Frua’s BMW 528 GT Coupé could have been Bavaria’s Montreal

After BMW’s takeover of Glas in the late 60s, the latter’s subcontracted exterior designer, Pietro Frua, saw an opportunity to establish a lucrative new relationship. As a result, he spent the next decade trying to lure BMW towards his styling services via a series of concept cars...

Earlier in the 1960s, Turin-born Frua had been tasked with the responsibility of styling an entire new range for Glas, a small Bavaria-based manufacturer that had made the leap from scooters and microcars to mid-range saloons and sports cars. In 1968, BMW completed the takeover of its smaller neighbour – but it was for reasons to do with engineering patents and factory space, rather than a fondness for the marque’s styling.

Catching the big fish

Undeterred, Frua set about creating a number of BMW-based concept cars in the hope of ensnaring design contracts for large-scale production runs from the Bavarian big fish. One of his final attempts came in 1976, in the form of the 528 GT Coupé. Taking a standard E12 saloon, Frua created a coupé body that bore all the trademark BMW cues, yet had a distinctly Italian flavour. Its resemblance to the Bertone-styled Alfa Romeo Montreal was obvious; there was also a hint of Lancia in there, too. Ultimately, Frua’s vision never came to fruition, and BMW decided to go it alone with its in-house design team. However, some historians argue that his influence lived on vicariously through the marque’s subsequent offerings.

You can find many modern and classic BMWs for sale in the Classic Driver Market.