Pretty sure I have a G.I. bring back

[Kostenfalle]

After I bought my '73 2002 a few weeks ago, I was going though the box of additional stuff that came with it. I found the original service manual with several entires up to about 15,000 miles or so. Still has all the stickers with the mileage on them. Pretty cool!

 

Anyway, on the front cover is a section where I believe the salesman was to go over the car there is some information about the original owner. From what I gather, it was bought in or near a German city named Kitzingen. Or, at least that is where the soldier was based out of.

 

Here is what it says:

 

Typ: BMW 2002

Fahrgestell-Nr: 2586656 (VIN)

Datum Erstzulassung: 8.1.73 (date)

Fahrzeughalter : Frank H Vetting (original owner)

Anschrift: Kitzingen, Co C, 1/15th Inf ( I believe this is the soldiers address: Company C, 1/15th infantry)

Haandierfirma: Fa B Doorfler (sales man?)

 

 

 

Ich sagt: "Wo kompst du? Kitzingen!"

 

Sehr kool!

 

[Conserv]

Absolutely!  Cool.

 

Request BMW Archives data to see what that yields (email VIN to info.grouparchiv@bmwgroup.com).

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[LarsAlpina]

There once were many US soldiers in the Kitzingen area. Larson Barracks and Harvey Barracks were located there. Wikipedia Kitzingen Army Airfield

 

And there once was a BMW dealer named Dörfler in Kitzingen. This "o" with the two dots above is a german specialty named Umlaut (speak oommloud). It is pronounced like in the english "work" not like e.g. in "spoken". After some restructuring this is the current website of the successor company: BMW Tief-Dörfler

 

Best regards, Lars.

[02Les]

Nice to see another one in TN.

 

Here's a pic of your car back in 2008 when it was Purple!!! Reportedly the Ebay Seller was part of the original Owner Family & lived in Columbia, SC.

[otisdog]

OUCH!!!!    ^^^^^^^^^^

[reluctantly]

Apologies for veering slightly off track but...

 

I've been wondering if mine is possibly a GI guy, too.  Are these still considered Euro?  I associate Euro with the lovely bumper lights, flat turn signals, lack of seat belt light, etc. My '72 has none of the aforementioned but was delivered to France.  Is it a Euro or US car?

 

That purple--well it certainly is eye-catching, isn't it? 

Edited May 9, 2017 by reluctantly
sausage fingers

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, reluctantly said:

Apologies for veering slightly off track but...

 

I've been wondering if mine is possibly a GI guy, too.  Are these still considered Euro?  I associate Euro with the lovely bumper lights, flat turn signals, lack of seat belt light, etc. My '72 has none of the aforementioned but was delivered to France.  Is it a Euro or US car?

 

That purple--well it certainly is eye-catching, isn't it? 

 

What's your VIN?  After 1967, because U.S. DOT and EPA requirements were multiplying annually, BMW created different VIN series for U.S. versus Euro-spec cars.  A U.S. serviceman, serving abroad, but wanting to buy a car he/she could bring home, generally bought a U.S.-spec car.  Yes, Euro-spec cars could be individually Federalized for import, but it was expensive and time consuming, and you'd probably have to give up some of the best Euro-spec features, like lights, hot engines, etc.  Some U.S. buyers taking delivery abroad bought hot Euro goodies while they were in Europe, shipped those items back to the states, and installed them on their U.S.-spec car after it had passed through U.S. Customs.  Isn't that just terrible?  ?

 

You can always just type your car's VIN into a good VIN decoder like that operated by the BMW 2002 Club of Columbia:

 

https://www.bmwclasicos.com/servicios.php#Como

 

It will tell you immediately whether you have a U.S. or Euro-spec car.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

[Conserv]

5 hours ago, 02Les said:

Nice to see another one in TN.

 

Here's a pic of your car back in 2008 when it was Purple!!! Reportedly the Ebay Seller was part of the original Owner Family & lived in Columbia, SC.

<img class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" data-fileid="188153" src="//d2um9aptpsgwwp.cloudfront.net/monthly_2017_05/5911dc5d0c07c_25866561a.jpg.57878c352be49a137f6d05548a30d393.jpg" alt="5911dc5d0c07c_25866561a.jpg.57878c352be49a137f6d05548a30d393.jpg" />

 

This reminds me, Les, that there are photos of me -- taken a few years back, maybe more than a few -- that I wish didn't exist....

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[jgerock]

3 hours ago, Conserv said:

 

This reminds me, Les, that there are photos of me -- taken a few years back, maybe more than a few -- that I wish didn't exist....

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

Looks like a close cousin to MLytles 74 M2 Barney. Barney is most likely part of a new LG clothes washer now.

[Kostenfalle]

On 5/9/2017 at 11:12 AM, 02Les said:

Nice to see another one in TN.

 

Here's a pic of your car back in 2008 when it was Purple!!! Reportedly the Ebay Seller was part of the original Owner Family & lived in Columbia, SC.

 

Yeah, saw this pic from the Ebay listing that was printed out and came with the car. All I can say is "damn".

 

From what I understand, it went to Florida from SC. I also found a repair bill for $2100 from Key West. I am guessing it was for some front end damage that is covered up on the car along with a repaint.

 

How did you find this picture??