engine and drivetrain mystery VIN ?

[tups]

I was trying to look up my VIN and see if it corresponds with the expected range. It does not. In fact, it doesn't correspond with any range in the "definitive" BMW Restoration Guide's tables.

The car was first registered in december 1967, it's a 1600-2, and has all the early parts- indented hood trim, 6V electrics, what have you.

The VIN on the plate and in the right front wing are 1-761-4 and two more numbers. The plate also says 1600-2.

The range for a LHD European 1600-2 is 1-513-244 to 1-545-305, which is obviously not the range this car falls into.

I couldn't find the engine number, but I'll check tomorrow now I know where it should be -now it's dark.

Can anyone shed any light on this, so far, or do I email the BMW historic archives to find out what's up with that ?

Thanks,

Cris

[02Les]

As you are in Belgium, you may have one of the 02s built/assembled at ETS Moorkens, Kontich. I know VINs 174XXXX were built there.

Does your VIN plate have the Moorkens name on it?

[tups]

Cool - that would make perfect sense - it does not have the Moorkens name on the plate, but it is originally Belgian, and lived the first part of its life in Genappe.

Thanks much !

Cris

[tups]

Herr Harz from the BMW historical archives to the rescue ... my VIN is indeed one of the 14256 BMW 1600-2 / 1602 that were delivered to Belgium between 1966 and 1972 as CKD (completely knocked down) vehicles - a parts kit. Moorkens was the BMW distributor for Belgium since 1956, and they assembled the cars in order to evade the import tax on assembled vehicles. This was apparently common in the pre-EU days, and BMW were assembled in places like Italy, Belgium, Argentina, Israel, ...

IN 1972 BMW decided they were going to do the import and distribution themselves, as the import taxes were abolished by then, and local assembly was no longer needed. The Kontich BMW plant closed down at that point, and Moorkens went on to imoort Japanese cars.

Interesting history ...

Cris

[02Les]

Interesting, thanks for letting us know.

A note to remember, tax evasion is illegal, whereas tax avoidance is (in thoery) legal. Ask me how I know.

[RayB]

ok how do you know?