BMW 1602 | Retro Car review | Drive In | 1974

[@Kiinell]

I know it's sad, but I'm starting to look forward to Sunday mornings for these clips.

[@RazSux]

Me too!

[@PiggyWiggyO]

" looking forward to Sunday mornings for these clips." Do you not get Saturday off? All part of today's working world

[@charlesmacgilchrist3648]

That's a pretty mean exhaust sound for an economy car!

[@team3383]

It was the economy version of the BMW range, but still light years ahead of anything British Leyland in the same category.

[@EmilehUnk]

No katalysator 🙃

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

The vent windows were much more effective than dash ventilation.

[@ModMokkaMatti]

I think my late father preferred the old vent window/wind wings arrangement. By coincidence, we had a number of vehicles in the family with them - including my first car, a second-hand 1986 VW Mk 1 Wolfsburg Cabriolet. Ironically that also came equipped with A/C.

[@enricofumi8072]

could you belive, bmw back in the days were simple and light.

[@MehdiS-music]

And ugly as they still are...

[@kamrankhan-lj1ng]

Too simple and too light back then

[@richardrichard5409]

Certainly better built, although that ain't saying much

[@anthonybeech676]

I would happily pay the 1974 asking price for that turbo ;-)

[@3DPeter]

you get the turbo for that money, but without the rest of the car.

[@rudyiraheta80]

remember year 99

[@109-w7v]

I almost bought one that used to belong to Jay Kay, didn’t fancy at the time, I was after a 911 wish I had now.

[@RocknTorb]

Oh man, I really love the 02-Series from BMW!! Actually my favourite BMW of all times.

[@sdry1688]

I was an apprentice Mechanic in the late 70s and we serviced a lot of BMWs because my garage had been a BMW sub- dealer. BMs turned heads in the 70s - they were considered expensive. Probably difficult to understand if you're under 40 (some BMWs are expensive today but they don't have the cache of the 70s)

[@owensteele1645]

Stunning little cars. It's very upsetting that this white 2002 Turbo only lasted until June 1984.😭 Imagine how much it would've been worth today. Such a shame.

[@McVaio]

So far for build quality

[@ketoking9435]

When cars didn't all look the same,,,

[@marks6663]

globalism has completely ruined styling. All cars are now designed in wind tunnels and intended to be sold in global markets, so they all end up being the same egg shape.

[@DSGNflorian]

@B Brunson Because "individualistic" styling doesn't sell. Conformism sells. Watch any automaker stick out their styling neck too much and a tsunami of derision and ridicule ensues, magnified a millionfold today by the broad-path flamethrower effect of social media, where the perpetrators are self-appointed but rarely qualified arbiters of good taste with a zero-tolerance policy towards the opinions of others. That scares off the majority of herd-mentality prospects who usually also seek to attain some measure of social validation with their purchase, leaving as customers for "individualistic" cars only the hardiest of non-conformists who not only don't care what other people think, but want to make a deliberate contrarian statement. Not enough of those folks around who also have money AND want to purchase. Black, silver or white SUV anyone?

[@bojanarezina2352]

@B Brunson it's now aerodynamics so much as safety

[@Ismalith]

@B Brunson At what speeds and how much power and weight do you move with the same mpg? Remember a car that hit 1,4 Tons in the 70s was massive overweight, the 2002 BMW weights about a ton and has 100 to 130 HP (excluding the turbo). The new BMW weighs about 1,5 to 1,7 tons and has 140 to 190 HP. And those HP are actually misleading, because the old BMW has 120 to 140 Nm of torque at about 3000 rpm while the new one has 220 Nm for the small one, over a range of 1500rpm to 4000 rpm and for the Diesel about 350 to 400 Nm at about 1700 to 2500 rpm. Also the new BMW is way wider. So keeping the same mpg as the old one would not be a bad achievement, but I am certain that the new one is better than you claim it to be. The gas consumption is listed with 11 Liter for the 2002 and for the new one 4,5 for the Diesel and 6l for the smaller Otto version while the big one is listed with 7l. So even if we assume that the gas consumption of the new ones is very optimistic I only see the biggest one to get over 9l, until you drive it fast. The smaller ones are probably realistically a bit lower than 7l per 100km. That is a difference of 20% for the biggest BMW 2 2020 and nearly 40% for the smaller gas version. So the BMW 2 2020 is bigger, a lot heavier, wider, faster, more powerful and still uses a lot less gas. I guess you easily can see that aerodynamic has a part in this.

[@stepha5926]

In other words, when there were designers with balls and talent in the car design industry.

[@rorycampbell7360]

The 2002, still an Eye catcher. It's stance and stripes, what a beauty.

[@rjft7003]

Had to watch twice as I got distracted listening to the presenter revving the engine. 😁

[@Edvard.Munchkin]

Same here 😂

[@apj341]

And he seemed to pull out with the cross traffic just flying !!

[@Porsche996driver]

Wow that 1602 was cool and nice exhaust sounds - then they pop in the Turbo! Zeitgeist.

[@catjudo1]

"The BMW Turbo was the first turbocharged car to enter production." Except that the Oldsmobile Jetfire offered a turbocharged V8 called the Turbo-Rocket in 1962, while the Chevrolet Corvair Corsa introduced the Spyder package that featured a turbo variant of Chevrolet's air cooled flat six a month later.

[@Spookieham]

Epsom Racecourse again - spent many Sundays in that car park. Mike Brewer from Wheeler Dealers used to be up there as well just as his TV career was starting.

[@Mark1405Leeds]

A nice looking car which is still seen occasionally on the road. From the side it reminds me of a Wartburg.

[@spankysmp]

Gawd - it does. I always remember - my Mum and Dad had friends and they always bought Wartburgs.

[@Mark1405Leeds]

I used to own one - a great car - 26 mpg!

[@andrewshore262]

2 stroke engine I remember them they stank

[@stevetaylor8698]

I love the smell of 2 stroke. You can strawberry flavoured oil now.

[@eddiejones.redvees]

My dad had m reg Warburg from new it was a great car

[@seed_drill7135]

Amusing for Americans that he calls that trunk "cavernous" considering you could almost fit that car in the trunk of a '74 Chrysler.

[@goldiestimeschannel2185]

The sound exhaust love it

[@leeenglandland2978]

My dream car years ago, the only thing that let it down was why didn't BMW change the wipers over for the UK market as they're still set for LHD models.

[@stevetaylor8698]

VW were guilty of this for many years also.

[@nobbynobbynoob]

It was a common mistake in those days: many British Leyland cars were RHD with LHD wipers too.

[@nobbynobbynoob]

@@stevetaylor8698 They seemed to fix that circa '85.

[@team3383]

@@nobbynobbynoob THAT wasn't a mistake. BL were just plain idiots. Fortunately for the rest of the world, the majority of BL cars were RHD and stayed in Britain. Those that were exported to the nostalgic expats around the world served as a reminder as how NOT to build a car.

[@richallen2006]

Filmed at the car park on Epsom downs.

[@delewan]

Good to know the seatbelts didn't retract even when they were brand new. That always drove my dad nuts in our 2002 tii.

[@philnewstead5388]

Did they have retractable belts in 1974? I remember a friend of my father had a BMW saloon, can't remember if it was called a five series back then but that had static belts. I remember being very impressed because it had rear belts, also static which was almost unheard of in the U.K. at the time.

[@delewan]

@@philnewstead5388 Our 72 definitely had them. Maybe it was because it was a US spec car. They might as well have been static, though! The never worked.

[@philnewstead5388]

Geoff Isabelle Maybe they were a cost option, I well remember the BL advertising proudly announcing that the entire 1976 model range were to be fitted with retractable belts prior to that they had been optional on all but the top models. They never retracted properly either. I love these old reports, reminds when there was still proper innovation in the motor industry and where manufacturers weren't scared to genuinely be different.

[@markhealey9409]

US spec cars still were not required to have retractable seatbelts in 1972.....not sure when they were required,but thinking maybe 1974. Volvos had retractable ones front & rear in the early 70s,maybe even late 60s.

[@DSGNflorian]

The good Mr. Evans is about 12 years too late at 4:02 when he talks of the BMW 2002 Turbo as the "The first turbo-charged car to go into mass production". That would have been the 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 Jetfire, introduced in late 1961.

[@RWL2012]

not on the UK market, though...

[@ssdivizion]

This was carwow back in the 70's :0)

[@Aarontlondon]

Crazy to see the M sport design in it's infancy!

[@apj341]

Alpina influence as well 👍

[@chrispenn715]

The handbrake was an optional extra!

[@3DPeter]

where did you hear that nonsense?

[@chrispenn715]

3DPeter it is a joke. The car rolls forward as he gets out- presumably forgot to apply the handbrake...........

[@memeagain4106]

@@3DPeter lighten up fella

[@pkelly20091]

I really want one, looks really cool

[@Pinzpilot101]

I remember when 'Custom Car' Magazine called RHE Richard Hudson Terraplane....in a nice way of course.

[@asd36f]

3:15 - Whatever happened to quarterlights?

[@histriamagna1014]

Cost cutting...sadly.

[@jezb9762]

Back when the BMW badge stood for something.

[@wholeNwon]

The badge still stands for something. It's just that the "something" isn't very flattering.

[@wholeNwon]

@Mrfootlong Of course, different people have varying opinions as to what constitutes a "good car". To me it's a car with great longevity, excellent crash protection and very, very low frequency of repair rate. As they age, BMWs really fall down on the last point.

[@mrquordlepleen]

Ah yes. BMW was a thinking persons choice and a car to be admired and desired, said a lot about the driver who chose one over the 'mainstream' exec's/sporty saloon of the day. They're still well made cars - but so are so many others. They still say a lot about the driver today, thats true. But it's not at all flattering.

[@109-w7v]

BMW used to be a proper prestige marque, they are everywhere now just like Mercs. No where near the mystique or desire ability that they used to have.

[@team3383]

@classiccarz middle aged rich women

[@grndiesel]

Easily one of the most legit cars ever made.

[@janeeccleston9196]

It’s beautiful even in brown 😁

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

Nice classic here!

[@MANSIKKAPUURO-jl9zm]

NICE

[@RoadCone411]

03:23 Don’t you hate it when the seatbelt doesn’t retract?

[@1258-Eckhart]

My first car (but the original version).

[@DrumToTheBassWoop]

Glad those hairstyles, went the way of that car.

[@bobilori8874]

Sounds fabulous 👏👏👍

[@xsduprwd3937]

Love the TURBO

[@michaelwest6238]

Always wanted a 1602 in Colorado orange

[@rez4405]

They way he said 2002.as in the engine size I thought he was talking about the year lol this is 1974 way before my time

[@k956upg]

Very quick......100 in 20seconds!!!! Gosh how times moved on.

[@tsomeone950]

Still a good looking car and it sounded great. The cortina does look cheap in comparison

[@OMENASOSE-gx7of]

i would love to paint it

[@geoffreylee5199]

Timeless design ...

[@nkt1]

Great colour, same as Jack Lemmon's car in The China Syndrome. Pity about the federal bumpers and marker lights fitted to his example.

[@mr.y.mysterious.video1]

Only problem with German cars In 1974 is there wasn't a Japanese model half the price and twice as good to get instead

[@appalachiahiker853]

mr y mysterious video moron

[@davidg4026]

I wonder if that presenter had any idea that in 45 years that BMW 2002 Turbo would be worth more than his house!

[@joebryant5722]

Nice tidy car

[@melciveng]

Classic lines

[@richardrichard5409]

Looks second hand when new

[@theaylesburycyclist8756]

Does anyone know where this was filmed? It looks 'vedy' much like a horse 🐎 racing venue.

[@ewaf88]

Looks like Richard is still involved in the car business - auctions now. This BMW would have cost an inflation adjusted £18,800

[@OMENAHILLO-kr5hn]

I LIKE IT

[@friendlypiranha774]

I love the colour

[@nlpnt]

The BMW 2002 turbo wasn't the first turbo production car; the 1962 Oldsmobile Jetfire. Unfortunately, they made it the only way to get a true hardtop coupe in the F-85 line, people bought it for that and ran the fluid injection dry.

[@Blaa_Boi]

nlpnt True, but I guess Evans was talking in terms of European manufacturers. Either way he was damn lucky to drive the 2002 considering it lasted only a year.

[@S7EVE_P]

Never been a fan of the BMW particularly, but even less so these days now that so many of the roads idiots seem to own one.

[@gdawgsuper758]

U have never lived

[@herrfister1477]

Ok. Thanks for joining in.

[@Blaa_Boi]

The 2002 has been lost, according to the DVLA it was due to be taxed in June '84

[@person.X.]

They used to rust badly

[@RWL2012]

wierd one of my local garages had a mint 2002 in for something a few years ago

[@Larryloafer488]

Don’t shoot the messenger here but.. A ‘quarter light’ is in the body of a car, a ‘Vent’ is in the door, even to this day car reviewers get it wrong..

[@smhorse]

Is that Epsom racecourse?

[@danw1374]

Certainly is :)

[@neilrafferty2097]

Lovely

[@BanjoLuke1]

So beautifully dated. This (even the 1602) was an expensive car. BMWs were very rare back then, even in the Gin & Jag Stockbroker Belt. The '02 had srart d as a 1600 and grew to a 2-litre. This model was a last wave as it slipped over the horizon to prepare us for the E21, which began as a 1600 and a 2-litre. I recall at the time how the '02 seemed to date almost overnight after the E21 arrived. Values dipped and then plummeted. They didn't recover until "classic" status was bestowed. When new or newish, the '02 was a nice, comfortable, swift car. Even the 1600. A friend had a Touring, which I recall had a split folding rear seat and a nice carpeted load space. I do not remember seeing those touches in many other cars. A gem of a car and in its day quite a covetable gem.

[@nikamota]

"The steering wheel is all very 2002"...how could he have known! 😆

[@79devo]

nikamota he’s talking about the BMW 2002, the model that was already in production. Not the year 2002 ...

[@hugosalvado8625]

😂😂😂

[@jasongemmill235]

You plonker! The BMW 2002 is what he talking about. Not the year!

[@Harrylechat01]

Nikamota, some people here switch off their irony sensors when they read the comments

[@nikamota]

@@Harrylechat01 Yeah...I kinda hoped that people would understand it ..most people did....but some? What can you do....

[@andrewsmactips]

Head rests? More like shoulder blade rests.

[@johnnycage3673]

Most people, reviewers included, did put it in the lowest possible position back in the 70s.

[@jasongomez5344]

2:24 "British Leyland's twelve fifteen hundred TC" What the hell is that?

[@yeoldegamer5112]

He said "Triumph fifteen hundred TC"

[@HowardLeVert]

He actually said "Triumph 1500TC". Hope that helps.

[@ColonelMarcellus]

The trim on the right side btwn fender and front door doesn't even line up.

[@aabmthsk]

MarcellusTheGreen hood may have not been locked down. The trim is on the hood. Not the fender. Same goes for the trunk.

[@jcb74]

Love the headrest that's not gonna do jackshit...

[@herrgolf]

My understanding of economic policy is wanting, but why was the pound so strong back when the U.K. still ostensibly wanted to export manufactured goods?

[@alunhoskins4513]

When BMW’s really we’re a bit ‘special’. Nowadays, just good.

[@jasejj]

The build quality is very good... Yet the chrome trim on the wing was clearly hanging half-off at the start.

[@timryan3714]

I think that the bonnet had been left open so he could lift it on his walkaround.

[@vnktravi]

Wow the Germans were far ahead of everyone at that time

[@gfree4173]

Still are

[@lash9400]

Bogo BMW love it but I wish they had reviewed more of the turbo.

[@EggBastion]

*! B R O W N !*

[@team3383]

standard issue for GB cars and the customer's prime choice. Metallic brown. Up from the "daring" beige british leyland cars, themselves up from the "Every colour available as long as its black" 60's cars (which is now back in fashion for anything supposedly upmarket ...).

[@francistarkenton545]

Parts are much more expensive than their British equivalent...and only need replacing a quarter the time as well. 😂 (I’ve had a 2002 and a Mini 1000, trust me I know)

[@nickbrice8497]

Back when BMW were reliable

[@herrfister1477]

Laugh. Did you read that on the internet chum?

[@nickbrice8497]

@@herrfister1477 no back when I owned an E30 it never failed, I later had an E90 that Broke Many Ways

[@herrfister1477]

nick brice Ok you’re cute so I believe you.

[@Omenahillo-yi7kb]

i like it

[@RayEttler]

used to own one.... slow and very impractical. a polo has more room inside the passenger compartment. in addition to which it was a gas guzzler. too many disadvantages made it not worth while owning one for me. just mho.

[@abc20002koonrsr]

You probably drive a vw tiguan now and find it practical, you never deserved to have owned one ,mho

[@darrenwilson8042]

Wow no complaints about the high boot lip then? Maybe its only a problem loading luggage over high boot lips in cheaper cars????

[@TC2020-w8u]

Better than a new BMW.

[@TheSmurfboard]

Maybe not car of the year, but definitely haircut of the year.

[@SITRUUNAPIRTELO-ov3si]

I WISHD ID HAD SOME DAY 2002 AND 1602 AND MK2 ESCORT

[@Pinzpilot101]

Custom Car called him Richard Hudson Terraplane....good old days

[@godfreypoon5148]

Sounds like it has a hole in the muffler.

[@darrenwilson8042]

Surely that boot lid has a high load lip that they all moan about Funny how thats a problem with a FIAT or a Ford but not worth a mention on a BMW?

[@38foreal]

And which British car of that year has upheld its value and desirability today like this Bmw has .. none

[@simonbates7841]

What about a Mk1 Escort RS2000? Worth more than a 1602.

[@jakekaywell5972]

I don't know about that. I'd rather have a Triumph Dolomite Sprint myself.

[@khaledcharafdine2085]

من اروع ما صنعت شركة ب ام دبليو

[@PMGF]

0:36 handbrake fail 😁

[@darrenwilson8042]

Less than two grand for a 1602 ! Nowadays that money would get you a 1602 that you would have to take home in a carrier bag and then reassemble with the other missing 99% of the car that you would have to obtain elsewhere

[@gotham61]

£21,000 in today's money

[@Uzeless]

1974.......better times.

[@Pinzpilot101]

I still have a couple of spare light, pull type. switches from mine...

[@robertoalvarez3533]

I wonder where are the British equivalents now?

[@bens1972]

It’s a BMW, so an engine is an extra

[@georgegeorgakopoulos5956]

Ha,ha,it took twenty more years for them to offer a model that the rear doesn't scratch the asphalt with 5 people and luggage..

[@bens1972]

Fashionable wheels? 😂

[@wlbear2570]

Hey! Handbrake 🥴 0:40

[@ronmccullock1407]

Time warp stuff

[@paulbaumer8210]

Ahh. Good old 70's car reviews. Save on location costs by taking 'em up north to some deserted, windblown, post-industrial hell hole, and have a permanent sheepskin coat (he looks like he was sewn into it), and long hair to keep your ears warm. Afterwards you could sit with the film crew - who all had names like Colin, Stu and Rory - in their Bedord CF and share a nice thermos of Maxwell House instant coffee and smoke a few lung-busting Players No 6 while talking about football.

[@MajorKlanga]

That is Epsom Downs in leafy Surrey; I grew up there - couldn't be further from a post industrial hellhole.

[@paulbaumer8210]

@@MajorKlanga Really? I wouldn't know about 'leafy'. Presume you lived in a tent somewhere in that windblown landscape.

[@MajorKlanga]

@@paulbaumer8210 It's a racecourse.

[@paulbaumer8210]

@@MajorKlanga I believe you. It still looks like the outskirts of Telford on a bad hair day. If I was part of the marketing team BMW I'd be pissed with these guys for this crappy effort.

[@SITRUUNAKAKKU-kl3sf]

i like it but i hope my model is from 1970-1973

[@whiderboss]

The classic old merican big buff oil grinding ones look alot better but i mean this is also alot better than todays shit cars.

[@1975ukandbored]

I think the brown one looks better

[@Thebustermann]

A lovely 1970s car in the requisite shit brown colour.

[@rez4405]

I wonder if the presenter still alive now.