BMW 1800

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Car-ID: XT0041

Model, Body type:
Sedan
Registration:
1968
Engine Power:
1,773 CCM (66 KW / 90 BHP)
Transmission:

			
			Manual transmission
		
Color:

			Green		
Doors:
4
Mileage:
60,000 km

Vehicle Description

No April fool’s joke, but a classic 1968 vintage: On 1 April 1968, this stunning BMW 1800 was built, to be delivered three weeks later to the Motag company at Zurich, BMW’s exclusive distributor for Switzerland. The 1800 has, according to the previous owner who held it since 2011, been through only three ownerships during all of its 47 years. It is reportedly in an unwelded, unrestored original state.
With its turf green paintwork and grey leatherette interior, the 4-door sedan looks as classy and elegant today as it did nearly half a century ago. This BMW must have been lovingly cared for throughout all of its car life. All chrome parts are shiny, the engine compartment clean, the interior untinkered, albeit not devoid of cracks in the driver’s seat and dashboard. The overall impression is convincing, with just the right pinch of patina. A Classic Data appraisal (condition: 2) testifies to the truly fine state of preservation.
The 66 kW (90 hp) engine runs smooth, the car is said to be mechanically sound, even though technical approval was only valid until 03/2015. The vehicle already has historic plates.
A “New Class” 1800 at its very best. Not new anymore, but all the more class!

In the late 1950s, BMW’s lineup consisted of luxury models, subcompact “bubble cars” and motorcycles. What was missing was a compact sedan with a deplacement between 1,500 and 2,000 cc to cater to the demands of the increasingly affluent contemporaries of the economic boom. The “New Class” E1, as presented in the shape of the BMW 1500 at the 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show, was aimed to fill this gap, and turned out to be a huge success. The car had elegant, yet unpretentious styling, was technically state of the art and quite sporty for its time. Two years later, BMW added the 1800 as the second member of the New Class. With its inline 4-cylinder engine providing 66 kW (90 hp), it was capable of a top speed of 162 km/h. In the TI version, this was raised to 82 kW (110 hp). As of 1966, the 2000 became the flagship of the New Class series of 4-door sedans and held this position until it was replaced by the E12, the original 5 series in 1972.
The mid-60s brought two variants based on the E1: the upmarket 2000 C/ CS coupés and the 02 series, the company’s new entry-level 2-door sedan which was also very successful in racing.