Happy New Year.

Car of the Month January 2007

Clive Massel's Gorgeous 2002 Tii

(Remember Clive's stunning Alpina as the Oct 06 COTM?)

BMW 1602’s started being imported into South Africa in about 1969, by a handful of select dealers.
These included Club Motors and Richter Motors.
The 1602 was soon followed by the basic 2002 then by the 2002Ti and finally by the 2002Tii.
The turbo version was a special order and only a handful ever reached South African soil.
All factory imported 2002’s were right-hand drive versions.
The 2002 was the most popular version but the Ti and Tii enjoyed success amongst the more enthusiastic Bmw followers.
Today, there are still a few 2002’s available but the Ti and Tii have become very scarce.
A lot of the 2002’s have been converted into Ti’s and there are very few genuine Ti’s or Tii’s left in the country.
The Tii featured is a very original car.

It was imported by the agents in 1971, has had only two owners and I am now the third owner.
The mileage is genuine and the car has done only 70,000 miles from new.
There are probably no more than ten factory original surviving Tii’s.
Because of the authenticity of this car, it is being featured on our local motoring television show called Car Torque as well as in the 50th anniversary edition of our well known and highly respected magazine called “Car,”
The articles are about BMW heritage cars which,include the M1, Csl batmobile, Alpina replica 2002 racing car and a replica BMW works Csl racing car.

After purchasing the Tii the motor was stripped for a check up and refresh and was found to be in perfect condition.
All measurements were well within standard specifications.
With much difficulty a set of genuine 13” mag wheels were obtained and fitted with a set of Michelin Tyres.
We were able to locate a Bosch battery which the South African cars .were fitted with on arrival.
As a trial run, I recently took the car on a tour to the Kruger Park area known as the Eastern Transvaal.
This area is well known for it’s spectacular scenery including forests, mountains and really quaint towns.
This beautiful part of the world offers a great variety in site seeing including the well known fly fishing spots found in Nylstroom,the Sudwala caves, the mining town of Pilgrim’s Rest, now a national heritage site and some spectacular views at Graskop where the famous God’s window lookout is to be found.

This route is often used by motoring journalists as a test road to evaluate newly released l cars.
The sweeping roads through the mountain passes are an absolute driver’s delight.
The Tii behaved impeccably and I was really amazed at the amount of torque it had for a standard motor car.
I was able to drive the car extremely enthusiastically through the mountain passes.
Most of the pictures featured in this article were taken on route to the Kruger Park.
Wherever we stopped the car was met with much admiration.

At the Kruger Park, a group of German tourists requested permission to take photos of the car and the little Tii strutted it’s stuff beautifully. You would have sworn it was a national heritage!

In my opinion there are probably no more than ten surviving examples of the Tii left in South Africa.
There is only one genuine 2002 Turbo in the country, a car which originally belonged to Nicky Oppenheimer, of Anglo American fame.
The Tii has a very special place in my collection of cars. It stands proudly next to the Alpina replica featured as the October Car of the Month
It is a really neat example of how the car reached South African shores in 1971.

I would be delighted to arrange a South African tour consisting of overseas enthusiasts through the many scenic attractions of our country.

Would it not be great to have twenty or thirty of these mighty cars touring through the many splendors that South Africa has to offer?
Clive Massel Email: Massel@icon.co.za
All photographs taken by Raphael Bick

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