1972 BMW 2002 Tii

The only previous registered owner of this car was the late Michael Clarke of Hampden Park, Eastbourne, who originally bought it from Park Lane BMW on 16/06/72 (purchase invoice included) and ordered it in LHD for use at his house in Portugal.

He returned to the UK in December 1974 and, after the temporary registration QN3893 was issued, stored the car in his mother’s garage. It stayed there until her death in 1990, when he then paid £603.30 to H.M. Customs and Excise to officially ‘import’ the car into the UK.

He then gifted it to his stepson Philip Strange, but he too did not use it and it entered storage for a second time until 2016. That year he had well-known specialist Munich Legends collect the car, and prepare it for sale.

‘After ascertaining that the 38,709km odometer reading was accurate, I bought it from them as a project,’ says its current owner, Peter Kember.

To ensure it was safe and could pass an MOT, Munich Legends undertook a full mechanical re-commissioning. An initial budget of £5000 was agreed but later raised by agreement to £7500, and the work included a complete overhaul of the braking system and Kugelfischer fuel injection system, new clutch assembly and fuel pump, upgraded suspension set-up and a replacement exhaust system.

Peter, an aircraft engineer by profession, then embarked upon a full restoration of the car. The bodywork being completed by Kent-based Rusthall Coach Works, before he himself began a painstakingly thorough reassembly. As you will see from the photos, these words barely do justice to the end result.

‘It still has all of the optional extras, except for the car’s Park Lane four-headlight conversion. The decision to convert back to the two-headlight set-up was made on advice from specialists, who informed me that the four-headlight system is in fact inferior.’

He’s only now selling the car as his wife’s back condition has deteriorated to the point where she can only ride in, or drive, vehicles with soft seats.

Our photographer is an ex-paint sprayer and he says that the finish on this 2002tii’s paintwork is like glass and one of the best he’s ever come across. That’s something that Peter also states: ‘I’ve owned 76 cars and I’ve never seen a better one. Rusthall Coach Works are one of the best body shops in the South East, if not the best.’

The body was taken back to bare metal where necessary, before grey primer was applied, rubbed down for umpteen hours and re-painted in the original Golf Yellow. ‘Every little seal and rubber,’ was replaced during the rebuild.

A new windscreen was sourced and fitted, and once complete a Ziebart rustproofing treatment applied. The original Dunlop alloy wheels were restored and new Michelin tyres fitted.

As our pictures below demonstrate, it’s a stunner. It appears to want for nothing.

Inside you’ll find the original vinyl in perfect unmarked condition, with seats that haven’t sagged and remain fully supportive. The carpets are marked in one or two places, but they are the original items and have come up quite nicely. ‘It took some doing,’ says Peter. ‘There was forty odd years of dust, but I cleaned it using proper upholstery cleaner.’

There are a few scuffs on areas like the underside of the steering column and other minor imperfections, such as a small crease on the nearside door card, but these only add to the interior’s time warp feeling and originality. The 12” leather steering wheel was a £12 option and suits the car’s character down to a tee.

Up top, the Allard Golde sunroof and deflector was another option (this at £95) and this was sent to The Trimming Shop in Lewes (Webasto specialists) to be correctly restored, so functions just as it did when new. Overall, the cabin is in lovely original condition.

A quick peak underneath shows absolutely no signs of wear and tear; all suspension components look bang on the money, with fresh rubber gaiters and seals. The sills and underside are almost perfect, and look to have been well protected by the Ziebart treatment.

Both under the bonnet and in the boot the presentation is pretty much showroom perfect, so popping the former up or opening the latter at a classic car show will elicit only gasps of admiration from onlookers. And possibly frequent concours awards.

‘It drives like a modern car,’ states Peter. ‘There are no rattles or bumps, it has no problems keeping up with modern traffic and it’s astonishingly good in terms of road holding.’

On 2002-specialist Jaymec’s recommendation, he fitted a combination of Eibach springs and Bilstein comfort shock absorbers. ‘It sits around 1cm lower than when new. 2002 suspension is adjustable with a range of between five and seven different settings, and I’ve refined it so that it’s neutral in handling.’

Peter also owns a modern BMW 125i and says that the 2002tii is just as drivable, if not more of a driver’s car. ‘I’m confident in saying it’s probably one of the best in the world, if not the best.’

That’s a strong claim, but having seen the photos, heard our photographer’s assessment and discussed the car in detail with Peter to learn (and genuinely feel) his passion and dedication, we wholeheartedly agree with this assessment. 

In our photographic gallery below you’ll find a small sample of documents regarding the car’s past. These include a letter from the car’s owner immediately prior to Peter explaining its history, another from Peter himself detailing all the works carried out.

In addition, the original logbook is present, as are the import and Vat documents and numerous pieces of correspondence between the first owner and H.M.Customs & Excise (including the record of assigning a ‘Q’ registration mark). Finally, also included is the original bill of sale from Park Lane BMW (detailing all extras).

There is of course more, a lot more… Peter also has three folders: the first is a large lever arch with myriad parts invoices pertaining to the restoration; the second is a comprehensive photographic history of the restoration itself; and the third includes all documents relating to the car’s life in the seventies and beyond. In order to retain our, and your, sanity, we have only taken and published a relatively small sample of each. We have not seen a more thorough set of files on any car, let alone one with the low mileage and provenance like this.

If interested, then please click on the ‘contact seller’ button above to discuss in more detail with Peter, and arrange a viewing/test drive at which these folders can also be examined in more detail.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored to the highest standard.

The vehicle also comes with its original operators handbook located in the glove compartment.

We’ve attempted to document the scope of this car’s incredible restoration, but in reality we’ve only been able to give a summary of its comprehensive nature. Similarly, we can only hope that we have portrayed the exceptional quality of the final product.

Unmolested, original examples like this come along very, very rarely. In the classic car world (from specialists, publications and buying guides alike) you’ll often hear the missive “buy the very best you can afford” – well, if the BMW 2002tii is your kind of car, here is your opportunity.

Stored from shortly after new, this example’s body benefits from never have seen a welder’s torch. Add to that an absolutely exquisite paintjob – one of the best you’re likely to see – from the boys at Rusthall Coach Works, and an original interior, and it’s a top quality cosmetic offering.

As if that wasn’t enough, marque specialist Munich Legends have properly sorted the mechanicals and they’ve been further fine-tuned to the highest standard by owner and engineer Peter Kember. We can’t wax lyrical enough about this utterly spectacular car.

It is remarkable. Unrepeatable? Possibly not for a long time.

As such, it is difficult to estimate, but we conservatively think it’ll sell for between £39k and £49k. That’s strong money, but we feel the estimate reflects the level of quality on offer. With remarkable provenance and a fresh, comprehensive restoration it’s time to bag yourself an instant show winner, a time warp and one of the best 2002tiis out there.

Viewing is always encouraged, and as stated this car is located at the owner’s home in Rotherfield, East Sussex; 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, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

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.

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.