1660001

May be common knowledge but I went ahead and emailed BMW group on the info for the first euro 2002 Vin 1600001 as I had received some conflicting info on whether the euro pre production cars or US were built first. Here’s what I got. 
 

The BMW 2002 VIN 1600001 was manufactured on December 19th, 1967 and went to the BMW vehicle park and was probably sold off in May 1968. The original colour was Polaris metallic, paint code 060.

The US car was delivered to Hoffman in NY three days before the first euro 2002 came off the line. 

Yesss!!!

Not common knowledge!

The first ‘02 globally, by weeks, and the only ‘02 manufactured before December 1967, was... VIN 1660001, the first U.S. ‘02.

Thanks for doing this and sharing it.

Remember, the delivery to Hoffman Motors Corp (a corporation domiciled in NYC) was solely a legal delivery of the car, and was generally effected before the car actually shipped from Germany, a trip of 5 to 9 weeks depending on the many variables. The timing was carefully planned, as BMW understood that 1660001 was going to Hoffman’s West Coast branch (in Los Angeies), with, certainly, a Los Angeles Port of Entry. I’d bet they wanted to make the East Coast (Car and Driver) car, VIN 1660002, and the West Coast (Road & Track) car, 1660001, available to the press at roughly the same time.

Without the shipping time, the European deliveries didn’t need the long lead times of the two U.S. cars. After VIN 1660002 was manufactured December 12, 1967, no more U.S.-spec ‘02’s were manufactured until January 1968.

A total of ten Euro-spec 2002’s, VIN’s 1600001 through 1600010, were manufactured in December 1967.

Best regards,

Steve

8 hours ago, kbobwhite said:

 

... The BMW 2002 VIN 1600001 was manufactured on December 19th, 1967 and went to the BMW vehicle park and was probably sold off in May 1968. The original colour was Polaris metallic, paint code 060....

 

Interestingly, BMW chose Polaris metallic (060) as the color of, at minimum, the first three ‘02’s ever manufactured: VIN’s 1660001, 1660002, and 1600001, manufactured in that order.

Polaris metallic had been introduced in 1964, as an 1800ti-only color. It was, shortly thereafter, expanded to other NK sub-models. They must have believed the color showed the new 2002 in its best light!

Regards,

Steve