BMW is teasing a short movie dedicated to a man named Klaus-Günter Jacobi, who helped his friend escape the Soviet-controlled East Germany (GDR) fifty-five years ago.
Half a century ago, when an impenetrable wall ran across Berlin, Manfred Kostner lived in the eastern part of the city, which was controlled by the Soviet Union. He dreamt of making it to the other side, but the only way to do so was though a guarded checkpoint.
Jacobi, who lived in the western part, decided to help his friend. He modded his Isetta by detaching the spare wheel, raising the shelf and removing the air filter and the heating unit. He also had to replace the fuel tank with a small, two-liter gas can to maximize the free space inside the car. In the end, Klaus-Günter Jacobi had a secret compartment large enough to smuggle an adult person in.
In May 1964, late at night, Jacobi approached the checkpoint, received the clearance, and crossed the border to the other side, bringing his friend to the West Berlin.