The 1973 BMW 2002 Was an Amazing Piece of Engineering and Highly Prized by Collectors

The first 02 Series produced, the 1600-2 in 1966, ultimately led to the E21 3 Series, but this interim model, the BMW 2002, was powered by a 2.0-liter inline-four engine paired with a four-speed manual transmission.

BMW produced the 2002 and variants from 1968 to 75, and some 339,092 were assembled and sold.

As a side note, BMW developed the "1602 Elektro," an electric-powered concept vehicle produced in just two units. Those two served as support vehicles for long-distance walkers - and marathon runners - during the Olympic games. With a massive 772 lb (350 kg) pack of twelve lead-acid batteries under the hood, the Elektro could deliver approximately 19 miles (30 km) of range on a charge.

There was also a 2002 GT4 concept car produced by Frua, which was developed and based on the 2002 Ti, but only two were produced in the 1969-1970 model year.

This car was refreshed with new front disc brakes, 15″ Rota wheels, Bilstein shocks, and Ireland Engineering sway bars with polyurethane bushings. In addition, this example includes a Weber carburetor, a modern aluminum radiator, an aftermarket steering wheel, a Bluetooth JVC stereo, and a custom exhaust system. 

This 2002 was offered in Canada with a MOMO steering wheel and was refinished in its current shade of orange under previous ownership. Silver-finished 15″ Rota RB wheels are mounted with 195/50 Yokohama S.drive tires. The suspension also features a lowering kit with Bilstein shocks and shock tower reinforcements.

The interior featured, as did many 2002s, an upgrade to bolstered Recaro racing seats with textured black vinyl upholstery joined by a matching dash, center console, and door panels.

The wood-rimmed Luisi steering wheel complements the VDO instrumentation, including a 120-mph speedometer, a tach, and a combination gauge. In addition, VDO auxiliary gauges are mounted in the center console and measure oil temperature, oil pressure, and voltage. 

With just 31k miles on the clock, this 1973 BMW 2002 was a steal on Bring A Trailer at just $23,400.