Bosch, Hella & Paris Rhône electric parts were pathetic & poorly made! Not all British cars had Lucas electrics then , Wipac, Butlers, Delco, Smiths & Britax all supplied the 4 main car makers in Britain with lights, & other electric equipment .for example those horrible ceramic fuses Fiat, VW , Renault & European made Fords used were awful, until the Japanese blade fuses which came in around 1978 & are now used in all cars since the early 80s.
@@mikemartin2957 ATO/ATC fuses were brought to market by Littelfuse in the USA... I can't remember the exact year, but it was somewhere between 1976 and 1978.
@@grahamefreestone5309 well, I won't be surprised if there's another delay or even if it didn't happen at all, you know, UK politics, it's not like they were originally supposed to leave in march. Too wild to bet !
@ .. I know exactly what you mean. If the British public wanted to remain, then Jeremy Hunt would of gotten elected, but BoJo is in and hopefully that means brexit will carry on. But like you said, we'll see. 👍
@@grahamefreestone5309 our PM was not so much elected as chosen by a relatively small group of people with the delusion that turning our back on our nearest neighbours is somehow going to be a good thing.
Great video! I am restoring a '73 2002tii currently. These are fantastic cars of their era, and have aged gracefully. The values are escalating very quickly here in the US. Cheers!
@@markspin4596 ALL German manufactures are now POOR in the ACTUAL break down charts here in the UK and Europe and have been for a very long time now. Funny how most people think that German cars were very reliable because of the German car adverts such as VW and funny how none of them advertise how reliable they are any more because they are not allowed to ever since VW was banned from advertising their cars this way because their cars were NOT reliable - they were basing their adverts on the original Beetle which was reliable but wasnt being made any more. The most reliable of the European cars are Renault and they have been for over two decades now.
@@markspin4596 yeah... That is why it is called "new". Please do get back to us on it's reliability and durability when it is not new. Let's say in 15 years and 200.000 miles to confirm if it was actually a proper made car and reliable.
@@TheAllMightyGodofCod We have a 2011 X5 BMW, and literally the only thing that has ever gone wrong with it was a leak in a hose for the aircon. Which took all of 10 minutes to find and fix.
I remember getting one of these, with a friend of mine, from a classic car auction, back in around '98. Alas it wasn't the tii model, just the standard carburettored 2.0, but it was still great fun to drive and really reliable. We paid just £400 for it. It was rock solid, with a good engine, decent bodywork and it had an MOT, an utter bargain. I can't imagine what that same car would fetch now. It's hard to think that car is now 50 years old!
'Quality of paint finish the equal of larger BMW competitor Rover'. Later seventies bare metal Rovers which were transported to the paint shop via a public road crossing soon changed that
DRIVEL! It was the quality of metal and paint back in those days especially metallic paint. BL had up to date and state of the art paint shops by then but if the metal quality was crap and the paint as well at that time then there was not much more they could do. What is Ford, Vauxhall and most of the other car manufacturers excuse then because they were just as bad back then for rusting? BMW bought their steel from the Scottish steelworks because that was supposed to have been among the best quality and yet their cars still rusted just the same back then so what is BMWs excuse then?
@@williamwoods8022 Over here in the States, I always noticed that BMW's from this era were very rust prone but Mercedes weren't. Then, for some reason, in the late 80's it was the Mercedes that were rustier.
Yes they were and tbh a lot of reviews of the time said rover were better. BMW only wanted the land rover 4wd technology when they bought the rover group, they weren't that interested in the cars, but had the new mini which was a rover design with no BMW input, they also stole the rover 55 design which was ready to go into production, cancelled it and rebadged it as the 1 series. Go Google it, or go to aronline.co.uk and see for yourself
2012daffyduck you can’t compare this to top gear. This is more the equivalent of watching a review on what car or auto car who still employ good motoring journalists
Found one in OZ in 1998 , rust free , gave it a total rebuild , not the fastest thing , but seriously good handling , such fun . Remember this car comes from the early sixties and it had tissue thin doors , plus spear steering column and after my lady got totalled in her Pug 206gti , but survived , i got seriously concerned about racing down B roads , any accident would have been a big issue , sold it in 2014 , now doubled in value since then . Best addition is a 5 speed box , way less noise at 100km/h .
You're right. The UK joined the EEC in Jan 1973 - John Anthony says they're just a few months from joining in his narrative and so that makes it a late 1972 clip.
"These cars go down a production line like any others ad yet someone somewhere must care". Unlike the workers in the UK car industry who vied with each other to build shoddy goods & who could go on strike the most each year.
Mr2pint they are highly priced here in the states for an unmolested one, especially if you want a later 2002tii turbo model. I should’ve bought one a decade ago when I had a chance - it had an E36 M3 engine/driveline swap and it was immaculate
4:10 Where else should the horn button be? I didn't really mind the chrome rings of the 1960s, but they were easy to break, and the little buttons on the spokes, the end of the turning stalks, and other weird places were just wrong. For me at least, the automatic reflex when someone is drifting into my lane or falling asleep at a light that just turned green is to pound the center of the wheel with my fist .
Subtle dig at British competitors at 3:30 - not that industrial relations had got really bad just yet. Grumbles about the heated rear window knob, which judging by the symbol was the choke....
He was absolutely right about the poor lights. My 1975 tii had the optional extra lights, but it was still bad. He was also right about the motor characteristics. Very smooth but yet agile engine.
Quality knitwear. Saw one of these a few months ago at a little independent Rover garage along the road from me, they also had a Lotus Cortina and an MG.
Spot on. If I could go back to 1984, and buy the one my workmate offered me for £300, same colour as this one. And it drove a treat. If only we'd had a motor crystal ball back then, we'd have saved a few oldies for the pension fund!
Very much so. My father's 1970 Ford Zodiac had it on the stalk, my godfather's 1972 Vauxhall Victor had it on the stalk, my 1973 Renault 16 did... older British cars often had a "horn ring".
had the 3rd one in the USA in 68, it was a2002, not the ti my mechanic took out the silly emission stuff, it was new back then and did not work. Best car I ever had. even though 2nd gear synchro. was a bit of a problem
I had one of these at age 17. Great car and worth a bundle now. Well, let’s see what the electronic takeover will do to value of vintage cars. I now ride my Brompton and ride a motorcycle. Too much traffic got me out of cars. One love people👊🏾
That was a brilliant car and the one that most contributed to the image of modern BMW as the maker of premium sports saloons. Wonder what the 6 stars he gave it were out of; 10??
The sweater of the driver is as cool/hot as the car. My uncle had a 1602. I miss that car as much as I miss my fathers 1968 Rover 2000TC. Was that the P5?
Have a look at the BS4040 specifications for leaded petrol in the 1960s . You had super spec 100 octane , premium , standard down to regular 87 octane which was sometimes extremely rough poor quality fuel !!.
As stated in another reply, we had four grades of petrol at this time - there used to be a selector knob on the side of the pump for the grade. I remember most Japanese cars using two-star (apart from Mazdas using three), and at the other end cars like this, Rolls-Royces and Rover 2000s using five-star. Five star was 100 octane, as remarked upon elsewhere.
My mate wilko had one of these! His dad was an ex RAF mechanic....split from his mum ended up a taxi driver ? Did he know there was no fuel in the wings ? Think not....? Or did he ?
Julian James no way. Nothing had that much plastic. It’s been facelifted throughout the 60s and 70s I’ll bet. Nothing had a plastic dashboard like that car in 63!!!!
IMO this was one of the first cars to start that myth of "superior German engineering". In the 70's/80's though, that myth was just damn fact, look at this BMW vs anything British Leyland was producing. Aiming at a different market in America, compare a 70's/80's Benz vs a Cadillac or Lincoln of similar era, they are built like tanks compared to the American cars. Yeah they cost almost twice as much, but you could obviously see that the Benz was a superior car.
Lovely car, especially the 2002tii. BMW has made some beautiful and we'll engineered models over the years, I'm lucky enough to have owned quite a few. Just wish they'd stop putting such awful grilles on the very latest models.
The new ones are just a bore to look at, ever since the early/ mid 90s models they just blend in with the rest , the 80s 635 csi shark front a good example from the past and the other beemers of that time
“Rarity value”. Back in the time when BMW really we’re a bit special. Carried a very different image to the one the company has sadly acquired these days.
I’m not questioning its quality, performance or lineage, but the 2002 certainly wasn’t very pretty, was it? Competing Triumphs (not sure why Rover was mentioned) were built with quality as an afterthought, if anybody even gave any cares about it at all, but they sure looked better than this BMW thanks to Michellotti. Later 3-series models were much more tidy, in my opinion.
Let's be fair....the competition was rank, slovenly build quality and hopeless reliability....I am not a particular fan of anything German...but they did win the war on well built cars...
The irony of the land of Lucas Electrics complaining about the effectiveness of BMW headlamps.
kettle calling the pot.....
Bosch, Hella & Paris Rhône electric parts were pathetic & poorly made! Not all British cars had Lucas electrics then , Wipac, Butlers, Delco, Smiths & Britax all supplied the 4 main car makers in Britain with lights, & other electric equipment .for example those horrible ceramic fuses Fiat, VW , Renault & European made Fords used were awful, until the Japanese blade fuses which came in around 1978 & are now used in all cars since the early 80s.
@@mikemartin2957 ATO/ATC fuses were brought to market by Littelfuse in the USA... I can't remember the exact year, but it was somewhere between 1976 and 1978.
"With our entry into the Common Market less than a month away"
congratulations!
Now it's with brexit only 3 months away. Lol. 🇬🇧
@@grahamefreestone5309 well, I won't be surprised if there's another delay or even if it didn't happen at all, you know, UK politics, it's not like they were originally supposed to leave in march. Too wild to bet !
@ .. I know exactly what you mean. If the British public wanted to remain, then Jeremy Hunt would of gotten elected, but BoJo is in and hopefully that means brexit will carry on. But like you said, we'll see. 👍
@@grahamefreestone5309 our PM was not so much elected as chosen by a relatively small group of people with the delusion that turning our back on our nearest neighbours is somehow going to be a good thing.
Great footage. Thank you, Thames TV Archives!
1:32 vintage footage of a working BMW indicator
Great video! I am restoring a '73 2002tii currently. These are fantastic cars of their era, and have aged gracefully. The values are escalating very quickly here in the US.
Cheers!
Very reliable car, nothing like current BMW models.
@johnny rotten You talk shit. My new BMW has been a dream...
@@markspin4596 ALL German manufactures are now POOR in the ACTUAL break down charts here in the UK and Europe and have been for a very long time now. Funny how most people think that German cars were very reliable because of the German car adverts such as VW and funny how none of them advertise how reliable they are any more because they are not allowed to ever since VW was banned from advertising their cars this way because their cars were NOT reliable - they were basing their adverts on the original Beetle which was reliable but wasnt being made any more. The most reliable of the European cars are Renault and they have been for over two decades now.
@@markspin4596 yeah... That is why it is called "new".
Please do get back to us on it's reliability and durability when it is not new. Let's say in 15 years and 200.000 miles to confirm if it was actually a proper made car and reliable.
@@markspin4596 new being the word. that's why people give them back after 3 years
@@TheAllMightyGodofCod
We have a 2011 X5 BMW, and literally the only thing that has ever gone wrong with it was a leak in a hose for the aircon. Which took all of 10 minutes to find and fix.
I remember getting one of these, with a friend of mine, from a classic car auction, back in around '98. Alas it wasn't the tii model, just the standard carburettored 2.0, but it was still great fun to drive and really reliable. We paid just £400 for it. It was rock solid, with a good engine, decent bodywork and it had an MOT, an utter bargain. I can't imagine what that same car would fetch now. It's hard to think that car is now 50 years old!
'Quality of paint finish the equal of larger BMW competitor Rover'. Later seventies bare metal Rovers which were transported to the paint shop via a public road crossing soon changed that
DRIVEL! It was the quality of metal and paint back in those days especially metallic paint. BL had up to date and state of the art paint shops by then but if the metal quality was crap and the paint as well at that time then there was not much more they could do. What is Ford, Vauxhall and most of the other car manufacturers excuse then because they were just as bad back then for rusting? BMW bought their steel from the Scottish steelworks because that was supposed to have been among the best quality and yet their cars still rusted just the same back then so what is BMWs excuse then?
William Woods Spot on.
@@williamwoods8022 Over here in the States, I always noticed that BMW's from this era were very rust prone but Mercedes weren't. Then, for some reason, in the late 80's it was the Mercedes that were rustier.
The good old days when BMW were a competitor to Rover
were they ?! more like Rover disappeared BECAUSE of BMW ...
Yes they were and tbh a lot of reviews of the time said rover were better.
BMW only wanted the land rover 4wd technology when they bought the rover group, they weren't that interested in the cars, but had the new mini which was a rover design with no BMW input, they also stole the rover 55 design which was ready to go into production, cancelled it and rebadged it as the 1 series.
Go Google it, or go to aronline.co.uk and see for yourself
Proper car journalism... Nothing like those contemporary trio bellends on top gear...
Agree
Agree. Now "Motoring" programmes are less about vehicles & more about a "vehicle" for the ego's of the presenters.
I totally agree , well informed impartial motor journalism , that has unfortunately become a relic of the past
2012daffyduck you can’t compare this to top gear. This is more the equivalent of watching a review on what car or auto car who still employ good motoring journalists
These are worth an absolute fortune now, and if you're in possession of the turbo version you can name your own price!
Found one in OZ in 1998 , rust free , gave it a total rebuild , not the fastest thing , but seriously good handling , such fun .
Remember this car comes from the early sixties and it had tissue thin doors , plus spear steering column and after my lady got totalled in her Pug 206gti , but survived , i got seriously concerned about racing down B roads , any accident would have been a big issue , sold it in 2014 , now doubled in value since then .
Best addition is a 5 speed box , way less noise at 100km/h .
My first car - it was brilliant! Very exotic in Australia in early 1970s. And a stand out in almost fluro ‘golf yellow’.
This is worth so much money now, what a lovely machine
yup
Wow!! Very nice car, it's a clasic wonderful!! Thanks THAMES TV for Share us this views!!!
Ah, that's my year. I love the easy on the eyes design and the round tail lights.
Two grand to buy and fifty quid insurance, I'll take 2 please
£26k and £650 today
@@sekopiski about the same then....
@@sekopiski nothing changed there
This was a dream car back in the 80ties. Had one while living in Hamburg, Germany and never been dissatisfied.
Another superb video
That 'thunk' when he shut the door was impressive for a car of this era.
"Old fashioned horn button in the middle"
Most likely 1972 as UK hadn't entered the common market at this time (and a new car with a K reg)
You're right. The UK joined the EEC in Jan 1973 - John Anthony says they're just a few months from joining in his narrative and so that makes it a late 1972 clip.
Yah
"These cars go down a production line like any others ad yet someone somewhere must care". Unlike the workers in the UK car industry who vied with each other to build shoddy goods & who could go on strike the most each year.
Oh to get my hands on one of these today. I still see a few of them on the road.
Mr2pint they are highly priced here in the states for an unmolested one, especially if you want a later 2002tii turbo model. I should’ve bought one a decade ago when I had a chance - it had an E36 M3 engine/driveline swap and it was immaculate
I have one now and bought it for $ 500 when i was 16 i am now 18 and dont ever plan on parting with my beautiful machine.
Eye catching color and attractive shape.
My Dad had one of these in the early 70s. Fantastic car! What is that contraption sticking out of the nearside passenger window?
Looks like some sort of aerial. Most bizarre.
I think it's the aerial for the radio microphone. Outside broadcast equipment at this point were large and unwieldy things.
@@Rassilon72 Correct, exactly what it is.
2:56 Somebody should have told him they are testing a tii, which IS the fuel injected model. 🤔
4:10 Where else should the horn button be? I didn't really mind the chrome rings of the 1960s, but they were easy to break, and the little buttons on the spokes, the end of the turning stalks, and other weird places were just wrong. For me at least, the automatic reflex when someone is drifting into my lane or falling asleep at a light that just turned green is to pound the center of the wheel with my fist .
Many other cars of the '70s had the horn switch on one of the column stalks, rather than in the center of the steering wheel.
Our Headmaster (Everton School, Ipswich) had a green one in 1972...I always used to look at it!
Listening to British reviewing German cars, Rover and Jaguar were direct competitors to BMW!! British comedy, this is.
I love it, theyre especially disdainful when reviewing volkswagens, its so good its nearly monty python
Wish I still had my 73 tii!
The numer plate's colour is identical as the Polish pattern since... 1976. And "LLx" would be from the Lublin Voivodeship. 😉
Subtle dig at British competitors at 3:30 - not that industrial relations had got really bad just yet. Grumbles about the heated rear window knob, which judging by the symbol was the choke....
He was absolutely right about the poor lights. My 1975 tii had the optional extra lights, but it was still bad. He was also right about the motor characteristics. Very smooth but yet agile engine.
Quality knitwear. Saw one of these a few months ago at a little independent Rover garage along the road from me, they also had a Lotus Cortina and an MG.
Man at C&A
1973.....everything seemed interesting and great.......it was!
I loved the 70s and would go back to live it out again in a flash!!
I remember having driven in DC back then and it was really fun.
boy racer can be heard in the background 4:00
Probably Tony
The detail about insurance for a 38 year old married man in a provincial town seemed very specific.
"The BMW scores on rarity value in the UK" LOL!
Quarter light Windows are better than a/c when cruising
Jason Meehan this is true
Yeah,and look great too...I think those little windows were phased out because they made it so easy to break into cars right?
My Dad had the 2002 pi back in 1975 rely nice car.
Five star petrol! Finding a pump that dispensed that stuff was a job in itself if I recall.
i always loved the look of this car. very distinctive, very pretty. I bet its worth a few quid nowadays
this is an expensive collector's item now if im not wrong..i need to go back in time and buy this and store it in a cave sealed in a large ziploc bag
Spot on. If I could go back to 1984, and buy the one my workmate offered me for £300, same colour as this one. And it drove a treat. If only we'd had a motor crystal ball back then, we'd have saved a few oldies for the pension fund!
@@TheHorsebox2 i think these ugly cats are selling for at least USD100k today!!
@@fidelcatsro6948 😨oh ,man!
@@TheHorsebox2
jay leno covered this cat 2 yrs ago
ruclips.net/video/ICMSnedTBQc/видео.html
Fanny magnet in 1973 and would still be a fanny magnet in 2019 !
Though, perhaps not in that colour.
Has any car ever been a fanny magnet? I mean, for real?
"Oooh, nice car! Fancy some shagging?"
When BMW was a rare car,unlike now they are on every corner.....
Why is a "horn button" old fashioned? Were cars moving to stalk mounted horns back then?
Very much so. My father's 1970 Ford Zodiac had it on the stalk, my godfather's 1972 Vauxhall Victor had it on the stalk, my 1973 Renault 16 did... older British cars often had a "horn ring".
Yes, the horn is on the indicator stalk of my 1972 Hillman Avenger. I'm quite used to it.
@@RussEdgar445y7tlfj The Rover 2000 was a very advanced car in its day.
had the 3rd one in the USA in 68, it was a2002, not the ti my mechanic took out the silly emission stuff, it was new back then and did not work. Best car I ever had. even though 2nd gear synchro. was a bit of a problem
Ive always liked the look of the BMW 2002
Judging by the large ariel on the passenger side, this one is fitted with the optional Television Entertainment System.
1973. Knobs on the dash.
2022. Knobs behind the wheel.
😂😂
Great car one of their best
I don't know how he can say a single bad word about that car with British Leyland churning out the shit that they did. 🇬🇧
Until Maggie Thatch sorted out all the dreaded unions yeah.
@@mjh5437what state was the British car industry in after she sorted out the unions?
I had one of these at age 17. Great car and worth a bundle now. Well, let’s see what the electronic takeover will do to value of vintage cars. I now ride my Brompton and ride a motorcycle. Too much traffic got me out of cars. One love people👊🏾
That was a brilliant car and the one that most contributed to the image of modern BMW as the maker of premium sports saloons. Wonder what the 6 stars he gave it were out of; 10??
3:39 That's a long microphone cord. 😉
Ah yes, 5 star petrol! I remember it well! Real rocket fuel compared to the ethanol mixture we have to put up with today!
Triumph could so have been a competitor had BL not screwed it up.
This car sounds great!
Very cool!!!
3:06… rev limiter?
What was the average salary in UK back than?
Once upon a time when journalists had class and wouldn't wear worn out jeans and logo T-shirts flashing their tats
The sweater of the driver is as cool/hot as the car. My uncle had a 1602. I miss that car as much as I miss my fathers 1968 Rover 2000TC. Was that the P5?
Ahh the optional indicator stalk which is very rarely used these days 😂
😂😂
Surprised me they say "classic 3 box design" back in 1973... that design having been around for only 25 years at that time.
Was that millbrook proving ground in the early days.....
Nice 😀
5 star petrol, what is that ?
Lane Hogger different grades 2/3/4/ and five star fuel back then.
@@replay68pete14 Superbenzine 98 octane
Have a look at the BS4040 specifications for leaded petrol in the 1960s . You had super spec 100 octane , premium , standard down to regular 87 octane which was sometimes extremely rough poor quality fuel !!.
premium gas amigo!
As stated in another reply, we had four grades of petrol at this time - there used to be a selector knob on the side of the pump for the grade. I remember most Japanese cars using two-star (apart from Mazdas using three), and at the other end cars like this, Rolls-Royces and Rover 2000s using five-star. Five star was 100 octane, as remarked upon elsewhere.
3:47 Be careful not to trip over your mic.
Durable and rugged unlike endless money pits BMW products made after 2000.
That's one far out shade of yellow, you could spot that car from far out in space :)
you couldnt because its not yellow its green
@@paulhunter123 Naw it's called Golf Yellow, and it's my favourite 2002 color. Even though I have an Inka orange one lol
British, German, Swedish and Japanese cars are simply the best!!!!!
You lost that in 1973 the best mid sedan was the italian Alfetta.
It must be good to feel properly screwed together
you can pick one up on ebay from £17k to £49K right now
My mate wilko had one of these! His dad was an ex RAF mechanic....split from his mum ended up a taxi driver ? Did he know there was no fuel in the wings ? Think not....? Or did he ?
Now with our exit from the common market less than a month away. Two days away, to be precise...
Customer : it's too expensive
Manufacturer : let's cut quality
The same car had a less powerful model with a 1.6litre engine that they called the 1600 junior.
1973??..........looks like something from 1963.....
Yeah did you miss the part where he said that the design is from 66..
Pay attention
Julian James no way. Nothing had that much plastic. It’s been facelifted throughout the 60s and 70s I’ll bet. Nothing had a plastic dashboard like that car in 63!!!!
@@Landie_Man I was referring to exterior styling.....
Julian James ah cool! Yeah I agree
i like it
IMO this was one of the first cars to start that myth of "superior German engineering". In the 70's/80's though, that myth was just damn fact, look at this BMW vs anything British Leyland was producing. Aiming at a different market in America, compare a 70's/80's Benz vs a Cadillac or Lincoln of similar era, they are built like tanks compared to the American cars. Yeah they cost almost twice as much, but you could obviously see that the Benz was a superior car.
I WISHD ID HAD BMW 2002 YELLOW AND GREEN
nice one
why o why are they testing cars you can no longer buy ?
I'm old enough to only associate these with rampant rust.
2002 s fetch serious money now. Their competition.... er... doesn’t.
Jaguar?
id love a lime green e21 3 series.
Lovely car, especially the 2002tii.
BMW has made some beautiful and we'll engineered models over the years, I'm lucky enough to have owned quite a few. Just wish they'd stop putting such awful grilles on the very latest models.
The new ones are just a bore to look at, ever since the early/ mid 90s models they just blend in with the rest , the 80s 635 csi shark front a good example from the past and the other beemers of that time
“Rarity value”. Back in the time when BMW really we’re a bit special. Carried a very different image to the one the company has sadly acquired these days.
Triumph Dolomite Sprint was better. In Italy we called the 2002 "saponetta" (bar of soap)
That 2002 tii already was the fuel injected car.
I’m not questioning its quality, performance or lineage, but the 2002 certainly wasn’t very pretty, was it? Competing Triumphs (not sure why Rover was mentioned) were built with quality as an afterthought, if anybody even gave any cares about it at all, but they sure looked better than this BMW thanks to Michellotti. Later 3-series models were much more tidy, in my opinion.
BloomingOnion similarities to NSU Prinz and Corvair. Dated by this point.
Back when BMW made drivers cars
Vs the British competition the negatives are hilarious.....
Let's be fair....the competition was rank, slovenly build quality and hopeless reliability....I am not a particular fan of anything German...but they did win the war on well built cars...
That will be all of the German makes that are POOR for reliablity in the ACTUAL break down charts now and have been for over two decades now.
"Basil--Don`t mention the war!!"
رائعة جدا
The skivvy !