history and reference Bmw 1600 Vs. Bmw 1602

[danco_]

What are the differences between the BMW 1600 vs. the BMW 1602? Was it just the badge?

Why are some badged 1600 and others 1602?

Is there a point in time where BMW decided to rebadge the BMW 1600 and call it the 1602?

 

I tried searching and Googled until I couldn't google anymore. I'm still stumped.

 

I'm looking for a history lesson here guys. 

 

 

 

Thank you,

Danco

 

 

 

Edited January 17, 2014 by Danc02

[Conserv]

Is there a point in time where BMW decided to rebadge the BMW 1600 and call it the 1602?

Yes. Early 1600 were 1600-2's, but some wise person said "Wouldn't 1602 make more sense?" So the differences between 1600-2's and 1602's are simply differences between earlier cars and later cars. I don't know how to find it, but I've seen the cut-off date on this forum...somewhere. I had a '67 1600-2 whereas I believe a '71 would be a 1602, but I don't know precisely when they changed the name. And...the answer to this question might even be different depending on the market, e.g., U.S. versus Europe.

Steve

Edited January 17, 2014 by Conserv

[danco_]

Looks like you're right Steve.

 

According to this FAQ post, the BMW badge "1602" was a 1971 specific badge.

http://www.bmw2002faq.com/topic/99135-wtb-1602-badge/?p=274948

 

I wonder if you can still buy this badge new? Blunt? 

[jscaptura1]

I had a 71 1600 back in the mid-80's that was badged 1600, not 1602. Not sure if previous owner had changed it but it was the 1600 badge. Maybe it was an early 71 before they went to the 1602 badge. I will have to look for the old registration and see if I can find the VIN to see. Could be that they used up the 1600 badges before they used the 1602 ones?

[Sneeb]

I wonder if you can still buy this badge new?

I think they do exist still, got one for mine a couple years ago. It was either from La Jolla Indy or San Diego bmw, I can't remember exactly.

[LarsAlpina]

Danco,

 

some more words needed to answer your question en detail. First there were no major technical changes corresponding with making the 1600-2 a 1602 - so to say only new name for same baby.

 

Then you gotta distinguish the chrome badge on the rear from what is written in the old original car title or VIN plate.

 

For the badge:

 

First type only in 1966, no roundel but fully written "BMW", AFAIK not originally delivered to US.

 

 

Second type from late 66 to early 68, roundel with "1600" above the chrom trim, early US cars should be like this.

 

 

Third type from early 1968 to March 71, roundel with "1600" below the chrome trim, FWIK majority of US cars should be like this.

 

 

Fourth type for the first facelift from April 71 to August 73, roundel with "1602" below the chrome trim, maybe about 200 cars delivered to US like this (data I have not clear on that point) but in general delivery of 1,6Liter engine to US discontinued with the 1971 modifications.

 

 

Fifth type for the second facelift with the change to the squared taillights, roundel on the trunk and "1602" above the right light. Not delivered to US, neither standard 1602 nor Luxus option like to be seen on the photo with the extra underlying "L" badge.

 

 

For VIN and title:

For Germany the cars stayed BMW 1600-2 (not 1600) until second facelift to squared taillights although the rear chrome badge was already changed earlier, afterwards until end of production they became BMW 1602. But like Steve pointed out that is only for Germany. There are quite a number of differences for other countries that I don´t know anywhere near all of them.

 

Best regards, Lars.

 

[Conserv]

Great stuff, Lars!

As always, thank you for providing actual facts and details that support my vague recollections and hazy memories! Love the photos!

Best regards,

Steve

[danco_]

Thank you Lars! 

 

According to your post, being as the car in question was manufactured in February of 1971, this would put me in the "Third type from early 1968 to March 71, roundel with "1600" below the chrome trim."

 

Good to know. I'll go ahead and use this as a foundation of information for this car. 

 

This particular car did not come with the rear badge. I took a look at the VIN sticker on the driver side door, as well as the VIN panel under the hood, but didn't pay attention to whether "1602" was mentioned anywhere. I will pick up the car from "Doctor Detail" in Costa Mesa, CA and take a better look.

 

Best regards,

Ryan Danco

[ibjettin]

So the 1600, 1602, and 1600-2 were all manufactured in 1969?

 

I'm restoring my 1969 1600-2 and want to get it as original as possible. So other than badges where could I find the most information on the differences between the models?

 

Example - my 69 1600-02 has grey plastic door handles which I haven't come across on any other model.

[Conserv]

So the 1600, 1602, and 1600-2 were all manufactured in 1969?

 

I'm restoring my 1969 1600-2 and want to get it as original as possible. So other than badges where could I find the most information on the differences between the models?

 

Example - my 69 1600-02 has grey plastic door handles which I haven't come across on any other model.

To be clear, 1600, 1600-2, and 1602 are NOT three different models. They are solely different ways of referring to the 2-door 1.6 liter version of BMW's '66-'76 sport sedan. That 1.6 liter version, just like the 2.0 liter version, evolved over time and, consequently, there are differences between a '68 car and a '69 car, and, sometimes, between an early '69 car and a later '69 car, or between a U.S. car and a European car. Don't read too much significance into the three names we have for the 1.6 liter versions!

Regards,

Steve

[Mike Self]

FYI, AFAIK US-bound 1600s, especially those with US-spec VINs (156/157xxxx) were all badged as 1600s for our market.  I don't recall ever seeing a US car with 1602 on it.

 

mike

[LarsAlpina]

So the 1600, 1602, and 1600-2 were all manufactured in 1969?

 

I'm restoring my 1969 1600-2 and want to get it as original as possible. So other than badges where could I find the most information on the differences between the models?

 

Example - my 69 1600-02 has grey plastic door handles which I haven't come across on any other model.

 

Maybe read again above and you will find out: 1969 official naming for the 2-door 1,6-engined BMW was 1600-2 and it was badged 1600 in the rear.

 

BMW started using "1600" with start of production of the 4-door BMW 1600 NK sedan. With the introduction of the 2-door model in 1966 they feared confusion and changed the naming in 1600-4 for the NK and 1600-2 for the 02.

 

I´m german and not too much into the specialties delivered on US market (and according to what Mike wrote in some older posts there were some specialties). So following info is mainly for german-delivered 02s, but maybe nevertheless helpful. There were three kinds of grey door handles:

1. stone-grey for stock interiors before appr. second half of 1968

2. light-grey for special option leather interiors

3. a different light-grey for the model-73 squared-taillights cars

 

For Germany we distinguish between date of production and date of first registration, not sure if it is like that in US also. Noted down in german car´s title is date of first registration and most people falsely refer to that also as the year of make. But exact year/month of make you can only find out by decoding the VIN because there were cars going out to the dealers not on customer´s orders but for exhibition-in-showroom purposes and not being sold for a longer time.

E.g. for Germany it was like that with some summer 73 roundies: People already saw the ads in the media for the new facelifted squared-taillights models and insisted on buying the "new" car instead of the rest of late roundies the dealers already had instock. Those roundies subsequently popped into the market later and could only be sold at reduced prices. So it can happen that you´ve got a roundie that is 11/73 or 12/73 from its title although production was already discontinued in 07/1973.

 

With that said, what is the VIN of your 1969 1600-2?

 

Regards, Lars.

[LarsAlpina]

FYI, AFAIK US-bound 1600s, especially those with US-spec VINs (156/157xxxx) were all badged as 1600s for our market.  I don't recall ever seeing a US car with 1602 on it.

 

mike

 

Mike,

 

and there were cars officially imported to US besides the US-spec VINs already back in the times? Or do you only refer to the EURO-spec cars imported privately?

 

US spec VINs 1572931 to 1573162 are differently referred to in the literature I have. Sometimes they´re called still "pre-71", sometimes they´re called "model 71-73". If those were really 71-73 they should´ve been badged 1602 for what I think.

 

Regards, Lars.

[Mike Self]

Lars

"and there were cars officially imported to US besides the US-spec VINs already back in the times? Or do you only refer to the EURO-spec cars imported privately?"  

Cars that were individually imported into the US (not through Hoffman Motors) were mostly brought back by returning military and diplomatic personnel, or by tourists.  They would have been US-spec cars, as by then the emission and safety standards (most of which took effect for the first time on 1 Jan 1968) would have prohibited individual importation of non-US spec models.  They would have other than US VINs, and would have easily been spotted by customs inspectors, but I'm sure a few sneaked in one way or another.

 

In late 1967 I was thinking about buying a Renault Alpine A-110 and direct-importing it, since (French) Alpine didn't have a US distributor.  But when Jan 1, 1968 rolled around, I could no longer do that due to the new Federal rules.

 

 

I saw my first two door "1600" in the fall of 1967 at a dealership in Denver (Ralph Schomp--still there selling BMWs!) -- it was a '67 as it had a 6v electrical system--and a rear badge that read "1600."  I have US version sales literature for all the roundies, '67-73 and the 1600 pictures all show the "1600" badge on the rear panel.  

 

I suspect that since the four door NK cars were almost unknown in the US, Max Hoffman didn't think there would be a confusion factor here if the 2 door cars were badged (as opposed to references in print) as 1600s, vs 1600-2 or 1602.  

 

As for those last couple hundred 1600s with VINs between 1572931 and 1573162 (the latter being the last US spec 1600 built).  Supposedly these cars were "modell 71" cars with the knee-level side moulding, black face instruments, long bumpers etc, but since I've never seen one, I can't say for sure that they have these modell 71 characteristics.  Anyone out there have a 1600 with a VIN falling between the two above numbers?  If so, please drop me a line as I'd like to know more about the car's details.

 

cheers

mike

[ibjettin]

Maybe read again above and you will find out: 1969 official naming for the 2-door 1,6-engined BMW was 1600-2 and it was badged 1600 in the rear.

 

BMW started using "1600" with start of production of the 4-door BMW 1600 NK sedan. With the introduction of the 2-door model in 1966 they feared confusion and changed the naming in 1600-4 for the NK and 1600-2 for the 02.

 

I´m german and not too much into the specialties delivered on US market (and according to what Mike wrote in some older posts there were some specialties). So following info is mainly for german-delivered 02s, but maybe nevertheless helpful. There were three kinds of grey door handles:

1. stone-grey for stock interiors before appr. second half of 1968

2. light-grey for special option leather interiors

3. a different light-grey for the model-73 squared-taillights cars

 

For Germany we distinguish between date of production and date of first registration, not sure if it is like that in US also. Noted down in german car´s title is date of first registration and most people falsely refer to that also as the year of make. But exact year/month of make you can only find out by decoding the VIN because there were cars going out to the dealers not on customer´s orders but for exhibition-in-showroom purposes and not being sold for a longer time.

E.g. for Germany it was like that with some summer 73 roundies: People already saw the ads in the media for the new facelifted squared-taillights models and insisted on buying the "new" car instead of the rest of late roundies the dealers already had instock. Those roundies subsequently popped into the market later and could only be sold at reduced prices. So it can happen that you´ve got a roundie that is 11/73 or 12/73 from its title although production was already discontinued in 07/1973.

 

With that said, what is the VIN of your 1969 1600-2?

 

Regards, Lars.

Thank you Lars, after posted I realized my question on the 1600 naming had already cleared my confusion and your information really helps me out. My VIN is 1568951.