Charles/Wikimedia CommonsA very special BMW is heading to auction on Bring A Trailer. It is one of only 1,255 made, and until its last year of production, it wasn't even a BMW. The 1600 GT, as it's called, started life as the Glas 1300 GT and was introduced at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. Its lovely 2+2 coupe body was designed in Italy by Pietro Frua, with the bodies being produced there by Maggiora Coachbuilders. The cars themselves were built by production workers at the Glas plant in Germany. Glas founder Hans Glas' financial problems led to BMW acquiring the company in 1966. BMW reengineered the entire car, ditching the Glas 1300 GT's engine, transmission, and leaf-sprung solid rear axle. In their place went the 1.6-liter BMW M10 inline four and a matching manual transmission from the BMW 1600-2, the predecessor of the incredibly impactful BMW 2002. BMW also adapted the 1600-2's independent rear suspension to the 1300 GT, giving it improved handling over the original version. BMW Roundels, a kidney grille, and round taillights completed the upgrade. The 1968 BMW 1600 GT being auctioned is finished in Chamonix white with a black vinyl interior. It has 72,000 km on the odometer, which works out to around 45,000 miles. This car comes with a BMW Classic Certificate, which normally lists details such as engine, chassis, and transmission numbers, plus delivery and production dates.AdvertisementAdvertisementRead more: 10 Of The Most Reliable V6 Engines Ever MadeThis particular 1600 GT is a special oneMatti Blume/Wikimedia CommonsThis BMW 1600 GT was purchased by the present owners in May 2018, after it had been refurbished by a firm in the Netherlands. It was then imported to the U.S. and registered in California. It has a four-speed manual transmission, 14-inch steel wheels, and front disc brakes. The interior is equally retro, with a wood steering wheel, a vintage-style Blaupunkt stereo, and analog instrumentation across the board. The buyer will also get maintenance logs, records, and a bunch of original literature.Of the 1,255 1600 GT coupes BMW built during its 11-month production run, only five ever arrived in the U.S. BMW also made two cabriolet prototypes of the 1600 GT cabriolet; one of these survived and, as of 2024, was being restored by a group of BMW training personnel and their apprentices in Germany. Even though BMW never built the 1600 GT cabriolet, BMW would go on to build a long line of drop-tops and, as of 2026, is one of the few car brands keeping convertibles alive.It should be noted that BMW primarily acquired Glas so that it could use the company's plant to add to its own production capacity. However, the purchase also led to an interesting and unique chapter of BMW's history in the 1600 GT, which married BMW's running gear and engineering prowess with an exterior, grille aside, that was pure Glas.AdvertisementAdvertisementWant the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.Read the original article on SlashGear.