1971-1974 BMW 2002tii Cotton T-Shirt

The 1971-1974 BMW 2002tii established the modern sports sedan formula by delivering genuine sports-car performance in a practical, upright package. It proved that a compact family car could dominate twisty roads, using advanced fuel injection to set a performance benchmark that defined its era.

Under the hood lies the M10 SOHC inline-four engine, displacing 1,990 cc. Equipped with Kugelfischer mechanical fuel injection, it produces 130 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 130 lb-ft of torque at 4,500 rpm. This high-compression unit delivers linear power and sharp, immediate throttle response.

Power goes to the rear wheels via a Getrag four-speed manual gearbox. The chassis features fully independent suspension, utilizing MacPherson struts up front and semi-trailing arms at the rear. This setup, paired with boxed trailing arms and stouter spindles, yields superb cornering balance.

BMW built 38,703 units of the tii, which today stands as the most collectible variant of the 02 Series. It replaced the dual-carbureted 2002ti and was eventually succeeded by the fuel-injected E21 320i, cementing its position as the high-water mark of BMW's foundational compact era.