Driving the BMW 2002 should be on your bucket list. Here’s why.

To realize how big a deal it is the BMW 2002 in its day, think back to how few choices a true car enthusiast had in 1970 when looking for a performance sedan priced under $3,300. For almost a third of the cost of a Porsche 911S, BMW‘s 2002 had only a few competitors; cars like the Alfa Romeo GTV, Lotus Cortina and Datsun 510. The 2002 gained a well-deserved reputation for German build quality and reliability, and the small sedan’s three-box body design was also brilliantly simple.

The model was written by Georg Bertram and Manfred Rennen under the leadership of corporate design director Wilhelm Hofmeister, whose famous ‘Hofmeister kink’ – the raised line at the back of each side window – is a BMW style signature for decades. The 2002 played a major role in BMW’s success. By the late 1950s, the brand was running on financial fumes and trying to shake the reputation of its expensive, antiquarian sedans and Isetta microcars.

To become a viable car manufacturer in the German – and global – market, and remain solvent, BMW introduced the four-door executive sports sedan Neue Klasse (New Class) from 1962 onwards. In 1966, the 02 series offered a shortened, two-piece sedan. door version of the four-door, which came to the United States in 1968 as the 2002. More than 339,000 examples were made through 1976, but given today’s rare sightings, it’s anyone’s guess how many are left.

The 2002 is powered by BMW’s 2.0-liter inline-four “M10” engine that produces just under 100 horsepower. In 1971, the base 2002 was joined by the fuel-injected 2002 Ti, of which more than 39,000 were produced through 1974. With a power of 130 hp and a top speed with limited drag of 185 km/h, it was a huge success in the United States, and is still a success. The first choice of a BMW enthusiast.

Europe and other markets received the Bauer Cabriolet (with or without a handy roll bar), a hatchback Touring model and a number of 1.5- and 1.6-litre variants, all of which can now be imported here. This also applies to the 2002 Turbo, which was launched in 1973 as the first European production car with a turbocharger. With 168 hp it was a terror at the time, and with only 1,672 examples made, prices for an excellent example could be in the neighborhood of $200,000.

To realize how big a deal from 2002 is today, all you have to do is get behind the wheel. Talk about lightweight! Weighing less than 2,300 pounds, it feels like a cotton ball compared to even the smallest contemporary compact car, with unassisted rack-and-pinion steering that’s as responsive as the torquey SOHC engine, which in the 2002 Ti revs reaches 5,800 rpm. Shifting is via a four-speed manual gearbox (an optional five-speed gearbox was available on the Ti version, and a three-speed ZF automatic was also offered). Front rotors and rear drums stop the featherweight 2002 quickly, and with a good set of radials, a well-sorted 2002 provides endless entertainment on canyon roads, keeping up with or even dropping more ‘capable’ cars.

The sweeping view from the enormous greenhouse is unmatched by any car that comes to mind. The interior is as spartan as a Bauhaus apartment, but lacks nothing the driver needs, although air conditioning is an aftermarket affair. The front seats are flat but comfortable, and even two rear passengers can ride along. The trunk is simply cavernous. As with any unibody design from that era, rust is the biggest concern for potential owners. Mechanical and body parts are widely available, but structural problems like rusted rear shock mounts would have to provoke a flight response – run, not walk – to find a better example.

Engines are essentially bulletproof, although fuel injection can be tricky and power-robbing smog equipment emerged in 1974, most of which has been jettisoned in subsequent decades. Advice tends to be to buy the best example, regardless of model or year. In addition to a Turbo, a Ti from before 1974 is the ultimate choice. As for the 1974 model year, it ushered in less desirable square taillights and impact bumpers, which can affect values ​​by as much as 20 percent.

Expect to pay as little as $20,000 for a decent 2002 driver and more than $125,000 for a concours-quality 2002 Ti. Meanwhile, most restored examples have had their performance improved by enthusiastic owners, so unless you’re really into the bones, you might have a lot of fun finding a BMW 2002 with judicious and tasteful upgrades. Everyone should drive a BMW 2002 once in their life. Keep in mind that this could be the start of a lasting relationship.

Click here for more photos of this 1970 BMW 2002 Ti.

Authors

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  Robert Ross

  Automotive editorial consultant Robert Ross began his publishing career in 1989 and has worked with Robb Report since 2001 to present articles on art, design, audio and especially cars – new and old…

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