Bechem started out in sports car racing before competing in Formula One in the 1952 German Grand Prix, driving a BMW under the alias "Bernhard Nacke". He failed to finish the race, and so did not score any World Championship points. He continued driving an ex-Karl Gommann AFM-BMW (chassis 50–5) in Formula One in 1953, at AVUS and then in the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring, again failing to finish. He was more successful in sports car racing with the Borgward team.