BMW 1600 Neue Klasse Is in a League of Its Own

By Tony Markovich - March 3, 2016

bmw_1600

Petrolicious is back at it again with another amazing video story. If you took a look at this screenshot and thought, “oh, that’s a nice 2002,” then check again. Look past that cutie pie face, and follow that belt-line down the body. Go ahead, it’s okay to look this lady up and down. Stop about two-thirds of the way down, and what do you see? Yep, another door handle. That’s because this is actually the four-door 1966 1600 Neue Klasse (translation shocker: “New Class”). Despite the large production numbers, these are quite rare these days.

This exact car is owned by Jim Huff. He decided he had to get one after his wife gave him a diecast model, and he did the same exact thing you might have done: initially thought 2002 then realized it was a sedan. Jim caught the fever, he Craigslisted, and then he found one in somewhat decent condition. Sold.

It’s not completely stock. Jim has a 2.0-liter engine in there with wider wheels, and he upgraded the suspension in order to run some twisties and participate in the occasional track day here and there. And he loves that he made it his own.

“It was looked at as a businessman sport cruiser … This car gets used in several ways. It does highway runs… it gets driven on the backroads of California quite a bit,” he says. “In my own right, with a group of friends that drive Alfas, Porsches, you name it—we drive the backroads alone, once or twice a month. This car’s geared to hang.”

Watch the lovely full story below, then let us know what you think.