I’d only been at BMW Concessionaires GB a couple of weeks when I encountered
my first 2002 tii. Production of the
model had begun in late Spring, so in August ’71 examples were still a rare sight
in and around our HQ at Chiswick. While
I was preparing it, I was very taken with the engine bay. The ‘look’ of the fuel injected engine with
its distinctive bright aluminium intake manifold was so different – ‘space-age’
to my eye – from the carburetted M10s we were used to.
 |
Courtesy Samboss (BaT) |
The PDI completed, I drove it up to our Park Lane Showroom for handover
to the customer. Now it wasn’t just my vision
that was seduced. The performance from
the new M15,130 bhp, engine seemed
exciting, enabling me to negotiate a relatively clear Marble Arch corner just
as rapidly as I’d learnt to do in the 2800/3.0 six cylinder E3s and E9s. That car was in the very common finish of the
time – Polaris silver. However, as more
and more Tiis arrived from Germany, I found that they were even more exciting
to be around and drive if in Inka (orange) or Golf (yellow/very light green). These two colours and this particular model
could not have been more zeitgeist-emblematic of the London of the early
Seventies.
 |
Courtesy Samboss (BaT); LR90
(BaT) |
But now, half a century on, I wonder if my feeling that I was king of
the West London road network was more to do with the extra fizz those funky
paint colours pumped into my speed sensibilities rather than any increased
accelerative capability possessed by the new engine. Thanks to the car’s mass, (around 1000 Kg
kerb weight), gear/final drive ratios, and relative high revs at which peak
torque (132 lbs-ft @ 4,500), was derived, the 0-60 mph time was a not exactly
lightning 10 seconds (approximately).
Despite this, a BMW press ad copy of the time was able to include, ‘Fastest
accelerating production saloon in U.K.’
Maximum speed in the same advertisement was given as 119 mph.
Apart from
the engine, the Tii incorporated some other features new to the 02 model
family. The bumpers were elongated to
wrap round further at the rear, whilst rubber inserts were applied to both
bumper bars and the overriders. Also
featuring a black rubber insert were rubbing strips on the front wings, doors
and rear ¼ panels at the same height as the bumpers. The front grilles were revised with seven of
the slats coloured black and the remaining two in bright metal finish. Also at the front, the lower panel bottom
edge was re-formed to function as a spoiler.
 |
| Courtesy Samboss (BaT); LR90 (BaT) |
It might be
noticed that both the examples so far illustrated are not equipped with
standard wheels. The steel 5J rims were fitted
with 165 HR 13 tyres and featured a chrome finish hub cap with BMW roundel,
(below, left). A factory alloy option by
Ronal was available, (below second from left) and it was not unusual for
customers to request the BBS Basketweave (second from right below) or Minilites,
(below right):
 |
The
preference was for Michelin XAS tyres, but many cars arrived from Munich with
other makes fitted, the least welcome being Metzelers or Firestone Phoenix,
both of which didn’t work well on British road surfaces, especially when damp
or fully wet.
The Tii had
a distinctive steering wheel, (left, below) – three (alloy) slotted spokes and
black leather rimmed; this was one of the features, (along with the rear light
units) that was aesthetically superior to their replacements on the ’73 facelifted
cars, (steering wheel, right, below). Popular
options specified by customers were the more overtly ‘sporting’ wheels from
Momo and Moto-Lita. Similar to the
latter, there were further factory options such as the especially handsome
Petri Sport, (centre, below).
 |
Courtesy Samboss (Bat); Tony
Wawryk |
In ’73 we thought the facelift successful, in particular seeing the
rectangular rear light units as ‘modernising.’
But before long, and very definitely today, the original circular lamps
are greatly preferred. They give rise to
the affectionate nickname of ‘Roundie’ for the pre-’73 cars. But it is the totality of the rear panel and
boot lid which so appeals aesthetically.
The lamps, script/roundel badges and bright horizontal strip all work
together extremely well on the ‘71.
 |
| Courtesy Samboss (BaT); OldenzaalClassics (BaT) |
 |
| Courtesy LR90 (BaT); Samboss (BaT) |
Much as I
enjoyed these visual niceties, the best of the Tii was the way it
performed. And, exhilarating as it was
to fly through the streets of London, jinking around slower moving traffic,
(nearly everything else was!), the most fulfilling experiences were those had
at the track days we organised at Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Thruxton, in
most instances to promote the cars for fleet purchase by UK police forces. Like most of the other staff members
attending, I revelled in being able to get behind the wheel of the 3 litre E3s
and E9s, especially on the high speed Silverstone and Thruxton circuits. However, the most fun I recall was in Tiis,
in which the up-on-the-cam engine pickup and general nimbleness enabled me
frequently to lap faster and pass the bigger cars. Driving flat out brought forth all that was
good about the Tii whereas in street driving there were a couple of
‘issues.’ By the time my job role had
changed to that of ‘troubleshooter,’ one of the most common customer complaints
to which I picked up the phone was of engine hesitation at around 2400 rpm. Neither the factory nor Kugelfischer seemed
able to come up with a solution for this, though one of our field service
managers devised a pump cam reprofiling mod that appeared to resolve
matters. We also had a number of long
running dispute sagas with customers who would not accept the level of noise (whine)
emitted by the car’s rear axle on the overrun.
There was no way we could test a diff prior to installing and the
factory maintained that it was unable to build special close tolerance units as
replacements in cases of severe customer dissatisfaction. The factory delegate was however authorised to
help (and supervise) us, with multiple substitutions and, on a few occasions,
we had to try three or four units before we found one quiet enough for the
customer’s acceptance.
The Tii’s
specification and behaviour in the first press road test reports of ’71,
indicated a considerable motor sport potential.
This was soon proved realisable in ’72 when races for a new class –
Group 1 – saw BMW Concessionaires-backed/Mathwall Engineering-prepared Tiis to
be highly competitive. Motor Sport
magazine reported in its June ’72 issue:
.
. . the division into purchase-price classes and the near-standard nature of
the competing cars (apart from their tyres) has focused attention on them, for the
overall benefit of BMW 2002 Tii saloons . . . having completely dominated these
Group 1 races so far— writing after eight such races have been contested.
And
the following month:
(BMW GB) are also
behind the exceptionally successful Group 1 assault mounted by various dealers
in the marque. At the time of writing they have enjoyed most success with the
MLG 2002 Tii for Roger Bell, backed by a similar Mathwall Engineering prepared
Tii for John Bloomfield. . . . there was
plenty of scope for improvement in the 2002 unit as the homologation tolerances
were extremely favourable for maximum power. In fact, after balancing and final
assembly, the first engine was found to give 143 bhp. at 5,800 rpm., up at
least 13 bhp. over the production DIN rating. Because of the space needed for a
slant engine’s exhaust system on a test bed, it was found that the engine
actually performed even better in open exhaust racing form, which partially
explains why, even when the uprated 3-litre Capris came into Group 1 after four
or five races had already been run, they did not immediately seem that much
faster than the BMW 2002: both cars weigh almost the same at something over
2,300 lb. . . . new, shorter and stiffer
rate coil springs allowing the 2002 to run rings round the opposition,
especially on bumpy tracks. The limited-slip ZF differential and live-speed
gearbox don’t do the car’s competitiveness any harm either. Theoretically one
would suppose that the answer to the 2002 would be the 2000 GTV Alfa Romeo, but
the Wallace suspension, plus Mathieson’s engine, has just made the Mathwall
2002 untouchable except by bigger capacity cars—recently the Ford Capri 3-litre
and Chevrolet’s monstrous Camaro.
 |
| Courtesy Motor Sport; Motorsport Images |
Beyond the
UK motor sport arena, the Tii was also competing in ’72 in high profile events
such as the Spa 24 Hours, where one of the Mathwall cars driven by John
Bloomfield, Tony Lanfranchi and Roger Bell ran competitively, but failed to
finish because of an engine failure.
Across the various European saloon/touring car series, the Tii was
quickly into its stride, with tuners such as Alpina and GS (Gerhard Schneider)
coaxing 225 bhp from the 1990 cc power unit.
The Tii had
been perceived very favourably at its launch in ’71. Some felt that the UK list price was high at £2313,
especially in the light of a domestic value of DM 12,765 (£1495). The car was however thought characterful,
fast and ‘fashionable,’ so sales were plentiful and profitable. At this time BMW was not so well known as a
marque in the UK and BMW Concessionaires’ marketing activity was very effective
in creating a buzz of prestige and trendiness, led by the desirability of, in
particular, the Tii and the E9 Coupes, most notably the 3.0 CSL, (from ’72).
The Tii was
facelifted in ’73, as mentioned above, with relatively minor styling changes
and no change to performance. A
hatchback version named Touring also became available with the 130 bhp engine,
though this never seemed to attract the cachet that was intrinsic to the 2 door
saloon. Up to ’75 when production ended,
something like 38,700 Tiis were built, nearly 10% of which were RHD. To replace the 2002 models, BMW launched the
3 Series in the early summer, ’75. A Tii
‘equivalent’ was a while in gestation, it not being until Autumn ’77 that the
six cylinder M20 engined E21 323i was
unveiled at the Frankfurt Show. Faster
certainly than its predecessor, but, initially at least, not so forgiving to
drive and lacking the hard-to-define charm that had been such a strong feature
of the Tii.
Some recently
sold/photographed Tiis:
