1968-1974 - The BMW 2002
By the late 1960’s BMW built the series that would eventually turn legendary among enthusiasts. It all began with the 1600-2, the “-2″ being used to designate a body style - the two door. After the first one rolled of the line it was and instant success, February issue of Car and Driver called the 1600 “the best small sedan we ever drove” and “the best economy car ever offered to an undeserving American public.” In the conclusion they wrote ” It also looks, drives, feels, and sounds like it ought to kick the bejeezus out of the competition.”
At $2500 the 1600 was cheap, she made the dash to 60 in 11.4 seconds and topped out at 102mph, it was also very economical the 1600 got up to 30 m.p.g. highway and was highly reliable. As always Europe gets all the cool stuff first, and BMW started introducing derivatives of the original model.
Altogether there would be fourteen variations on the two door body style, not counting the 2000c/cs coupes - 1600-2, 1600 cabriolet, 1600ti, 2002, 2002ti, 1600 Touring, 1802, 1800 Touring, 2002 Cabriolet, 2000 Touring, 2002tii, 2002tii Touring, 2002 Turbo and 1502.
However due to strict U.S. Emission controls the 1968 twin carb engine under the bonnet of the 1600ti made it unavailable to import, even thought this motor was related to the 1800ti and 2000ti lux four door sedans all available to the states.
Being that BMW engineers are probably enthusiasts themselves they decided to install the largest four-cylinder engine into their smallest body coupe and therefore created a legend.
Car and Driver wrote:
“Turn you hymnals to 2002–David E. Davis, Jr. blows his mind on the latest from BMW. If the 1600 was the best $2,500 sedan C/D ever tested, the 2002 is most certainly the best $2,850 sedan in the whole cotton-picking world…Feel free to test-drive one, but please don’t tell any of those ten million squares who are planning to buy something else. They deserve what they get. Now turn your hymnals to Number 2002…”
