02 Series modified with sporting intent
Good basis for a motorsport project
A typical child of the 1980s
Mysterious history
When BMW introduced the 2002 in 1968, the recipe was wonderfully simple: take the compact, lightweight body of the 1600-2 and install the two-litre engine from the larger Neue Klasse up front. The result was 100 hp in a car weighing little more than a tonne – and one that practically begged to have a racing number stuck to its doors at the weekend.
The ingredients for motorsport were certainly there. The proven M10 four-cylinder was robust, eager to rev and could be persuaded to produce considerably more power without unreasonable effort. Add rear-wheel drive, independent suspension and well-balanced weight distribution. Above all, the 2002 was relatively light and mechanically straightforward. If something broke, it rarely required a team of engineers to get it going again.
Unsurprisingly, the 2002 soon appeared on circuits, in rallies and at hill climbs. Works teams and privateers alike extracted ever more power from the two-litre engine, while the 2002 ti and later tii already offered a distinctly sportier proposition straight from the factory. In 1973, BMW itself crowned the range with the 2002 Turbo. Yet the 2002’s greatest strength remained its versatility. It could carry the family during the week and collect trophies on Sunday.
The history of this particular BMW 2002 raises rather more questions than it answers. According to its documents and identification plate, it is supposed to be a 1969 2002 TI. Its appearance, however, tells a different story: the black grille and rectangular rear lights did not arrive until 1973. That a search for a stamped chassis number has so far proved unsuccessful therefore comes as little surprise. Interestingly, a photograph in the paperwork already shows the car in this form during the 1980s. There is, in other words, plenty of room for speculation and interpretation.
What the 02 leaves in no doubt is that one of its previous owners apparently did not consider it quite sporting enough. Wider wheelarches, the absence of bumpers and 45 mm Weber carburettors paint a fairly clear picture of what someone had in mind.
For anyone more interested in that than in the various question marks surrounding its past, this represents a good basis for a serious competition car – whether for motorsport or simply for the sheer pleasure of driving.