1976 BMW 2 Series

1976 BMW 2002 Hardtop This is the car that reversed the Bavarian Motor Werks' ailing production slump and literally put BMW on the road to success, while helping to spawn the immensely popular sport sedan category. Crossing several markets, it attracted the more mature, performance oriented buyers who were enthusiastic about spirited driving, as well as those buyers with young families who needed a car that was as much fun to drive as their old MG but infinitely more reliable. The 2002 offered buyers both types of cars in a single, stylish package. For consignment, a 1976 BMW 2002 hardtop showing 71,228 miles, but the true mileage is unknown. Fresh out of long term storage and after some TLC and wrenching it's got miles of smiles hidden in the driver's seat for the next owner! There's some in the passenger seat as well. Exterior Agave green is a great color for this sporty little commuter and presented here in two stage configuration and a body bisected by a stainless trim piece that fully encircles the square body. There's also molding running parallel between the wheel openings and rear fender visually connecting the black wrap around bumper guards that bookend each chrome bumper. Up front, single headlights in a vertical black grille flank an early iteration of the kidney bean grille while out back, modest tail lights fit the perfectly square profile of the decklid and latch panel and the coveted 2002 emblem is prominently displayed offset to the right. Imperfections include chips, bubbling near the driver's side headlight and behind the rear wheel, a ding in that surrounding trim and right quarter panel, numerous incidences of minor bubbling, paint chipping, surface rust, and corrosion. Interior The inside steps things up a notch with near flawless tan vinyl door panels, elegant in their simplicity and flatness. Vinyl seats with cloth inserts, buckets in front and a bench in the back, both in very nice condition. A four spoke steering wheel with horn button on each fronts an attractive instrument cluster based in a wood applique face plate and including a clock in the arrangement while clean black surfaces cover the rest of the dash and the center stack which house a Blaupunkt AM/FM/Cassette radio. At your right hand, you'll find a T-shifter with some oxidation on the shaft and some tarnish on the metal on a clean, grain vinyl base. Tan carpet presents nicely on the floor with BMW branded cocoa mats there for protection and the light colored headliner is smooth and clean around a sunroof and similar conditions are noted in the trunk where a spare is housed in a recessed section. Drivetrain The busy little engine bay is clean and home to a 2.0 liter SOHC inline four cylinder, rated at 98 horsepower and fueled by a Solex 2-barrel carburetor. A 3-speed automatic transmission gets things moving and sends power to the rear axle with 3.90 gears. Undercarriage Driver quality underneath with some oil present on the rear differential and some soot throughout, especially on the knuckles. The car employs disc brakes in front and drums in the rear and a single exhaust flows through a stock style muffler on its way to a chrome tip out back. Suspension consists of Macpherson struts in front and coil springs with trailing arms in back where the set up is also independent. Drive-Ability Even with a jump pack, we could not get power to the ignition switch so were unable to get it running to test. We note some corrosion coming out of the ignition switch. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. With a bit of TLC, the car could be brought to life and with some cosmetic intervention, the body could be brought to a higher grade without much effort. The 2002 is a legendary icon of the BMW world, known for their supreme drivability and fun when sorted. If you're ready for a