1975 BMW 1602/2002

This ‘2002’ originally left the BMW factory as a 1.6-litre 1602 (the nomenclature having been simplified from 1600-2 in 1971) and was first registered on 1 Aug 1975.

A friend of the vendor owned the car back in the ‘80s, before modification, and on seeing it at auction in Ireland around 7 years ago, placed a successful bid and won it back. During its time in Ireland - likely 2008 to 2013 - the car underwent some major modifications.

It was given a hand-made Koenig-style body kit and had the drivetrain from an E30 M3 (late ‘80s) transplanted into it. The BMW S14 2.3-litre engine was based on the same block as the original M10 and so is highly compatible with the 1602/2002 models and typically produces 197bhp. The transmission is a Getrag 265 close-ratio 5-speed dogleg manual.

Four years ago, the vendor bought the car from his friend to give it a new lease of life and bit by bit he has had various restoration work done on the car, including a full respray and a retrimmed interior. As the majority of the work was done by friends in the various trades, there is little in the way of documentation but there are some photos in the gallery of the car during restoration. Suffice to say that the owner believes, as with most enthusiasts, he has spent more on the car than he’ll be able to recoup by selling.

He is selling now as he’s seen an example of his dream Porsche 930 Flachbau (flatnose) up for sale.

From the waistline up, you can still appreciate the handsome styling of the original 1602 but the lower half of the car has been heavily modified with a bespoke hand made steel body kit including a deep front air dam, flared wheel arches, wide side skirts and rear arch extensions with dummy radiator air intakes. If this kind of look isn’t your bag, you’re probably no longer reading this listing but the styling kits of Willy Koenig - which this to some extent resembles - have something of a cult following.

The car had a full respray during the modification (2-3 years ago) and so the red paint is still mostly strong. There are a few blemishes, such as a crack on the near side front wing above the bumper and patches of small-scale micro-blistering here and there, particularly around the boot and roof.

There’s a small section of window rubber that’s been pinched by the window frame on the passenger door - again something that should be relatively easy to sort out.

On the side of the doors, there are reproduction Vitaloni Californian sporting door mirrors, finished in gloss black. These style mirrors were often fitted to Italian exotics and so lend the BMW a bit more of a competition look - as if it needed more.

The wheels are 16-inch Calibre Vintage pseudo split rim alloys, which appear in good condition and are fitted with matching Continental tyres all round.

All that seems to have survived of the original interior is the dash and instrument panel, which was retrimmed in leather and remains in good order although it appears that the speedo is not working.

The original BMW three-spoke steering wheel has been replaced with a simple, period-look Momo racing wheel - again recently retrimmed. The centre console looks a rather plain affair too, although retrimmed and sporting an UBER branded carbon-fibre strip.

The black leather seats are clean, undamaged and very comfortable and have come out of later BMW models. Both fronts and rear buckets are understood to be from an E24 6 Series - a popular upgrade for the 1602/2002.

The headlining is recent, taut and clean and the carpets all round are intact, although the floor in the footwells underneath the insulation has evidence of previous corrosion.

We’re looking after this BMW during the auction and, as ever, we’d recommend a personal inspection. As such things will be a bit tricky for the next few weeks, why not use the ‘Contact Seller’ option to arrange a video call with us and you can ask us questions and direct us around the car to get a closer look at anything you’d like to see in more detail.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay is very clean and tidy and the larger, later M-Power engine sits nicely in the space. The only thing that looks a bit unusual is the section of metal pipe spliced into the radiator hose, presumably to fit through the narrower gap in front of the engine without fouling the radiator or fan.

In the gallery, there are some underside photos taken straight after the restoration which shows the underbody nicely waxoyled and all other components painted black. Whilst it’s still pretty good underneath, clearly there’s been a light build up of road dirt and grime since and a little rust is appearing on some of the surfaces. The exhaust centre and rear sections look to be stainless and are in good condition.

As befits a car refitted with an engine with more than twice the power delivery of the original, the brakes have been uprated to discs all round and fed through braided brake lines. Up front are AP Racing Pro 5000+ four-piston calipers and discs with Apec units on the rear. Elsewhere the suspension and linkages have been sorted with recent Powerflex poly bushes all round and Bilstein dampers for improved ride and handling. The seller says "mention the expensive suspension and shock set up i have done. It has Bilstein shocks and new bushes and restored arms etc." 

In the boot, there are covered floor boards but no linings. However, all the metal surfaces look in good condition, repainted during the respray, and the boot also houses the battery. As the original fuel filler cap would now be buried under 4-inches of rear wheel arch extension, a new one has been fitted on the rear fascia between the number plate and the tail light cluster.

The car comes with a current MoT valid until September 2021 and there are four passes reported in online records, with just the odd advisory. Paper MoT certificates go back to 2001.

We understand that during the gap in MoTs between 2008 and 2013, the car was in Ireland undergoing its transformation. Until a year ago, it was off the road awaiting work and then being restored.

The history file contains a handful of invoices for parts from Jaymic and sundry works from the early noughties and bills for more significant engine rebuild work soon after that. Given that the engine and a good deal else on the car has been replaced since, such things are now just evidence that it was looked after in its former life.

The car starts and runs well, as you’d expect from a BMW and drives well too, testament to the quality of the modification and rebuild it underwent. The rack and pinion steering is quite heavy as befits what is now a classic car, but there are no rattles or bumps that you’d get from many cars from the mid-70s.

Whilst BMW ‘02 cars with E30 M3 drive trains are not uncommon, examples with such lary body kits are few and far between so it’s not easy to estimate a value. However, we think that this recently rebuilt one-off will sell for between £22,000 and £30,000.

Whether you’re a fan of a Koenig look or not, you can guarantee that you won’t see another like it.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and an array of regional providers for transporting it. 

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that any vehicle could have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.