Driving the BMW 2002 Should Be on Your Bucket List. Here’s Why.

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

The model was penned by Georg Bertram and Manfred Rennen under corporate design director Wilhelm Hofmeister, who’s famous “Hofmeister kink”—the upturned line at the rear edge of each quarter window—has been a BMW style signature for decades. The 2002 played a huge role in BMW’s success. By the late 1950s, the marque was running on financial fumes, trying to shake a reputation for its expensive, antiquarian sedans and Isetta micro-cars.

To become a viable carmaker in the German—and world—market, and stay solvent, BMW introduced the Neue Klasse (New Class) four-door executive sports sedan, starting in 1962. By 1966, the 02 range offered a shortened, two-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 such infrequent sightings today, it’s anyone’s guess how many remain.

The 2002 is powered by BMW’s 2.0-liter, inline-four “M10” engine that makes just under 100 hp. By 1971, the base 2002 was joined by the fuel-injected 2002 Ti, of which more than 39,000 were produced through 1974. Making 130 hp and with a drag-limited top speed of 115 mph, it was a huge success stateside, and is a BMW enthusiast’s top choice.

Europe and other markets got the Bauer Cabriolet (with or without a nifty rollbar), a hatchback Touring model, and a number of 1.5- and 1.6-liter variants, all of which can now be imported here. So too can the 2002 Turbo, launched in 1973 as the first turbocharged European production car. With 168 hp, it was a terror at the time, and with only 1,672 examples made, prices can be in the $200,000 neighborhood for an excellent example.

To appreciate how big a deal a 2002 is today, one just needs to get behind the wheel. Talk about lightweight! At less than 2,300 pounds, it feels like a cotton puff compared to even the smallest contemporary compact, with non-assisted rack-and-pinion steering as responsive as its torquey SOHC engine, which revs to 5,800 rpm in the 2002 Ti. Shifting is through a four-speed manual gearbox (an optional five-speed could be had on the Ti version, and a three-speed ZF automatic was offered too). Front discs and rear drums stop the featherweight 2002 quickly, and with a good set of radials, a well-sorted 2002 provides infinite entertainment on canyon roads, keeping up with, or even dropping, more “capable” cars.

The expansive view from inside the huge greenhouse is unrivaled by any car that comes to mind. The interior is as spartan as a Bauhaus apartment, yet lacks nothing the driver needs, though air conditioning is an aftermarket affair. The front seats are flat, but comfortable, and even two rear occupants can come along for the ride. The trunk is, simply, cavernous. As is true with any unibody design of the era, rust is the biggest concern for would-be owners. Mechanical and body parts are widely available, but structural problems like rusted rear-shock mounts should elicit a flight response—run, don’t walk—to find a better example.

Engines are essentially bulletproof, though the fuel injection can be fussy and power-robbing smog-equipment reared its head in 1974, most of which has been jettisoned in subsequent decades. Advice leans toward buying the best example, regardless of model or year. Apart from a Turbo, a pre-1974 Ti is the ultimate choice. As for the 1974 model year, it ushered in less desirable square tail lamps and impact bumpers, which can affect values by as much as 20 percent.

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Expect to pay as little as $20,000 for a decent 2002 driver and beyond $125,000 for a concours-quality 2002 Ti. By now, the performance of most restored examples has been enhanced by enthusiastic owners, so unless bone-stock is your jam, much fun can be had finding a BMW 2002 with judicious and tasteful improvements. Everyone should drive a BMW 2002 once in their lives. Be advised, it may be the start of an enduring relationship.

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