can take on a lot of the work without paying for expensive labor.  This is definitely worth saving!

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Ft. Lauderdale, FL
$1,525 with 24 bids, no reserve and 1.33333 days to go

Here’s the iconic Isetta front end/door.

And here’s the 600-specific side door.

Things don’t look too good inside, but the major pieces are there.

Front door does open, but you won’t see the steering wheel swinging out, as it should.

Front seat has no foam and interior generally needs a complete makeover.

This appears to be the empty engine compartment.

Here are the engine and transmission.  This is a twin-cylinder, 600cc engine, vs. the single used in the Isetta.

The seller may have a problem…

Ad text:

This is a 1959 BMW 600 Sax-o-mat, this version had a semi automatic transmission and no clutch pedal, this is Rarest of the BMW’s. of the 34813 produced in witch approximately 3400 was US Model . I have too many projects on the moment and I will let this one go, It will need restoration. This car does have an engine and transmission, what you see on the car is what you get, all original glass, unmolested. 
This cars are going up in price and this is the rarest of them all, I am listing no reserve starting at 5k. I have others projects prioritized, and other running BMW 600s that I drive often.
Basically an Isetta that seats 4 people. 

This is an email that I sent to BMW Archives and got an answer.

The BMW 600 VIN 145828 was manufactured on April 7th, 1959 and delivered on August 20th, 1959 to the BMW importer Fadex Commercial Corp. in New York City. The original color was “Azurblau”.
Unfortunately we are unable to tell you how many BMW 600 with Saxomat clutch were delivered to the US, in fact we don’t know how many Saxomat equipped BMW 600 were built at all.

Nevertheless we hope, this is helpful for you.

Yours sincerely,

BMW Group
Andreas Harz
Mobile Tradition
Group Archives / ST-1
General Archive Services
80788 
The Original Price of a regular 600 was $1398 and one with sax-o-mat was $1898, A VW Beetle was $1695.

The BMW 600, also know as the Isetta 600, was the second bubble car that BMW produced in the 50ʼs. Hoping to follow the success of the smaller Isetta, BMW stretched the basic design to incorporate a second seat row to provide growing families with an economical vehicle. BMW 600s use a 67 inch wheelbase and are 114 inches long (Isetta dimensions were 59 and 93 inches), affording space for five occupants that accessed the car through the front and side door. The Isettaʼs air-cooled 298cc, 13hp 1-cylinder engine was replaced by a modified air-cooled boxer twin from BMWʼs 1950s R67 motorcycle, displacing 582 ccs and making 26hp (SAE). BMW 600s were produced for only two model years, 1958 & 1959. Their short production can be attributed to the demise of the bubble car craze in Europe, and never being accepted as viable alternatives to other small cars at the time, most notably the VW Beetle. Just 34,813 were built, with approximately 10 percent (3400) produced as US models with larger bumpers and seven inch sealed beam headlamps. BMW introduced several innovate features in the 600 like the semi-trailing arm rear suspension (the first production vehicle to use this), and utilized creative packaging in many ways like placing the spare tire in the front door. A fully synchronized four speed trans-axle was standard equipment, along with a 12 volt electrical system. A heater, dual wipers, and ash tray were the only standard features. Some additional items were available as options like sun-visors (one even with a make-up mirror), and mud flaps as found on this vehicle. Fuel economy from the two cylinder engine ranges from 40-50 miles per gallon, depending on driving styles. Advertised top speed is 65 mile per hour.

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