1966 BMW 1800

History

BMW introduced a new series of vehicles beginning in 1962 with the 1500. It made its debut at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show and produced until 1966. It was powered by a four-cylinder BMW M10 engine that would grow in size of the years, and the naming scheme would change along with it.

The BMW 1500 four-door sedan was a popular vehicle, and helped secure BMW financially. The car brought with it front disc brakes and a MacPherson strut setup in the front.

In 1964, the 1600 was introduced which brought with it an engine that increased horsepower to 80. The 1800 was introduced in 1963 and horsepower rose to 90 from the 1.8-liter engine. A 'TI' option, meaning Touring International', was offered and featured components by Alpina. Upgrades included two Solex PHH side-draft carburetors and higher-compression pistons resulting in an increase in horsepower to 110.

In 1964, a TI/SA option was introduced, which was intended as a racing option. It was equipped with dual Weber DCOE-45 carburetors and increased horsepower to 130. The car was created to qualify for the touring car racing regulations. The 'SA' portion of its name represented 'SonderAusfuhrung meaning extraordinary sporting special. The car had a five-speed gearbox and only two-hundred genuine factory-built 'Tisas' were ever created.

The 1800 TI/SA enjoyed much racing success with drivers such as Hubert Hahne who won the German national championship in 1964. Hahne and co-driver Rauno Aaltonen entered a 1800 TI/SA in the Spa 24-Hour race, where they finished second, nearly capturing the victory from the winning Mercedes-Benz 300SE. In 1965, Pascal Ickx and Gerald Langlois drove a 1800Ti/SA to a victory at the Spa 24-Hour race and many other racing events.

The 1600 was introduced in 1964, and used the 1500 engines with the pistons from 1800. The resulting 1.6-liter engine produced 85 horsepower and produced through 1968. In 1966, it was joined by a two-door version of the 1600, commonly referred to as the 1602. This version was sold through 1975. By this time, power had risen to nearly 100 horsepower.

The 2000C/CS was produced from 1965 through 1969. The 'CS' versions were only fitted with manual gearboxes, while the 'C' came with a manual as standard and automatic as options. The coupe body's were designed by Karmannn, and by many people's opinion, was a rather odd design. The front grille and headlights give the car a distinct look that has been termed as 'controversial' in appearance. In 1969, the front-end was changed.

The 2002 was a financial victory for BMW and was a very popular automobile. It was based on the four-door 1600 and became the fore-runner for the BMW 3-Series.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2007