After years of hesitations and “not now” moments, BMW took the gamble and launched a smaller coupe than the 3-Series.
And the result was a pocket-rocket rear-wheel-drive.

The 1 Series hatchback was on the market since 2004 and, when the BMW decided to launch the 3-door and the coupe in 2007, it was based on the 5-door success. But it was just a few months before the world economic crisis. But considering that the 1 Series accounted for about 20% of the BMW global sales in 2008.

The unusual shape of the vehicle was designed by Chris Bangle, the same designer that made the ugliest 7-Series ever. But for the size of the 1-Series, its theories worked just fine and the 1 Series Coupe was a good looking car for its era. Even though it had some unusual shape for the headlights for a BMW, the overall shape was right and the proportions were according to the 1970s BMW 1600.

Inside, the dashboard was simple and it had a retractable screen for the i-Drive infotainment system that could have been controlled via a rotary knob on the central console.

A wide range of engines was available for the 1 Series coupe. The standard transmission was a 6-speed manual, while a 6-speed automatic was offered as an option.