1968-76 BMW 2002

Nearly every sports car enthusiast over 50 seems to have a 2002 story. Invariably, these end with “we drove it until the fenders rusted off”

by Rob Sass

The author’s 1976 2002

A favorite of enthusiasts from day one, the BMW 2002 was described by David E. Davis, Jr. in Car and Driver as “the best way to get somewhere sitting down.” The 2002 is in large part the reason why BMW enjoys the reputation that it does today. It made people forget the embarrassing Isetta and set the stage for other serious driver’s cars such as the M3. Like the Porsche Speedster of the previous decade, the 2002 was the idea of legendary importer Max Hoffman. When the twin-carb BMW 1602 could not be emissions certified, he suggested stuffing the two-liter motor from the BMW “new class” sedans into the smaller 1602 body and the 2002 was born. At a time when other cars were becoming increasingly strangled by emissions regulations, the 2002 shone. In its worst years, it still had nearly 100 net horsepower. The 2002 tii (the “S” or “Veloce” of the 2002 range) was even better. Introduced for the 1972 model year, the tii boasted bigger brakes, stiffer...