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The BMW 2002 is regarded as the genesis of modern BMW. Introduced in the mid-1960s, the “Neue Klasse” sedan was an instant hit and paved the way for the modern sport sedan, becoming BMW’s strong suit carried through to this day.
The 2002 (2 litre, 2 door sedan) was updated throughout its production and finished with its fastest variant, the Turbo. After many race wins, the road-going Turbo was produced and matched the look of the race cars with its deep front air dam, wheel arch extensions and rear spoiler. Only 1,672 road-going Turbos were produced.
Europe’s first mass-produced car with a turbocharger – 2002 Turbo, who preceded the famous Porsche 911 (930) 3.0 Turbo ahead of a year and a Saab 900 Turbo by 5 years. The initial basic M10 engine from model 2002 has been supplemented by a KKK turbocharger and an oil cooler.
The car was developed by BMW Motorsport division thanks to their experience with turbocharging in motorsport and, although it is not denoted by the letter M, together with the 3.0 CSL (E9), is considered a full member of the BMW M family.
As far as the appearance of the 2002 Turbo, it is easily recognisable compared to other variants. It was only available in two colours – white base Polaris, which most of the vehicles were painted in, and then in Chamonix optional silver, which our car has.
The characteristic feature of the model is the then painted front spoiler, rear wing and, of course, screwed plastic skirts. Military vehicle colour in traditional tricolor, accompanied by lettering 2002 Turbo on the front bumper, which was horizontally reversed to make them more readable in mirrors, seemed very charismatic.
This colour was not received well from journalists and representatives of the German government, because it seemed too martial, which was a sensitive subject in Germany. In light of this, reverse inscriptions were offered as an option. The interior was characterized by the red decor around the gauges, three-spoke steering wheel and leather sports seats, which were optional. For obvious reasons, a VDO boost indicator was added to the dashboard.
Production of the BMW 2002 Turbo ran on the standard production line in Munich and, in retrospect, we can say that the car came to market in the most inconvenient time of the oil crisis, which, naturally, impacted the number of units produced. In total, between 1974-1975, after less than a year of production, 1,672 units of the 2002 turbo, including 12 pre-production cars were produced between July and December 1973.
