E30 touring - How it all began
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:23 pm
How it all began
Fifteen years ago (17yrs by now I guess, 1985), Max Reisböck built in his garage a BMW 323i 3-series touring.
Max Reisböck had a problem: his family was growing and the BMW in his garage would be too small for a family of four with prams and holiday luggage. For Reisböck, a BMW enthusiast, who worked at the factory in Munich in the prototype construction department, it was clear: there had to be a combi. BMW made no combi's. The solution: build one yourself. He bought a BMW 323i with rear damage and put it in his garage. As a bodywork specialist, he knew that it would not be a matter of cutting and pasting. He first moved the c-pillars back, and then made-up the missing roof section. Step by step Reisböck changed the 3-series sedan into a touring and 500 man hours later it was finally ready: Reisböck's family wagon was ready to leave the garage. "But before I go on a trip with my creation", Reisböck thought, "First lets show the boss". Who insisted on also showing his boss. And so it happened that one morning at seven o'clock the then chairman of BMW, Eberhard von Kuenheim, was show Reisböck-combi. The chief executive of BMW decided spontaneously: "This car will not leave the factory anymore. This model we will build".
In reality, the distinguished touring, which shortly thereafter went into production, just a few changes made from the original. Only the rear tailgate was drawn deeper down between the lights to reduce the load threshold. The German magazine Auto Bild headlined enthusiastically: "A BMW like never before."
The creation of Reisböck was some 15 years ago no one could suspect, to trendsetter. The hitherto largely used vehicle combinations became more luxurious. Athletes also discovered the ability to transport their equipment and comfort while traveling.
Suddenly there was talk of a lifestyle combi, and the idea of ”‹”‹a combi with the equipment level and the driving performance of a sedan soon followed.
And what does Max Reisböck do today? The 51-year-old still builds prototypes for BMW - now as a foreman. Eberhard von Kuenheim praised the commitment of the bodywork specialist: "There are many great people at BMW. Employees who work independently and enthusiastically on things that were not explicitly requested by them. I am thinking especially of a man who in a sense invented the 3-series Touring".
Original source - http://www.e30forum.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1975
I didn't write this, I just found it online as above but in Dutch and translated it. No idea if it's true or not and where/how the 2dr tourings fit into this
Fifteen years ago (17yrs by now I guess, 1985), Max Reisböck built in his garage a BMW 323i 3-series touring.
Max Reisböck had a problem: his family was growing and the BMW in his garage would be too small for a family of four with prams and holiday luggage. For Reisböck, a BMW enthusiast, who worked at the factory in Munich in the prototype construction department, it was clear: there had to be a combi. BMW made no combi's. The solution: build one yourself. He bought a BMW 323i with rear damage and put it in his garage. As a bodywork specialist, he knew that it would not be a matter of cutting and pasting. He first moved the c-pillars back, and then made-up the missing roof section. Step by step Reisböck changed the 3-series sedan into a touring and 500 man hours later it was finally ready: Reisböck's family wagon was ready to leave the garage. "But before I go on a trip with my creation", Reisböck thought, "First lets show the boss". Who insisted on also showing his boss. And so it happened that one morning at seven o'clock the then chairman of BMW, Eberhard von Kuenheim, was show Reisböck-combi. The chief executive of BMW decided spontaneously: "This car will not leave the factory anymore. This model we will build".
In reality, the distinguished touring, which shortly thereafter went into production, just a few changes made from the original. Only the rear tailgate was drawn deeper down between the lights to reduce the load threshold. The German magazine Auto Bild headlined enthusiastically: "A BMW like never before."
The creation of Reisböck was some 15 years ago no one could suspect, to trendsetter. The hitherto largely used vehicle combinations became more luxurious. Athletes also discovered the ability to transport their equipment and comfort while traveling.
Suddenly there was talk of a lifestyle combi, and the idea of ”‹”‹a combi with the equipment level and the driving performance of a sedan soon followed.
And what does Max Reisböck do today? The 51-year-old still builds prototypes for BMW - now as a foreman. Eberhard von Kuenheim praised the commitment of the bodywork specialist: "There are many great people at BMW. Employees who work independently and enthusiastically on things that were not explicitly requested by them. I am thinking especially of a man who in a sense invented the 3-series Touring".
Original source - http://www.e30forum.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1975
I didn't write this, I just found it online as above but in Dutch and translated it. No idea if it's true or not and where/how the 2dr tourings fit into this
