1600-2

[NickVyse]

I've only ever seen one, and it's subtely different to the Rover p5b coupe badge (which many asumed it was, me included). This is James' car from JFI Classic Cars in Wales, pacific blue, will have to check but the lower badge placement should mean it's a '68, or very late '67..

 

http://jficlassiccars.co.uk/

 

[NickVyse]

On 1/20/2019 at 5:50 AM, 02Les said:

It was discussed a while back.

https://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/topic/221868-1600-coupe/?tab=comments#comment-1261704

 

my first Tii had that 'unbeatable BMW' sticker, would be a nice one to get remade.

[NickVyse]

James at JFI has 2 early 1600-2s. The brown is a '67 and the blue a '68 (March). The coupe badges are subtely different and the '67 seems almost hand made (by confused fraulines for us crazy Brits).

 

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by NickVyse

[Conserv]

I still don’t understand who made and applied these. Yes, everyone who knows about them agrees they were a “British thing,” although examples filtered, at minimum, into New Zealand, perhaps elsewhere.

 

The badge is even designed to incorporate the final French “accent aigu”! But more jarring than this odd appearance of French on the very German ‘02 is the overall design of the badge: it is cursive and antithetical to the BMW badging of this era. And then it was applied — consistently, no less — at a dramatic angle. Again, contradictory to the ‘02’s design.

 

So....was there an English importer — analogous to the U.S.’s Hoffman Motor Corp — or a small number of English importers, who created this concept, commissioned runs of badges — based on Nick’s comments, it seems like they varied over time — and asked their retail dealerships to apply them? I would assume that there was a marketing campaign to promote the BMW 1600 Coupe. If not, why bother with the badge?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[02Les]

4 hours ago, NickVyse said:

I've only ever seen one, and it's subtely different to the Rover p5b coupe badge (which many asumed it was, me included). This is James' car from JFI Classic Cars in Wales, pacific blue, will have to check but the lower badge placement should mean it's a '68, or very late '67..

 

http://jficlassiccars.co.uk/

 

 

G plate started 1 Aug '68, so most likely a '68 build...………..unless it sat in a showroom a long time.

I wonder if the badges are glued on, or "pinned" like the 1600/2002 badges.

[02Les]

37 minutes ago, Conserv said:

The badge is even designed to incorporate the final French “accent aigu”! But more jarring than this odd appearance of French on the very German ‘02 is the overall design of the badge: it is cursive and antithetical to the BMW badging of this era. And then it was applied — consistently, no less — at a dramatic angle. Again, contradictory to the ‘02’s design.

 

 

 

Coupé (koopay) is the way most of the World say it, Coupe (koop) is typical US. The Touring badge was cursive, but 3 years later.

I don't think the Beach Boys would have a hit if it was "Little Deuce Coupé", it just wouldn't sound right?

[NickVyse]

27 minutes ago, 02Les said:

 

G plate started 1 Aug '68, so most likely a '68 build...………..unless it sat in a showroom a long time.

I wonder if the badges are glued on, or "pinned" like the 1600/2002 badges.

 

already noted Les - March '68 build

 

AFN (Frazer-Nash) was the sole importer back then. As well as the coupé badge they added Frazer-Nash to the 2000Ti. Anything to shift what were very expensive cars in the UK. A Truimph 1300 (front wheel drive and the biggest engine available back then) was £835. The 1600-2 was £1300. They had to do anything and everything to make people think they were getting something special, after all they didn't have much of a repuation back then and buying German wasn't quite so appealling as it is now, to say the least!

[02Les]

14 minutes ago, NickVyse said:

 

already noted Les - March '68 build

 

AFN (Frazer-Nash) was the sole importer back then. As well as the coupé badge they added Frazer-Nash to the 2000Ti. Anything to shift what were very expensive cars in the UK. A Truimph 1300 (front wheel drive and the biggest engine available back then) was £835. The 1600-2 was £1300. They had to do anything and everything to make people think they were getting something special, after all they didn't have much of a repuation back then and buying German wasn't quite so appealling as it is now, to say the least!

 

I guess the price in the UK was a combination of import duty & being a RHD model. In the early 80s I was working in Germany (Siegen) and almost bought a new 520i for around £4000, the equivalent RHD version was close to £8000. It should have been a no-brainer as I was working a good 10 months of the year in Europe. In the end I returned to the UK and bought a trade-in '72 LHD 2000tii Touring for cheap.

[uai]

1 hour ago, Conserv said:

The badge is even designed to incorporate the final French “accent aigu”! But more jarring than this odd appearance of French on the very German ‘02 is the overall design of the badge: it is cursive and antithetical to the BMW badging of this era. And then it was applied — consistently, no less — at a dramatic angle. Again, contradictory to the ‘02’s design.

The little 700 had a bit less rectangular attitude

Edited January 24, 2019 by uai

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, 02Les said:

 

Coupé (koopay) is the way most of the World say it, Coupe (koop) is typical US. The Touring badge was cursive, but 3 years later.

I don't think the Beach Boys would have a hit if it was "Little Deuce Coupé", it just wouldn't sound right?

 

I agree with all of this, Les, especially the last bit! ? But...when writing or typing, do Brits generally use coupé or coupe?

 

As an American, I only use the accent aigu when I’m in a particularly-pretentious mood....?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by Conserv

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, NickVyse said:

 

already noted Les - March '68 build

 

AFN (Frazer-Nash) was the sole importer back then. As well as the coupé badge they added Frazer-Nash to the 2000Ti. Anything to shift what were very expensive cars in the UK. A Truimph 1300 (front wheel drive and the biggest engine available back then) was £835. The 1600-2 was £1300. They had to do anything and everything to make people think they were getting something special, after all they didn't have much of a repuation back then and buying German wasn't quite so appealling as it is now, to say the least!

 

Ah-ha! This is the work of the Frazer-Nashians! ?

 

I don’t need more facts: I’m running with this....until I’m proven wrong! ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited January 24, 2019 by Conserv

[NickVyse]

1 hour ago, 02Les said:

 

I guess the price in the UK was a combination of import duty & being a RHD model.

 

Period road tests indicate a sales tax of 23 percent for both the triumph and the 02. There was probably an additional crippling import duty on the German - which they'll be free to apply again after brexit, so they can all drive austin allegros (sorry, shouldn't mix politics and cars, but couldn't help it)

 

 

[02Les]

22 minutes ago, Conserv said:

But...when writing or typing, do Brits generally use coupé or coupe?

 

 

 

 No clue what the Brits these days say; I've been gone too long. When I say, or hand-write, I would say/use Coupé, but when typing it's easier to type Coupe, than try and find that darn é?

[Jimmy]

27 minutes ago, Conserv said:

 

 

I don’t need more facts: I’m running with this....until I’m proven wrong! ?

 

 

 

Don't let that stop you! ?

[Simeon]

3 hours ago, 02Les said:

 No clue what the Brits these days say; I've been gone too long. When I say, or hand-write, I would say/use Coupé, but when typing it's easier to type Coupe, than try and find that darn é?

 

We say ‘coopay’. We love the pretentiousness of using a French accent for everyday things (even though we hate the French). Most would struggle to use it correctly but never admit it. 

 

The Australians on the other had have a glorious disregard for pronunciation and just mangle foreign words in whatever way they choose. Despite knowing that they do this, they are not embarrassed,  they in fact double down and use them more.