other Nomenclature: 2002 Vs '02 Vs E10

[02Les]

Ah B.S.A.

https://youtu.be/F2DJLVWZASw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2DJLVWZASw

One of the links should work!

 

[Doug Riparetti]

On 3/13/2019 at 1:15 PM, adawil2002 said:

 

Back in the 1960s there was a race rivalry between BMW & BSA. BMWs were called Beemers & BSA were Beezers. During the 1980s when the E30 became "the hotrod of polite society" newly minted young urban professionals or Yuppies called their cars Beamers, some still do.

 

I call them BMW Motorcycles and BMWs

Beezer has now become synonymous with any BMW CCA membership number below 5,000.

 

 

Bob Merman, member #1, passed away February 17, 2019. The memorial service was held February 24th. 4 BMW CCA members attended. 

 

Andrew Wilson, John Whetstone, Micael Izor & Carlos Giron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Doug Riparetti]

 I bought my 1st 2002/"Beamer" in 1982. I had two buddy's who also had "02's", two others guys has Bavaria's , one buddy had "79" 7.33, 4-speed car, this is around 1983/84, we all referred to our BMW's as "Beamers", still do to this day. "Bimmer" sounds weird (an I'm being political correct, what I want to say is that it really sound stupid).

[conkitchen]

 

Well there is this somewhat official explanation.  After the late 1970's-a time when Yuppies became so full of themselves they started to alter the image of the Auto maker. Seems only fair to explain it that the yuppies would influence the name.  Nowadays it seems to be just a silly lingering entitled sentiment repeated over and over cause someone else said it.  It's like calling a pre 74 a "roundie" or the awful sounding post 73 term used here of "squarie". 

but what do I know. 

 

 

https://bimmeramerica.com/history-of-bmw

 

 

Bimmer vs Beamer vs Beemer

To put it simply, BMW automobiles are called Bimmers. BMW motorcycles are called Beemers (or Beamers).

The term Beemer was first used with motorcycles. The legend goes that when British bikes were popular and the company baa was a well-known manufacturer, riders would often refer to them as Beezers, sort of a way to say BSA as a word. BMW riders then co-opted the word Beemer, as a way of saying BMW as a word. Since BMW manufactured motorcycles well before their automobiles became popular, whenever the word Beemer was said, it was in reference to their motorcycles. 

For an unknown reason, when BMW automobiles came about, people started referring to them as Bimmers. Although it doesn't make much sense why the originators didn't just call all BMW products Beemers, the names were unofficially designated back in the 40's and 50's, and it doesn't seem right to argue with half a century of tradition.

Edited June 19, 2019 by conkitchen

[John_in_VA]

17 hours ago, Doug Riparetti said:

 I bought my 1st 2002/"Beamer" in 1982. I had two buddy's who also had "02's", two others guys has Bavaria's , one buddy had "79" 7.33, 4-speed car, this is around 1983/84, we all referred to our BMW's as "Beamers", still do to this day. "Bimmer" sounds weird (an I'm being political correct, what I want to say is that it really sound stupid).

 

You're in CA, so perhaps you can be excused, but "Beamer" is so Cali/Yuppie, to me.  My story is similar to yours, with me & friends moving from VW products to the 1600s & 2002s in 1978-80.  They'll always be Bimmers (what 4-wheeled BMWs were called on the east coast at the time), 2002s, or '02s, to me.

[HBChris]

When I had my new 74 2002 and we would flash our headlights at other BMWs we always referred to them as Bimmers

[Conserv]

30 minutes ago, HBChris said:

When I had my new 74 2002 and we would flash our headlights at other BMWs we always referred to them as Bimmers

 

+1

 

Always!

 

I knew that BMW’s had gone from “underground cool” to mainstream when a best friend’s mom — his mom, for heaven’s sake— started referring to them as beamers, probably in the late ‘70’s.  I just rolled my eyes... ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Conserv

[Doug Riparetti]

1 hour ago, John_in_VA said:

 

You're in CA, so perhaps you can be excused, but "Beamer" is so Cali/Yuppie, to me.  My story is similar to yours, with me & friends moving from VW products to the 1600s & 2002s in 1978-80.  They'll always be Bimmers (what 4-wheeled BMWs were called on the east coast at the time), 2002s, or '02s, to me.

 Y’all can call them “Bimmer‘s”, I will never.

 

This photo was taken back in like 1987/88 of me and my “ex”.

 

“73”, factory black, factory sunroof, 15” MSW’s rims with 195/50, Fulda tires, Suspension Techniques springs and sway bars, duel Dellorto’s, pop-up  piston’s with a mild cam.

 

I bought it from a lady in 1984, gave up on it in 1989 when I start falling apart, and I wasn’t into you really working on cars back then. 

 

 The second photo is what it look like when I first bought it in 1984 ......

 

Beamer for life..........

Edited June 19, 2019 by Doug Riparetti

[conkitchen]

What a lovie yuppie coupie

 

Edited June 20, 2019 by conkitchen

[JohnS]

These have been collecting dust in my garage for years.  I always thought that Bimmer sounded weird even though I was told the history behind it. two-thousand-twos is what I call em

     

Edited June 19, 2019 by JohnS

[conkitchen]

That's funny, I have a 75 which has blue and yellow plates that read BEEMURR. Will have to post a picture of that plate some day. 

 

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

    

 

 

[Schon '02]

3 hours ago, JohnS said:

These have been collecting dust in my garage for years.  I always thought that Bimmer sounded weird even though I was told the history behind it. two-thousand-twos is what I call em

     

I understand the DMV will issue current tags for your old CA blue plates if you have the patience and fill in the right forms. 

[JohnS]

I bought that set up plates at one of the Brisbane swap & shows many years ago.  Not sure if that plate number is already taken by somebody else or not.  I don't think I would ever put them on one of my cars.  If someone finds out that the plate isn't already taken and wants to buy them, I would happily sell them... cheap ?

Edited June 21, 2019 by JohnS

[Honolulu]

I go back with the CCA to sometime in the early or mid-80s, got my first (of fifteen) 2002 in '79.

 

Beemer vs Bimmer was back then a largely an east-coast versus west-coast thing.  One was "cooler" than the other but I didn't join that party.  It only became relevant many years later when I got an '85 K100RS.

 

E-coded cars... you have to remember what the "E" stood for:  in German, "Entwicklung" means "project" so it was an internal thing with BMW AG to differentiate chassis, and originated in the chassis development stage.  Maybe so employees could properly charge time, or for organizational purposes, but I'm speculating there.

 

As noted previously, it became "cool" to refer to the E-code because it meant that the user was possessed of deep knowledge.  The proliferation of models since when there were only 2002s and Bavarias, has made it useful to use an E-code in the proper audience.

 

Nowadays, ownership of a Bimmer of any E-code origin is no longer a matter of any particular note, since they sell like crazy and every rich azzhole has one or more.  Heck I've had maybe three dozen-plus, lost count long ago, and those include three Beemers, but the 3.0CS and K1300GT are enough for me now.

[man_mark_7]

I guess for the definitive answer one should go to the source: https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/bimmer-beamer-nickname-origin.html