1968 BMW Euro 1600

1968 BMW 2002 1600

This1968 BMW 1600 is a European model that was sold new in Lugano, Switzerland and imported to California in 2007. The 1600 was manufactured on September 17th, 1968 and delivered to Switzerland on September 25th, 1968 (the originalregistration is shown in the gallery and included with the sale).

The vehicle received a repaint performed in the correct Manila (004) in early 2017. The interior retains the originalGolden Brown vinyl with Chocolate Brown carpet, andfront seat belts have been added. The 1600cc M10 inline-four cylinder wasrebuilt prior to thevehicles importation to the United States and is paired to a 4-speed manual transmission. Many of the mechanical systems have been refurbished as described below, and the most recent work included a valve adjustment and rebuilding the Solex carburetor. This BMW 1600 is being sold with service records, owner’s manual, a clear California title, and any originalparts removed from the vehicle during the restoration, and many spare parts.

After acquiring the car, I had the body stripped, the panels straightened, and rust repaired. A repaint was then performed in the correct Manila (004). All original trim was reused, and new seals were fitted when reinstalling the glass and bumpers. New Euro hubcaps, WEGU mud flaps,swan neck side mirror, and the chrome rear Euro license plate holder were also added.

Work doneby the previous owner included replacing all lamps and bulbs and rebuilding the brake system. New parts installed by the previous owner included new shocks and struts, control arms and ball joints, driveline flex disc, and new tires, plus many maintenance items all detailed in the service recordsstretchingback over a decade. Theoriginalimporting family registered the black California plates to the vehicle to give it the correct and period look.

Inside, theGolden Brown vinyl with Chocolate carpets and black trim areall original, with a few tears present on the base of the driver’s seat.The dash and horn pad both have small cracks, and the clock does not keep accurate time. Front seat belts have been added during the time of importation, and the centralspeaker fitted on the rear shelf anoriginal and uncommon option. The five-digit odometer shows 95k kilometers (~58.5k miles) and has rolledover onceaccording to service records and the owners manual. A previously installed switch inSwitzerland hidden under the dash toggles between the OEM horn and Italian air horns fitted as an option in the 1960's.

Based on the hand-written notes in the owner’s manual, the original M10 engine was rebuilt about 50k miles agowith new pistons, rods, rings, bearings, and intake and exhaust valves. Anew first gear synchro was also added to the 4-speed transmission. Work done in 2017 included rebuilding theSolex carburetor, a valve adjustment, and a new valve cover gasket. Previous work included new cooling system components and fluid, a new distributor (original comes with the car), and a new fuel pump.

The clutch pedal was recently adjusted along with many othermaintenance items complete last month. While the 1600 was at the mechanic I had a pre-purchase inspection completed that indicates that the clutch disc has approximately 15% remaining and thedriver side half-shaft has a torn boot. The passenger side half-shaft was previously replaced with an original "2002" part (this is what I would recommend for the driver side down the road (although bothoriginal 1600 halfshots will come with the car and both can be serviced and left on the car). Additional undercarriage photos are shown in the gallery.

Service records show $17k spent over the last decadeby the previous owner and myself.

Many more photos and videos of the car areavailable upon request or for view immediately on my Instagram @oh2ryan

The vehicle is listed for sale in Sunnyvale, CA and I can arrange any test drives or mechanic checks at your local shop, just shoot me a message or reach me at 530 three zero six 1066

Photos courtesy of Sannie Celeridad