Although the modern BMW takes many forms, the compact sports sedan is arguably where the brand first met enthusiasts. And no other car has helped BMW find its modern roots more than the BMW 02 Series. Incredibly, this year marks 60 years since the car changed the face of BMW forever. What’s even more surprising is that the car’s heritage has arguably never been more important.
1966: The BMW 02 series debuts
The first BMW of the 02 series was the 1600-2. The premiere took place in March 1966 at the Geneva Motor Show. The car was a development of the Neue Klasse vehicles of the early 1960s, but was overall smaller and lighter to be sportier. In total, BMW shortened the car by almost 12 inches (30 cm), with an additional two inches (5 cm) removed from the wheelbase. Wilhelm Hofmeister – who at this point had already contributed the eponymous “Hofmeister kink” to the brand’s heritage – adapted the cabin to the new, smaller dimensions. He also gave the front end of the car a slight redesign that differentiated it from the New Class just enough to make it stand out from the crowd. Combined with significant weight savings, the car was correspondingly more powerful than its New Class brothers.
Good things come to those who wait
If you’re not familiar with it, you might be wondering why BMW even needed the 02 series. New Class had already rescued the company from financial difficulties at the end of the 1960s. But there was still a lot to do. Although the new class vehicles were successful, they could not fully restore BMW’s pre-war sporting reputation. The 1600-2, later renamed the 1602, was a first step towards what would later become the company’s legacy.
The positive reception and popularity of the car led to rapid development on BMW’s side. Even more targeted versions came onto the market: first the 1600ti in 1967, which produced about twenty more horsepower than the 1600-2 (about 105 horsepower versus 85 horsepower). Arguably more important was the introduction of the BMW in 2002. The replacement of the 1.6-litre M10 engine with the larger 2.0-litre engine changed the character of the car, but had a far more important impact. The larger engine happened to meet emissions standards in what would later become BMW’s “second home market”: the United States.
The 2002 was well received by critics and allowed BMW to further expand the 02 series. Perhaps the most famous 02 of all was the 2002 Turbo, which debuted at the 1973 Frankfurt Motor Show. With almost 170 hp and a powerful turbo engine – incidentally Europe’s first series-produced turbo car – it completely changed expectations of a BMW. Unfortunately, the car was more or less hampered by the oil crisis later that same year. In 1975, BMW replaced the outdated 02 with a nameplate you’re probably familiar with: the BMW 3 Series.
BMW 02 Series: 60 years later
Even though the 2002 Turbo came at a comically inopportune time, word got out. The low production volume makes the car even more desirable today than ever: you’ll find examples trading for more than $200,000 than you might expect. Of course, if you just want to dive into the 02 series, there are plenty of options too. BMW produced nearly 850,000 examples of the 02 in its various configurations; Finding one is not really a daunting task. The car’s accessibility and enduring charm make it a great choice for enthusiasts even six decades later.
Remember, the BMW 02 Series emerged from the Neue Klasse of its time. With a new next-generation class coming this year – starting with the iX3 – we can only hope BMW remembers the roadmap. A smaller, lighter, performance-focused car based on the NK architecture could radically redefine the way we view performance electric vehicles. While it remains to be seen whether BMW has plans to recreate the ’02 series, there’s no harm in dreaming. Even if a modern 02 never happens, the legacy of the original lives on. After all, there would be no iX3 without the X3 and no X3 without the 3 Series. And it’s impossible to get to 3 if you can’t count to 02 first.
