Press Release
BMW reproduces the cult car of the 1970s
· BMW Museum at the Olympic Tower gains an attraction: BMW builds a replica of the 2002tii out of new parts
· Visitors to the museum can track its progress in the "Glas Workshop"
The “cult car” label is a popular one and frequently bestowed. But there’s one car that really does merit this epithet: few models embody the spirit of the early 1970s like the BMW 2002. It is this zeitgeist phenomenon that BMW Mobile Tradition is now reproducing with the aid of new parts. And the best thing about it is that visitors to the BMW Museum at the Olympic Tower can follow its progress on a daily basis thanks to the museum’s “Glass Workshop”.
In the beginning was a number
The background situation that inspired the project is the fact that Mobile Tradition, the heritage division of the BMW Group, is now able to provide an estimated 90 percent of all spare parts required for the BMW 2002. That constitutes an outstanding parts supply record for this recent classic. The idea of reconstructing a BMW 2002 developed rapidly. The core of the project is an original bodyshell from the ’70s. The small number of spare parts not available from the Mobile Tradition range are being taken from a donor car or remanufactured by hand. With the erection of the Glass Workshop on the premises of the BMW Museum Exhibition next to the Olympic Tower, moreover, the perfect venue for the task has been found: for the 250,000 or so visitors who come here annually, it offers a unique opportunity to track the car’s construction live. Should the BMW 2002 tii ever have to be taken out of the Glass Workshop for specialist work, there will be an immediate suitable replacement on the hydraulic ramp in the shape of a BMW 3.0 CSL undergoing restoration. Scheduled to continue until the end of the year, the project is in the expert hands of master mechanic Arthur Heimann and the head of the BMW Group Mobile Tradition workshop, Klaus Kutscher. Arthur Heimann will be using several thousand Original BMW spare parts to build a new car more than 30 years old.
Cult car – cult colour
This new four-wheeler, model year 1973, will be equipped with a strong heart: a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine generating 130 bhp is to be implanted into the BMW 2002 tii. In the era of the Beetle, a top speed of 190 km/h with moderate consumption of 9 litres/100 km was a highly commendable figure. A zero to 100 km/h acceleration time of 9.4 seconds drove tears of delight to the eyes of family men and them straight to the sales office of their nearest BMW dealer. The dream car came with a price tag of DM 14,400. The “historical hue” of the day was reflected in the range of paintwork colours available: verona, golf and colorado were among the bright finishes on offer, but the hallmark shade of the day was inka – a strong orange. And it is this colour that has been chosen for the BMW 2002 tii currently under construction and destined to be a true shining jewel of the 1970s.
Summer celebrations with workshop visit
At 7 p.m. on 30th July, a big summer party and film night will be held on the grounds of the BMW Museum Exhibition. It is a chance to take a look at the progress being made on the BMW 2002 tii. Admission is free. Arthur Heimann will be delighted to discuss the BMW 2002 with any “petrol heads”, and the combination of food, drink and music promises an entertaining summer evening. Films featuring this year’s anniversary models – the BMW 3 Series (30 years) and the BMW GS (25 years) – round off the programme. The event is scheduled to wind down at around 1 a.m. in the morning. The BMW Museum Exhibition is on the Spiridon-Louis-Ring and thus right next to the Olympic Tower. Regular opening times are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
