The Holy Grail Of Classic BMW Sports Coupes Will Cost An Arm And A Leg
The BMW 2002 was the start of a new era for drivers. It was the first car that could truly deliver European sports car handling along with a practical coupe body, giving drivers a small, light, and tossable car that also had a real trunk, a real roof, and enough room for four real people to sit inside.
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BMW
BMW is a German luxury car and motorbike manufacturer and current owner of Mini, Rolls-Royce, and Alpina. With roots dating back to 1913 as Rapp Motorenwerke, it officially became Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1922 as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. BMW's first car was built in 1928 when it built the Austin 7 under license from Dixi, which was called the BMW 3/15. BMW grew into a manufacturer of premium and luxury automobiles, launching iconic nameplates like the 3 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series, and is today known as one of the leading luxury automakers in the world, while the BMW M division is hailed as a leading manufacturer of performance cars.
In an era of lumbering Detroit elephants, the 2002 was a gazelle. Its success is why BMW builds driver's cars to this day, and why it is still chasing the magic. Without the 2002, we wouldn't have M3. Or the XM, but don't focus on that one.
While every 2002 is now special, very few were the ultimate iteration of the 2002, the 2002 Turbo, which makes this new offering exceptionally cool and incredibly rare.
The 2002 Turbo Was An Amazing Car At The Wrong Time
1974 BMW 2002 Turbo (2)
Every BMW 2002, from 1969 until 1977, came with a 2.0-liter version of BMW's M10 four-cylinder. The model came about when two BMW higher-ups realized that they had each independently fitted their 84-horsepower 1.6-liter 1602s with a 2.0-liter engine for some much-needed extra power. They took that to the board, which eventually agreed to build it.
The ultimate version of the 2002 was the Turbo, which launched in 1973 as the first turbocharged production car from not just BMW but all of Europe. It used a fuel-injected and turbocharged 2.0-liter engine that managed 168 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque and could hit 131 mph, an impressive figure at the time.
It needed space for wider tires, so BMW added fiberglass fender flares. New ventilated front disc brakes and larger drums at the rear helped it stop with all the extra power.
BMW launched the car just ahead of the 1974 fuel crisis. While it was small and light, early turbo technology was still thirsty. That made it very unpopular. Only 1,672 2002 Turbo cars were ever built, and few remain.
This car was originally sold in Italy. It was originally painted in the iconic 2002 Turbo look of Chamonix white with the tricolor stripe that would become the BMW M logo. It lived in the Italian Alps, where it was no doubt a blast on the twisty roads with the turbo helping to maintain its horsepower up in the clouds.
Even One Owner For 40 Years Couldn't Save It From The Tinworm
1874 BMW 2002 Turbo (29)
In 1982, a new owner moved it to Volano, Italy. It was now at the base of the mountains, but the area had plenty of roads for it to get some exercise. That owner kept it for 40 years, and by 2014, the odometer read 60,000 km (approximately 36,000 miles).
After all that time, it needed some TLC, and the new owner gave it plenty. The car reportedly had more than $85,000 worth of restoration work, including a new differential, ignition upgrade, and complete rebuilds of the engine, transmission, and turbo. Oh, and the rocker panels had rusted out, needing replacement and repainting.
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BMW 2002 Tii Alpina Restomod Is A Perfect Example Of How To Treat A Classic
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Now that the restoration has been completed, this rare Bimmer is for sale. Naturally. It will be up for grabs at RM Sotheby's Miami auction, which runs February 27-28. The estimate for the car is $150,000-$200,000. A big stack of cash for a car that was around $6,400 new, but where will you ever find such a raw expression of lightweight German technical innovation in all its pure glory?
RM Sotheby's
