Is Our Car Universally Loved?

[2002#3]

Is our car universally loved?

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2021/01/22/open-diff-is-any-car-universally-loved?refer=news&utm_source=edaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021-01-25

[2002Scoob]

Yes. Yes it is. 

 

A while ago I penned the phrase 'the 2002 is the golden retriever of automobiles' and I stand by that, and challenge the most hum-buggy of person to not smile in a 2002's presence. 

 

Are there other vehicles I love more? Most definitely. Namely Citroen DS's. But those are far to quirky to be universally loved. 

Edited January 25, 2021 by 2002Scoob

[KFunk]

In dark corners of the internet, I've seen hurtful words said about the touring body style.  I don't know why they'd go and tell lies like that.

[d.hitchcock]

The comments contain some yuks.

 

[1972_Targa]

Hagerty can be a bit ruthless at times:

 

"Other gray-market variants include the fairly awkward-looking Baur targa conversion, a handful of 1971-only full convertibles, and the stubby-tailed hatchback Touring."

 

—Hagerty's Definitive 1968-76 BMW 2002 Buyer's Guide

[adawil2002]

I my 30+ years of driving BMW '02s, I have received only thumbs up, waves and wonderful stories about "they or someone they know had one back in some level of school, etc."

[John76]

1 hour ago, 2002Scoob said:

'the 2002 is the golden retriever of automobiles'

The absolute best and my favorite description! Thank you 2002Scoob!!

Unpretentious, yet upscale, without being a "Yuppie Mobile"

Thank you too, Byron aka "Preyupy". Love it!

[2002Scoob]

2 hours ago, KFunk said:

In dark corners of the internet, I've seen hurtful words said about the touring body style.  I don't know why they'd go and tell lies like that.

 

Well... I do love quirky vehicles.

 

And honestly.... I kinda love a good turbo-flared touring more than I do a squaretail. And I have a squaretail. Haha

 

Just don't tell Brunhilde I said that.... 

 

 

[uai]

Especially the convertible makes all people smile. Never had so many thumbs up.

[jscaptura1]

The golden retriever (Lola) in... the golden retriever(1600)!  Always get smiles and thumbs up...for both of them!  And yes, whenever someone approaches me about the 1600, they always say they had one or knew someone who did.  I even had a guy follow me for about 15 miles and when I stopped for gas, he pulled in behind be because he wanted to take pictures of it to prove to his buddies he actually saw a 1600!

[Mike Self]

10 hours ago, adawil2002 said:

I my 30+ years of driving BMW '02s, I have received only thumbs up, waves and wonderful stories about "they or someone they know had one back in some level of school, etc."

+ 1--even when I first bought my '69--back in the days when most folks thought "BMW" meant British Motor Works, I got lots of admiring glances.  And like Andrew, every time I'm out in mine now I get thumbs up in traffic, and questions when its parked.  I'm constantly amazed that my all-original E30 318is--a much rarer car production-wise, hardly gets a glance unless it's a hard core BMW guy/gal, but the '02 is constantly recognized.  

 

And if you read the contemporary road tests (beyond David Davis' "Turn Your Hymnals" paean), the testers even then recognized it as something special. Before the '02, the previous candidate for a nimble sports sedan was the Volvo 544-even a late model 544 with dual sidedraft Webers--I'll take the 02 any time.

 

mike

[WgaryL]

In the late 70s when I had my 71 Malaga 02  I remember parking and overhearing some people not knowing what the car was and asking if it was a baby Mercedes...lol                                                                                                                                                  Fast Fast forward to 2020 when I was stopped at a light  in  NYC China Town in my recently acquired 76 Chamonix 02, there was a lovely old Asian  couple  making their way down the sidewalk - He had cane and she with a shopping cart both stopped and gave enthusiastic head nods and thumbs up!   I drove away thinking that there must have been an 02 in their past!

[bavariaboy]

The refrain is always the same whether it's in a parking lot or at the pump.  "I owned one of these..."  or   "I always wanted one of these..." And then while they are telling me story of regret or desire I am following along in my mind, word for word.

 

We are blessed.

 

Steve

[TobyB]

I hate mine some days.

 

Less, recently, but there still are days...

 

 

t

 

[NickVyse]

I think there are very few seventies cars that aren't loved to be seen on the roads in 2020