1968 U.S.-Model '02 Brochures

[Conserv]

I wanted to share these 1968 U.S.-model brochures for at least three reasons:  first, it's fairly clear reading through these that U.S. DOT rules, effective January 1, 1968 imposed considerable new safety requirements on U.S. models; second, BMW felt the need to advertise these government-mandated "improvements"; and, third, these early cars are crisp and un-cluttered in design -- January 1, 1969 would bring yet another wave of safety requirements, such as side marker lights/reflectors and headrests.

 

In chronological order, you are looking at 4 brochures:

 

1. March 1968 ("III 68") BMW 1600 brochure - (EDIT:  Following Anders' comments, below, a U.S.-only brochure.)

 

2. April 1968 ("IV/68") BMW 2002 brochure - Even though the March 1968 1600 brochure illustrates the new U.S.-spec safety dashboard, this brochure shows the earlier chrome fascia dashboard -- that continued on Euro-spec examples until April 1971 -- as well as Euro-spec license plate lights.  This is the earliest U.S.-language 2002 brochure I've come across.  Given that 2002 production essentially began in January 1968, this might be the first such brochure.  (EDIT:  Following Anders' comments, below, a world brochure also translated into English.)

 

3. May 1968 ("V/68") BMW 1600/BMW 2002 brochure - (EDIT:  Following Anders' comments, below, a U.S.-only brochure.)

 

4. August 1968 ("VIII/68") BMW 1600/BMW 1600ti/BMW 2002 - This is slightly unclear as a U.S.-model brochure: the 1600ti was not marketed here, and a "non-U.S.-legal interior" is shown, replete with chrome dash trim and perforated steering wheel spokes, yet miles per hour and U.S. miles per gallon are shown for all models, including the 1600ti.  So was this a U.S. and Canadian-market brochure?  (EDIT:  Following Anders' comments, below, a world brochure also translated into English.)

 

Especially you early '02 fans: enjoy!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Conserv

[joebarthlow]

good stuff!

[02Anders]

Thx for sharing Steve.

In my view, US brochures should be divided into two separate categories.
1) General 02 brochures which were translated into different languages - among them American - and distributed all around the globe.
2) US-specific 02 brochures, which were only distributed in the US, and differ from 02 brochures seen elsewhere in the world.

 

In my experience, the easiest telltale is the number plates.  If the 02's are wearing German numberplates, then it's a general brochure which has been printed in a wide variety of languages.  If however the 02's are wearing a US numberplate, then it's a US-only brochure, and as such the pictured cars will usually also feature all those US-specific details.

 

However there is of course always an exception to every rule, and I believe your first brochure here - the BMW 1600 brochure from III/68 is indeed a US-specific brochure despite the German numberplates.  I have never seen a copy of this brochure in Europe.

Your second and fourth brochures - dated IV/68 and VIII/68 - are general 02 brochures, as these were available in Europe too.  I too believe that your IV/68 brochure is the first 2002 brochure - I have never seen an earlier one, though bizarrely my own copy of that very same brochure is dated III/68.  The fact that the 1600ti is included in your VIII/68 brochure is a dead giveaway that it's a European brochure which somehow made its way to your shores.

 

Your third brochure - BMW 1600 / BMW 2002 brochure dated V/68 - is the earliest brochure I have seen thus fare to feature pictures of 02's wearing US numberplates.  It is clearly a US-specific brochure.  It is annoyingly also a brochure which I lack in my collection!  The earliest US-specific 02 brochure I have is a 14-page BMW 1600 / BMW 2002 brochure with a Granada red 02 on the cover, and it's dated X/68.

 

Of course, as we got further into 02 production, it gets easier and easier to recognise the US-specific brochures, as there were more and more differences between Euro and US cars.  It all started fairly subtle with slightly larger overriders, and the two-piece dash being introduced 3 years earlier in the US compared to Europe.  But by the time the SRL 02's came along, those massive federal bumpers where a rather in-your-face difference, which probably also made the need for US-specific brochures more apparent.
 

Of my 28 different 02 brochures, only five of them are US-specific.  The earliest I have already mentioned being dated X/68.  The next bizarrely doesn't have a date on it, but various details make me believe it would be from '70.  The last three I have are all from the SRL era, being dated 2/74, 1/75 and then 2/75 (despite the last one clearly stating "1976" on the cover).

 

How many other US-specific 02 brochures were there?  Surely there must have been some on the second series of 02's from between 04.71 and 08.73...??

 

[Conserv]

Very helpful, as always, Anders!

 

I suppose this means I need to sort through my later brochures to see what I may have that you don't!  ?

 

For instance, I have a version of the U.S. 1975-76 brochure (different versions of this same brochure served both 1975 and 1976) dated January 1976, and there might have been even later versions.

 

Thanks and best regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Conserv

[02Anders]

Steve, should you have any duplicates which I'm missing, I would certainly be very interested!
To the best of my knowledge, the only European brochure missing in my collection is the leaflet for the Schwarz Edition.  Oh, and Baur also released their own brochure on the 2002 Targa, which I don't have, but this isn't strictly speaking a BMW brochure.  I do have the two Targa brochures (one RRL and one SRL) which were official BMW items.
However, I have no doubt that I'm missing several US brochures in my collection...

[Conserv]

12 minutes ago, 02Anders said:

Steve, should you have any duplicates which I'm missing, I would certainly be very interested!
To the best of my knowledge, the only European brochure missing in my collection is the leaflet for the Schwarz Edition.  Oh, and Baur also released their own brochure on the 2002 Targa, which I don't have, but this isn't strictly speaking a BMW brochure.  I do have the two Targa brochures (one RRL and one SRL) which were official BMW items.
However, I have no doubt that I'm missing several US brochures in my collection...

 

Boy oh boy, Anders:  if there is anyone qualified and equipped to assemble and write the '02 Brochure Bible.....

 

What a great follow-up work to your groundbreaking '66 Bible.....

 

I'm just noting the obvious!  ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[02Anders]

13 minutes ago, Conserv said:

 

Boy oh boy, Anders:  if there is anyone qualified and equipped to assemble and write the '02 Brochure Bible.....

 

What a great follow-up work to your groundbreaking '66 Bible.....

 

I'm just noting the obvious!  ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

HaHaHa... you've cunningly planted a seed...  

[Conserv]

11 hours ago, 02Anders said:

 

HaHaHa... you've cunningly planted a seed...  

 

Well, I suspect that seed germinated long before I noticed this particular convergence of ability, interest, and documentary resources... ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[AceAndrew]

Huh, thanks for posting.

 

I was drawn in by the "poofy" looking door panels.  They look very different than the "flat" panels in every other 2002 I've seen, up till the recent reproductions were released (perhaps they referenced these early data points when reproducing the?).

[joebarthlow]

the second brochure, first color one, is that a black & blue interior? 

[02Anders]

2 hours ago, joebarthlow said:

the second brochure, first color one, is that a black & blue interior? 

 

Naaah... no such thing.  Blue 02 seats have always been all blue - regardless of whether they were all vinyl or a cloth/vinyl combo.