When BMW unveiled the 3200 CS in 1961, it marked the end of an era. It was the final model powered by the 3,168-cc overhead-valve V-8, and the CS drew much of its DNA from the “Baroque Angel” BMWs of the 1950s. Yet with crisp Italian lines by Bertone’s rising star Giorgetto Giugiaro, the car also pointed to the future. The airy glasshouse, shark nose, and “Hofmeister kink” in the C-pillar established a design language that still influences the Munich marque today.

An expensive and exclusive GT for wealthy enthusiasts, the 160 horsepower 200 km/h coupé sold in tiny numbers. During a three-year production run from 1962 to 1965, just 603 of these special Bertone-bodied four-seaters were produced; a mere 132 left the factory in 1963.

The example offered here was first distributed in October 1963 via the Hamburg-based dealer, Fendler & Ludenmann, and remained in the German city with its first owner. The BMW stayed in Germany until 2008, when it was taken to Finland to join The Munich Masterpieces Collection. At an unknown point, the car’s engine has been replaced, while documents on file suggest that the odometer has also been changed. The 3200 CS is offered with its period Kraftfahrzeugbrief registration document from early German ownership.