1967 BMW 2000

BMW was close to bankruptcy in the 1950s but saved in the mid-1950s by a tiny 'bubble car' known as the Isetta that was built between 1955 and 1962. With over 161,700 examples sold, they were, at one time, the best-selling single-cylinder-engined car in the world. Its popularity filled a void in post-war mainland Europe where buyers were seeking minimalistic and affordable transportation.

BMW underwent a renaissance period with the introduction of the 1961 BMW 1500, the first of what the company termed the 'New Class' line conceived by Wilhelm Hofmeister, head of BMW's body development arm. The New Class sedans were popular and led to a series of personal coupes, the first of which was the Hofmeister-designed 2000C and its higher-specification counterpart, the 2000CS. The 200C was equipped with the M10 inline-4 with a single Solex side draft carburetor offering 100 horsepower and backed by either a four-speed manual or ZF 3-speed automatic transmission. The 200CS came with twin Solex carburetors, produced 120 hp, and backed by a four-speed manual only with a tall rear axle ratio.

The BMW 2000C and CS established the template for the luxurious 6-cylinder coupes that would follow, both in its styling and engineering. Wearing coachwork by Karmann in Osnabrück, the 2000 Coupes wore the high wraparound beltline and thin-pillared open greenhouse design first used in the 1500 sedan, plus the 'Hofmeister Kick' C-pillar treatment with the BMW roundel that would become synonymous with BMW's performance coupes. It wore a completely new front end to its 2000C/CS coupe sibling, with faired headlights and vertical 'dual kidney' front grilles. The new sedan was powered by the same 1990cc engine, rated at 100 bhp. Pricing for the sedan began at (USD)$3,780 and rose to just under (USD)$3900 for the 2000ti edition. The 2+2 2000C and 2000CS coupe sold for nearly $5,000.

The 2000ti and 2000tilux editions were powered by the same engine found in the 2000CS and were fitted with only the manual gearbox. A three-speed ZF automatic was available on the models.

During the total production of the BMW Model 2000C Coupes, there were 2,837 examples created. A further 8,883 examples of the 2000CS were built. 17,440 Model 2000ti/tilux sedan were produced during the full production run.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 1000405

Herbert and Harald Quandt took a controlling financial interest in BMW in 1960 and retained the talents of Fritz Fiedler to lead the charge of developing a whole new family of cars. Fritz brought Alex von Falkenhausen to head up engine design and put Eberhard Wolff in charge of chassis. Wilhelm Hofmeister was tasked with engineering the bodies and styling. This team brought about the relatively compact, sports sedans and coupes known as the Neue Klasse, or New Class, models, and they would revolutionize BMW's image.

The BMW 2000C was introduced in 1965 endowed with a 2.0-liter inline 4-cylinder engine. The interior had a sweeping dashbaord, ample room, and comfortable bucket seats. This particular 2000C from 1967 is finished in white and retains the twin fender-mounted sideview mirrors, lower rocker moldings and the signature brightwork around the headlights and spanning between the tail lights. It rides on painted wheels with bright BMW roundel wheel covers. The interior is done in blue bucket seat uphostlery, and there is a Blaupunkt radio, and a 140 MPH speedometer.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 1100158

The BMW 2000C used a 100 horsepower version of the M10 inline-4 with a single Solex side draft carburetor and a choice of 4-speed manual or ZF 3-speed automatic transmissions, while the higher specification 2000CS received a 120 hp engine with twin Solex carburetors and a four-speed manual only, plus a tall rear axle ratio.

The BMW 2000C and CS would establish the template for the more refined and luxurious six-cylinder coupes that followed, both in regards to styling and engineering. The coachwork of the 2000 coupes was courtesy of Karmann in Osnabrück with a distinct refinement of the thin-pillared open greenhouse and high wraparound beltline first seen in the 1500 sedan. It also incorporated the 'Hofmeister Kick' C-pillar treatment with the BMW roundel, but departed from its predecessors with a new front end design with unique faired headlights and vertical 'dual kidney' front grilles.

This example was built in the final year of production and is finished in white paint with a tan interior with full instrumentation including a tachometer and in-dash clock.

by Dan Vaughan

Beginning in 1962, BMW introduced their New Class (German: Neue Klasse) line of compact sedans and coupes. The first was the 1500 and continuing through the last 2002s in 1977. Besides the power train, this new line shared little with the rest of the BMW line-up. They featured a fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts in the front and powered by a four-cylinder M10 engine.

BMW introduced the 1500 at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show and produced 23,807 examples during the production lifespan, lasting from 1962 through 1966. These were followed by the 1800, which was produced from 1964 through 1971. The 1800 was powered by a four-cylinder, 1.8-liter engine. The 1600 was introduced in 1966 and remained in production until 1975. These had a 1.6-liter four-cylinder powerplant. These sports sedans model 1600 were promoted by US importer Max Hoffman, who convinced BMW to produce an attractive 2-door version of the 1500. BMW tasked Giovanni Michelotti, a talented designer who had designed the Triumph Spitfire and TR4, to create the design.

In 1966, BMW introduced their pillarless coupe body named the 2000. It was designed by Wilhelm Hofmeister and was based on the 'New Class' chassis. Karmann assembled the cars at their Osnabruck plant in northern Germany. Powering the car was an enlarged overhead-cam four-cylinder engine that displaced 121.4 cubic-inches and produced 100 DIN (113 SAE) horsepower. The two versions included the 2000C which had the 100-DIN engine with the single Solex carburetor, available with either a four-speed manual gearbox or ZF three-speed automatic. The 2000CS had a more powerful twin carbureted engine, rated at 120-DIN horsepower. It was available with only a four-speed manual gearbox.

Many consider the design of the coupe rather controversial due to the design of its front grilles and headlights. In 1969, the front of the coupe was completely changed with the introduction of the 2800CS by modeling it after the 2500 and 2800 sedans.

by Dan Vaughan

Those manufacturers that had found a niche in the marketplace to survive the Great Depression were forced once again to figure out how to stay in business after World War II. BMW stayed successful with its affordable and efficient bubble car, named the Isetta. They also produced luxury cars such as the 507 and aircraft parts.

In 1959, BMW was on the brink of bankruptcy. Their Isetta vehicle had sold well for a period of time but it was quickly losing ground to the VW Beetle. A vehicle that had similar features such as excellent fuel economy and practicality, but offered more room for passengers.

Harald and Herbert Quandt provided financial backing to BMW to produce a four-door car which came known to be Neue Klasse or 'New Class'. This happened to be the savior for the struggling company. In 1962 the vehicle was debuted and dubbed the 1500. It featured a four-cylinder engine. In total, 24,000 of the 1500's were produced.

The 1800 was introduced near the end of 1963. It had a four-cylinder, 1773cc engine that was capable of producing 90 horsepower. Variants such as the 1800 Ti and 1800 Ti/SA soon followed.

In 1964 the 1600 replaced the 1500. The 1600 was a responsive, four-door sedan that received excellent reviews from automotive tests all over the world. The 1600-2 was soon introduced. It was a sportier, two-door version of the four-door 1600 that offered more horsepower and sat atop shorter 98.4 wheelbases, thus decreasing the overall weight of the vehicle and improving performance. The 1600-2 featured a 1573cc (1600) cc engine. The additional '2' represented the number of doors. A 105 horsepower 1600Ti soon followed. BMW was once again inching closer to its sports-car roots; a heritage it had not visited since the 1930's.

Helmut Werner Bonsch and Alex von Falkenhausen, both employee's of BMW's, had independently experimented with a 2.0-liter engine in the 1602 body. The combination was a success.

In 1966, the sale of 1600's in the United States began to escalate. The press had done much to stimulate a desire for this small and responsive vehicle. The problem was that the sportier version, the 1600ti, was unable to pass the US Federal exhaust emissions regulations and thus, unable to be sold in that market. This was due to its twin-carburetor engine. The solution was to sell the 2-liter version which was able to pass the emissions regulations. So, in 1966, the 2002 was introduced.

During the life span of the 2002, which ranged from 1968 through 1976, there were three generations. The first generation was from 1968 through 1971. The second generation was built from 1971 through 1973. The third generation was built from 1973 through 1976.

From 1968 through 1976, BMW produced around 80,000 vehicles for the US market.

The vehicle produced from 1968 through 1973 can be identified by their round taillights. Vehicles built after that and through 1973 had larger bumpers and sat atop a wider track.

A turbo version of the 2002 was introduced but due to safety concerns, only produced in limited numbers. Less than 2000 were made; all were left-hand drive.

by Dan Vaughan