Way back, during the golden age of 1966, BMW hired Italian design house and coachbuilder Frua to build a convertible. They asked that it be based on the structure of a GT model built by Glas, the automaker known for a series of mini cars called the Goggomobile. This resulted in two examples of a concept car dubbed the 1600 GT Convertible.

It had the sports body of the Glas while bearing a kidney grille and round headlights, two common BMW features. It also had an engine pushing 105 horsepower, a rarity at the time.

The car was supposed to release in the States as a more affordable alternative to the 507. Alas, the vehicle never made it past the prototype phase. One of the two models would be destroyed in a test drive, while the other was given to major shareholder Herbert Quandt. It traded a few hands before eventually returning to BMW ownership. There it would stay to fade into obscurity.

Until now.

The 1600 GT Convertable has undergone a complete restoration. The restoration project was part of a training program for new apprentices in the bodywork and vehicle construction field. Many parts involved were either no longer in production, or simply never were produced. This forced the team to build their own components many times.

Now it rests in the BMW heritage collection, where it belongs.