The BMW 3200 CS is a 2-door sport tourer premium coupe produced between 1962 and 1965. BMW built and introduced the big coupe at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show. As the CS in its name denotes, the 3200 was built as a luxurious sporty touring coupe. During its 3-year production run, BMW built 603 units of the 3200 CS, effectively making it a rare sight at the time and a drool-worthy collector car today.
BMW collaborated with the Italian coachbuilder and automobile styling powerhouse Grupo Bertone to create the 3200 CS. The car also stands tall as the first-ever BMW to feature the Hofmeister kink, the signature C-pillar kink design element utilized in every BMW car model ever since. BMW 3200 CS also stands tall as the last BMW model to feature the automaker’s post-war luxury chassis, first seen in the 1951 BMW 501.
With the help of Bertone, BMW dropped the early post-war platform in favor of Italian styling. The all-new 3200 CS platform seeped into BMW’s Neue Klasse models of 1962 – 1967 that played a critical role in restoring the Bimmer’s endangered fortunes.
Notable Features Of The 1962 BMW 3200 CS
One of the most remarkable features of the 1962 BMW 3200 CS is how, thanks to Giuseppe (Nuccio) Bertone of Bertone styling house, BMW succeeded in building a sporty, yet spacious coupe. The car lacked the pre-war bulky exterior proportions of its predecessor (BMW 503) but managed to retain an accommodating interior.
The Gruppo Bertone automobile design studio was then staffed by a new crop of young, gutsy designers who weren't afraid to push the boundaries of automotive design. The 3200 CS was thus a specimen of the end of an era and a transition to the burgeoning sci-fi-curious '60s generation.
The 3200 CS was a fascinating big coupe designed to provide comfortable long-distance driving. The engine is tied to a 4-speed manual transmission gearbox, and front-wheel disc brakes and rear drum brakes. It had a 3,300 curb weight, 57.5 inch tall, 67.7 inch wide, and 172.4 inch long. Fuel mileage was 15.7 mpg which meant it can travel 100 KM on 15 liters of gas.
The motor is a 3.2L light-alloy V8 engine capable of 160 horsepower at 5600 rpm and 156 hp at 5,600 rpm. It churned out 177 lb-ft of torque at 3600 rpm, allowing the CS to vroom from 0 to 62 mph in under 14 seconds and gain a top speed of 124 mph. Such engine power and performance were exemplary at that time.
The elegant exterior styling accentuated by the novel Hofmeister kink that was named after the automaker’s in-house head designer, Wilhelm Hofmeister, spilled over to the car’s interior. The 3200 CS was also the first BMW to feature a spherical rear light, a shift that stayed in BMW cars until the 1973 BMW 02 Series.
The 3200 CS also came full of new-tech components pointing toward the future of vehicular technologies, although some critics weren't impressed with the model's seemingly muted styling. Besides the Hofmeister kink and spherical rear lights, the 1962 BMW 3200 CS was also the first to feature power windows in all four doors.
Price And Legacy Of The 1962 BMW 3200 CS
The 1962 BMW 3200 CS had an MSRP of DM (Deutsche Mark) 29,850 which is approximately $15,783 in today’s money. However, a Concours 3200 CS is valued at $170,000 today, according to Hagerty Canada's current valuation data. Prices may differ based on the year of production. Previous attempts by the German automobile manufacturing company to gain a strong foothold in the luxury automobile market had failed to yield a promising result.
The next installment in the 3200 CS series was a 2-door notchback coupe launched in mid-1963. It toted a V8 engine with 158 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque tied to a 4-speed manual rear-wheel-drive transmission layout. It could go from 0 to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds, almost as fast as the 1961 3200 CS. No matter the year of production, the 3200 CS is a legacy nameplate.
The 3200 CS spelled the brief end of pushrod V8 engines, solid rear axle, and perimeter frames in BMW cars while spearheading the brand’s postwar luxury marques. The V8 engine would make a comeback to BMW cars in the early '90s.
The 3200’s limited-production volume and upscale comfort amenities helped promote its bespoke quality, and thereby boosting its value in the automobile scene. This is proven by the tourer’s $15,793 price point, which at the time can pay for a small house.
Perhaps, the arguably steep price was an attempt by BMW to recoup the losses the company incured over the years from the commercial failures of previous BMW luxury models up to that point. The 3200 CS were 2-door coupes, except a one-off convertible that Nuccio specially designed and built for German industrialist Herbert Quandt whose investment in BMW helped save the company from bankruptcy. The BMW 2000 CS succeeded the 3200 CS series.