1959 BMW BMW 700

Perhaps the most important car in BMW’s history, and certainly the one that saved the company. The BMW 700 may have been based upon the quirky 600, but elegant Michelotti styling and an uprated engine resulted in a budget car that looked good and was great to drive. Grown-up styling and features (four-speed floor-mounted gear selector was a major advance over the 600) and improved suspension that was now fully independent, made the car so much more appealing than its economy car rivals. Coupé version is much in demand today.

info from Octane