GT4

If someone would have crossed BMW 2002 with a CS in an Italian suit they’d have come up with the 2002 GT4. Only two were ever made, 1969/70 developed by Pietro Frua, who previously had worked for Glass.

This 2002 GT4 now belongs to Mobile Tradition of BMW, and is in the original condition.

Pietro Frua developed the Coupé on basis of the 2002 ti.

The body was painted in silver metallic and the only common parts were the windshield wipers, door handles and the turn signals from an 2800 CS (E9) – while the tail lamps were from an Alfa 1750 Berlina Mk1. The interior was leather and from large extent came from the 2002. But the Coupé structure was eight centimetres longer, 15 centimetres wider and 14 centimetres lower than the original 02 and had a 450 litres boot.

In October 1969 this car (code 361/1) was presented on that Paris automobile salon, one year later followed the second copy, again in same place in Paris. Both cars had a generously glassed rear hatchback design for the baggage compartment and up to four persons could fit in the car (hence the demarcation of GT4).

Up front the interior was lifted from the 2500 (E3) – with large round instruments, wood trim on the instrument carrier and a long switching club on the frame tunnel. The two-litre double carburettor engine produced a health 120bhp of maximum output reached with 5.500 rev’s. The brakes were front disks and rear drums with 13” wheels gorgeous Campagnolo rims.

The rear axle was independent as on the 02. There were high expectations for the Coupé variant, but sadly it never made it into production.

I once stated “This is the car the 02 should have been” and I still stand by that today.

Pietro Frua also sketched an E12 (5-Series) and further Coupé derivatives. Sadly in 1983 Frua died aged 70 in Turin. He also worked on AUDI, Borgward, Maserati, OPEL, Renault and VOLKSWAGEN and some still carry his designs today.

Both to 2002 GT4’s still exist, number one, first in the private property of Pietro Frua, went in the eighties to Japan, and the other car was located for decades in Switzerland. It was advertised at least once in the German Motor Klassik magazine – and since January 2002 became the possession of the Mobile Tradition. The purchase price is never officially confirmed but the Frua clubs estimated at the equivalent of 60,000 euros.

By Richard Stern (Photos Mobile Tradition)

The Spicup is both a spider and a coupe, the prototype made by Bertone and Marcello Gandini was specially commissioned for BMW. The highlight of the design is the three-piece sliding top made of stainless steel. However, BMW deemed it was totally out of place with its current model line and was therefore dropped from production.

Using a BMW 2500 as a backbone, the designers at Bertone shortened the chassis to fit a new body and interior. Inside, only the gauges and pedals remained stock (from an E3 again). Bertone fitted a new dashboard, seats and carpet with two-tone, green on green upholstery.

Bertone described the car: “The considerable dimensions of the mechanical components were handled by creating almost excessively fluid vertical lines. At the same time, the relatively important tail and wings become the car’s focal point.

The rollbars had to satisfy a combination safety needs and design criteria, and Bertone solved the problem with an automatic mechanism which also contained the elements for the transformation from spider to coupé and back again.

For the Spicup, Bertone used the larger inline-6 cylinder engine from the BMW 2800. This capable 2.8 litre, six-cylinder engine produced 170bhp and drove the rear wheels through a 4-speed manual transmission. These components made the prototype fully functional.

It was revealed at the 1969 Geneva Motor Show, the Spicup had a great resemblance to the Alfa Romeo Montreal prototype released at the 1967 Montreal Expo. This was especially true of the semi-hidden headlights with motorized flaps.

 

However at the front Bertone kept BMW’s ‘double kidney’ motif, but with obscure padded inserts.

Having little to do with past or future BMWs, the company quickly sold the Spicup to an enthusiastic owner that racked up over 60,000 miles (100,000 kms) travelling constantly from the Netherlands to Germany. This was largely possible due to the BMW 2500 underpinnings. At some point the body was painted orange and the engine cover was attached in unit with the bonnet.

In recent times the Spicup was found by Paul Koot in the Netherlands along with an Intermeccanica Indra. It was complete and a subsequent restoration was completed for Roland D’Ieteren in Belgium. Painted its original hue of green with triple-tone interior, the Spicup made its debut at the 2009 Villa d’Este Concours with BMW as the acting sponsor and now can be found for sale at www.pkcc.eu POA of course.