My Favorite Ride: Is this rough, 1969 vintage BMW the car of your dreams?
If you've been dreaming all your life of owning a vintage BMW, here's your chance.
Among eight cars on the auction block at an estate sale is a one-owner 1969 BMW 2002. The car, which has a manual four-speed transmission, runs. It was last plated for road driving in 2020.
The other cars featured in this online auction are: a non-running 2001 Jaguar XK8 convertible, a 2005 Chrysler Sebring, a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, a 2016 Buick LaCrosse, a 1999 Honda Civic DX, a 2010 Chevy Malibu and a like-new 2020 Chevy Impala with 11,000 miles on the odometer.
The BMW odometer reads 10,242 miles, but since it's a five-digit gauge, it's likely rolled over. Under the hood, even the rubber hoses appear to be original, but there is a new battery.
When I saw the BMW this past week and took some pictures, grime on the silver paint had built up a rough patina, and there was a big tree root stuck between the body and back bumper.
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It has since been power washed, buffed and detailed; the BMW is no longer in its rough state.
Go to the auction site to see the 54-year-old vehicle sparkling clean, ready for a new owner.
There are 70 pictures there — I know, 70 pictures of one car? They show details ranging from the engine plate to rust around the wheel wells.
I don't know a thing about who has owned this German sports coupe all these years. I'm hoping someone reading this will let me know or send a clue.
When I wrote this column the afternoon of Sept. 22, there had been 45 bids on the car; the highest was $1,200. The auction continues until 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, when there will be a "soft, staggered close."
BMW manufactured 800,000 of these cars in 1969, and 80,000 of them were sold in the U.S. Who bought this one? And who will the new owner be?
Have a story to tell about a car or truck? Contact My Favorite Ride reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: On the auction block: 1969 one-owner BMW 2002
