Based on the E12 5 Series generation, the 528 GT Coupe is a largely unknown prototype that appeared in 1976 and 1977 and was entirely designed and built by renowned Italian coachbuilder and car designer Pietro Frua.
Frua is widely known for his projects and limited editions based on BMW models, such as the 1600 GT Coupe (developed on the basis of former Glas models, a brand acquired by the Bavarians in the late ’60s), the 2002 GT4 Coupe, the 2800 GTS Coupe and the 3000 V8 Fastbackcoupe.
The One-Off 528 GT Coupe
The 528 GT Coupe is less familiar to public, because it came out in a difficult period – the mid 70s. Resources were limited and the appetite for such ambitious, one-off coachbuilding projects was at a minimum. According to relevant historical details of the project, BMW initially did not deliver the approval for the project.
31 January 2021 In 1993, young automotive design student Markus Haub set off on a pilgrimage to Italy, the capital of car design. He visited Bertone, Giugiaro and Pininfarina in Turin, marvelled at the latest cars at the Bologna Motor Show and took a look behind the scenes at Bugatti.
At the beginning of 1993, I started studying car design in Pforzheim. I finally met some like-minded people to share my passion with, and we organised a trip to Italy. Back then, it was all about design. Bertone, Ghia, Pininfarina, Giugiaro, Gandini. Those were the big names! So off over the Alps we went. Beyond the border, the guardrails became rusty, the radio started picking up Gianna Nannini and the coffee had to be paid for in softened lire. Our pilgrimage took us first to Turin, then on to Bologna for the motor show. The unforgettable highlight of our trip, however, was a visit to the Bugatti factory in Campogalliano, which we’d organised in advance.