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Functional Fun: 1973 BMW 2002 Touring

1973-BMW-2002-Touring-rear

Europeans have always appreciated hatches more than we do here in the States. I think we are the ones who have been missing out though because they got great little cars like this. The BMW 2002 is a great driver, but the touring is even better because the cabin is airy and you can actually haul a few things in the back. This 1973 Touring has already been imported from Sweden so all the hard work is done. Find it here on eBay out of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bidding is currently at $8,300.

1973-BMW-2002-Touring-side

The ’02 sedan may be a common sight still in some places, but we bet everyone’s jaw will drop when you pull up with this. The exterior lines were penned in Italy and they produced a ton of them. Unfortunately, they were never brought them to our shores. This one did eventually make it over the sea and the current owner has gone through things to make it a good driver.

1973-BMW-2002-Touring-hatch

We have seriously considered picking up one of these ourselves because we love the way the ’02 drives and the Touring just adds extra functionality and style. Those rear corduroy trimmed seats can be folded down to transport longer items and that can be very handy for those of us who do not have a beater truck for hauling duties.

1973-BMW-2002-Touring-front

Rust is always the enemy, but luckily this one does appears solid. There is some surface corrosion and a few bubbles here and there so you will want to keep it dry and treat all the bad spots. It’s not perfect, but why would you try to import one when this Touring is already here?

Comments

  1. Avatar Horse Radish

    The way the car was photographed you can tell panels have been replaced or removed to repair sheet metal underneath.
    The big question is : how well was it done and is the cancer coming back?
    At the rate the bids are going you better be sure of more than the seller will say:
    terms like floors appear, from what I can see, I don’t know whats under the paint etc are not reassuring.
    And neither is the lack of chassis photos, nor WHERE the car was or is right now.

    All in all the first BMW wagon produced in somewhat high quantities.
    I always wanted one, long ago, but moved on…
    A nice piece if the bidding stops now ($8300)

    Like 0
    • Avatar Larry

      I’m not trying to be or stupid,or rude, but how can you tell by looking at the pictures that body panels have been replaced, I have looked at ALL the pictures and the panels look orig. as does the rest of the car,just how can you tell by the pictures, please tell me your secret, I also believe the owner has discribed the car in a very honest way. Tells of oil leaks and some minor rust . Just look at his ebay rating.
      He also says the car came over with him from SWEEDEN and that the car is now in COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO.
      Again, not trying to rude.

      Like 0
      • Avatar paul

        I guess he means the color variation from panel to panel of course that also could be that those panels were just repaired & refinished in this case the nose at one point while the rear quarter at a different time because of the variation in fade down. From these photos it is hard to tell , the nose could also be original while the rest of the car could have been repainted at different times .I would need to inspect it in person.

        Like 0
  2. Avatar Dolphin Member

    These are certainly rare over here, and often get a lot of attention at BMW meets because of the rarity and the unusual greenhouse. Too bad BMW never imported them into No. America, but just bringing the regular 2002 here must have taken courage, given the preference for big cars here back then. In Europe, even No. American compact cars would have been big. BMW execs must have wondered whether they risked the company going under if they sent lots of 2002s over here and they bombed in the marketplace. I’m guessing that the thinking might have been that bringing over a BMW hatchback, which was a style of vehicle that was not well loved in No. America at that time, would have been too risky.

    Fortunately, the 2002 didn’t bomb—just the opposite, and D.E. Davis’ terrific test/article on the 2002 in Car and Driver decades ago helped establish BMW here. I think it was probably smart to just send the 2002 sedan over here back then, and to keep the Touring for Europe, where they were very popular, and later replaced by ‘real’ wagons, which were called….. “Tourings”. I remember driving in and around Munich about 15 years ago, where almost every other BMW was a modern wagon-style Touring, which shows how popular the vehicles are over there.

    Like 0
  3. Avatar seth karpen

    Had a 1969 1600 that was a blast to drive. Stripped the pollution gear off when the pump failed
    and got fantastic gas mileage. Handling was way ahead of the 72 chevelle wagon that was our other car. Had rust in the usual places as the facotry rust-proofing cracked and trapped moisture in the back of both of the front fenders

    Like 0
  4. Avatar Stewart

    This is NOT a 2002! It’s a 2000. For some reason known only to BMW these were badged and sold as 2000s

    Like 0
    • Avatar Stan_Ac

      This is not true.

      This car was badged 2002 touring in Germany.

      It has not been a sucsess story for them. Only few of them have been on the road and they are mostly gone.

      Like 0
  5. Avatar paul

    Nice never seen one & yes hatches are great, I had a Saab 900, very useful layout.

    Like 0
  6. Avatar Steve

    More photo’s at
    http://classicbimmers.futska.com/2013/02/06/for-sale-1973-bmw-2000-touring-verona-red/

    Looks like fun, but probably costs more than it’s really worth. Be very nice all cleaned up,

    Like 0
  7. Avatar Stuart

    I dunno, that trailer hitch makes me nervous. If it went on to carry a bike rack, no problemo…

    Like 0
  8. Avatar ConservativesDefeated

    Okay looking at the pictures a couple of items seem clear. The tops of the rear seats are unraveling, there is random surface rust including at the top of a front shock tower and the owner seems to be fairly straightforward

    On the other hand a little common sense would indicate that any car that has spent time in Malmo Sweden is going to be rusty. So an onsite inspection would be required and prudent.

    That said I always wanted one of these. Having owned a bitchin Baikal blue ’72 w a sunroof and a self installed gettrag 5 sp replacing the original automatic , I love the early 2002’s. In europe in the early eighties I first saw a Touring…..happy to see one here.

    And to the comment above this is a 2000. See rear panel!

    Like 0
  9. Avatar FRED

    I’M A BIG FAN OF BMW’S. NEVER SAW ONE OF THESE BUT WOULD NOT MIND HAVING IT. LOOKS LIKE A FUN LITTLE CAR…

    Like 0
  10. Avatar Dolphin Member

    On the correct model designation for this car, both Stewart and Stan_Ac are right!

    I had a look in a book I own: “The BMW 02 Series. The Cult Car” by BMW Mobile Tradition. This was published by BMW’s historical wing, and they know what they are talking about.

    Stewart is correct—for the 1971-1973 cars. The Touring was first presented at the 1971 Brussels Autosalon in January, 1971 as the BMW 2000 tii, as Stewart said. Then there were versions with different engine displacements, followed by the 1974 model year when the car was designated 2002 and 2002 tii Tourings. There was also a smaller-engined version called the 1802 Touring. This makes Stan_Ac right for the 1974 cars with the larger engines.

    So it depends on what year you are talking about because BMW changed the model designation from 2000 tii to 2002 tii for the 1974 Touring cars.

    The book acknowledges that the Touring model was not well received in the marketplace. It says that a total of just over 30,000 Tourings of all engine sizes were sold from 1971 to April, 1974.

    I suppose that’s not a lot for a carmaker that makes over a million cars a year these days, but compared to some cars that featured on Barn Finds it is pretty good.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar P Trout

    I’m going to need a BMW expert to chime in here, as I have very little experience with these cars.
    But to my eye, it looks as though there are not front “fenders” on this car per se. There does not appear to be a body seam between the fenders and the front facia. Does this car have a single piece front clip, that incorporates both fenders and the grill mount?

    Looking at the better photo’s in the above link, I believe the entire front end of this car was replaced, along with the drivers door.
    It is possible that the rest of the car was painted instead, but why would one only paint half a car?
    I suspect there is MAJOR rust lurking here.
    I do love the body lines on these, but I can’t help but think that BMW might have taken some “inspiration” form the 60’s Datsun Sunny’s.
    It is remarkable how similar they look.

    Like 0
    • Avatar paul

      Well I’m not a BMW guy but I did own an auto body shop for 15 years, their is a seam but filled with lead, in that era, just above the light to the side marker, other wise shipping the nose would be expensive, even E type noses had seems, but these are quarters & not fenders as for if the nose was replaced it is possible but also possible that the rest of the car has been repainted at various times in it’s life & the nose is original. The drivers door is not faded the way the nose is.
      Rust is every where on cars of this era, but just because the car has had paint work done to it over it’s life could be parking lot dents, who knows.

      Like 0
      • Avatar paul

        I took another look at the engine compartment, it sure looks tidy doesn’t appear to have been in a nose wreck.

        Like 0
  12. Avatar Rancho Bella

    It’s cute……..but not that cute. The wheels are just wrong.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Rancho Bella

      And, did the guy buy the car overseas without seeing it? I wasn’t clear or I can’t read. It sounds to me that he ain’t happy with it. I’m trying to read between the lines…..or any line.

      Like 0

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