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Happy New Year Everyone

35 Years since the first 2002 Turbo rolled off the production line.

Want to see your 02 featured here? Email me any 02, any condition richstern@hotmail.com.

In 1966, a BMW Hurricane turned upside-down Germany's car scene. "Use a serial chassis, serial technology and serial components to built an exclusive double-seated sports car which should be as low-cost and high-tech as possible" the BMW representative Werner Bönschtold the 'Meisterschule of Karosserie- und Fahrzeugbau' in Kaiserslautern, Germany. BMW urgently needed a 2-seated sports coupé at this time. Bönsch just had to supply the material which was way cheaper than employing BMW's own engineers. In case the car should turnout to be apt for serial production he could still buy it afterwards.

With permission of BMW, in 1964, a Swiss Student Max Seelaus created an unique car body, using BMW's technical components. As it was his final year project on the way to achieving his degree as 'Konstruktions-Techniker', Max Seelaus went about the project with enthusiasm. His car should be a masterpiece. And indeed, it has become one. When the contract was signed, Seelaus started scetching and calculating. Soon it became clear that the car was to feature a self-supporting sheet steel body with integrated steel tubes as lateral cross beams.

Torsion stiffness should be increased by using a roll-over bar. Apart of this, the car explicitly was to be made of lightweight parts. Doors, fenders and hood were planned on aluminum basis. When it had to become clear which materials were to be used, Seelaus drew the car one by one. This drawing served as the starting point for the 4500 hours of hard work that were necessary to shape the body.

Every single part was handcrafted. Clearly Seelaus accomplished a true masterstroke. The long spirited bead, for instance, witnesses great craftmanship and a lot of tedious work. The complete interior and the chairs are hand-made also. Most remarkably, its creators equipped the car with the most sportive engine and gearbox of its time, a 2000 ti with 120 hp together with a 5-gear sport-box.

Bucket seats give riders support.

Nice curveous dash in leather

Unfortunately, in 1967 BMW decided not to pursue the BMW Hurricane project any further. They had just bought a company called 'Hans Glas Fahrzeugbau GmbH' who supplied a ready-for-production 1300/1700 GT model which exactly suited BMW's needs for a low-priced two-seated sports car.

From this angle it's reminisant of the old Opel GT

Yet the story was not over. In 1971, the unfinished car was brought to Switzerland, where it took another 200,000.- Swiss Francs to complete construction.

The masterpiece remained in the hands of its first owner until 2004. It was, however, only after this time when the car was seen on the road again. Its current owner had found it in a barn with mere 2000 km on the clock and decided to revive the legend. In 2007 the car was presented at the 'Concours d'Elegance at the Villa d'Este'

Car of the Month

January 2008

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