BMW introduced the 700 at the 1959 Frankfurt Motor Show, representing a change in direction compared to its contemporary Baroque Angel models that aspired to conquer the luxury market. The diminutive 700 compact car was the first BMW built with a steel monocoque structure and featured a rear-engine design, borrowed from the R67 motorcycle. A five-year production run that ended in 1965—with some 188,000 examples built—is credited for saving BMW from going bust after notably losing money on every 507 sold.

The example offered here is a 700 Sport Coupé—the basis for many successful racing interpretations of the model—with the road car featuring an uprated 40 horsepower engine paired with a four-speed manual gearbox. The car is understood to have been built in grey and imported new into Finland, where it is alleged to have had a series of owners before being discovered in a state of disrepair in the 1980s. Its next owner bought the car as a non-running project and soon embarked on a period of restoration that lasted until the early 1990s. At this point, it is believed that the car was refinished in the red colour scheme it wears today, complemented by a part-leather tan interior. It entered The Munich Masterpieces Collection in 2006.

As charming as it is stylish with timeless design by Giovanni Michelotti, this BMW 700 Sport Coupé is a rare classic that awaits its next chapter.