The story of the 02 commences in 1961 with the introduction of the 1500 Neue Klasse, which was largely responsible for BMW’s revival of fortunes. As the decade progressed, the company expanded this range with the 1800 in 1963 and the 1600 in 1964. They also saw the potential of a slightly smaller two-door derivative – in 1964 production of the Isetta ended, and the company planned the demise of the small rear-engine 700 in the following year. This left scope for a new model that was cheaper than the Neue Klasse, but with the same performance standards.
The Type 114 was the result, and its styling was completed by May of 1965. It was unveiled as the 1600-2 on 9th March 1966, the date of BMW’s 50th anniversary, in front of the Munich Opera House
Compared with its Neue Klasse stablemates, the 1600-2 was nearly 300lbs lighter, 9½in shorter, 5½in narrower and 1½in lower. Such differences gave it a distinctive appeal in its own right, as opposed to being merely a two-door Neue Klasse. In addition, it further demonstrated how far the company had progressed from the late 1950s when many consumers still associated the roundel badge with bubble cars. One brochure of the time promised: ‘For the motorist who has not previously been able to fulfil his dream of owning a BMW here, at last, is the golden opportunity to join the select circle of enthusiastic BMW owners.’
In Germany, the 1600-2 appealedMax Hoffman, the company’s American distributor, sold just 1253 cars, but the 1600-2 meant this figure rose to 4564 in 1967. referred to it as ‘the best $2500 sedan anywhere,’ and raved that it was ‘one of the
