40th Anniversary--Bobby Rahal meets BMW 2002 Inka Tii

[mac]

Actually, it happened yesterday. I forgot to post.

From an interview in the BMWCCA ROUNDEL published years ago.

"It all began with an Inka-orange 2002 Tii when Rahal was a student at Denison University. "I had a Volkswagen Beetle which I loved. But the rules prohibited freshmen from having cars so I spent my first year evading the campus police. I needed something quicker! Seriously, I was with my dad at Chuck Edward's new BMW dealership in Barrington, Ill. They had this Tii on the showroom floor and my dad asked me if I liked it. Well, what self-respecting 19-year old kid would say no?"

This purchase started a pattern in the Rahal family involving Bobby and his dad, Mike (who drives an Oscella-BMW sports racer in vintage racing). "We call it the 'fresh rattle syndrome' where the car is plenty good, but we just get bitten by a bug to get something new," Bobby laughed. "I grew up around cars. The joke in our family is, what do Bobby and Mike like to do on a rainy day? they go out and buy a new car. The dealers are lickin' their chops when they see the two of us walk in."

Bobby did more than just commute to class in his Tii. "I got all my pre-racing kicks bombing around the backroads of Ohio in that Tii. I guess the group I hung around with was sort of a legend at Denison." It was an ad-hoc sports car club consisting of members with a 240Z, a carbureted 2002, 3.0CS, a Ferrari 246 Dino and Rahal's Tii. "We would go out and race and when I say we raced, I mean we RACED. I look back on that now and think it's a bloody miracle I'm alive. I certainly don't recommend driving on the street like that! I put 88,000 hard miles on that Tii and it never missed a beat. It was a phenomenal car."

But with 88,000 miles on the Tii was getting to the point it needed to be replaced. "In a fit of stupidity, I traded the BMW on a Lancia." Rahal lamented. "That was dumb. There are good reasons why Lancia doesn't sell cars in this country anymore and that car was one of them. Actually, my dad suckered me into that deal!"

"Then I was a little brighter, but not much. I bought a 2002 automatic which was totally gutless. It was a real disappointment after the Tii."

etc.etc.

(re-assembly begins soon).

mac.

[BillWilliams]

You are going to give it back to him. Right Mac!

[hanksjim1]

Thanks for marking the aniversary and restoring this piece of BMW (2002) history!

Can't wait to see more pics of the progress.

[DavidLMM]

Huh? I'm confused.

Is this Rahal's _real_ car? Bobby had The Werk Shop make a recreation a few years ago - see registry entry #9: http://www.thewerkshop.net/registry/

I am pretty sure it was shown at an OFest within the last few years as well, but I'm not sure about that.

David

[SteveJ]

Will the real Rahal (car) please stand up.

[malagalaga]

The "recreation" Rahal car has shown up at a few BMW events... I know it was at the Chicago auto show a few years ago.

[mac]

To clear up any "conflict/confusion"and to keep the history accurate,.....

The clone created by the Werk Shop a few years ago is originally a California car originally painted Colorado.

I have the original Service Schedule with Rahal's name, date, vin, delivery, etc.etc. recorded and a few Shop Orders from a mechanic's shop in Ohio while Bobby was attending Denison University.

CONSERVATION is the important thing.

mac.

PS. Bill....."....give it to him....". Probably not.

[BillWilliams]

Come on Mac - he may return the favor with a new M3!

[slash02]

Come on Mac - he may return the favor with a new M3!

Hah, I'd rather have that tii.

[02for2]

I discussed this car and Mac with Bobby last year at the Alabama Indycar Grand Prix ! I go every year, and Bobby is always at the Porsche Paddock where I spend a lot of my time.

He was pretty excited to know that the car was still around and being driven.

He asked that I follow-up with Mac's info, which I did after talking with Mac here. Didn't hear if anything ever came of it.

Btw, Bobby now has our LED taillights in his clone car.

Cheers!