The law professor and his 1974 BMW 2002 tii

SINGAPORE – Professor Alan Tan of National University of Singapore’s law faculty is a layman motorist. His daily ride is a 2017 Volkswagen Golf TSI – a practical and reliable hatchback. However, upon reaching 50 in 2019, he decided to get his first classic car – as a midlife indulgence, he says.

Initially, he was set on getting an E30-generation BMW 320i, a compact German car he had admired since he was a teenager. Back in the 1980s, his classmate’s father owned one, and it was etched in the young Prof Tan’s mind that he would get one when he grew up.

The hunt for his dream car took a detour when a high-school alumnus friend and motoring enthusiast suggested he look further back in BMW’s history to the 2002.

Unfamiliar with the 2002, Prof Tan did some research and discovered it was the model, code-named E10, that revived the BMW brand, marking the turning point for the Bavarian marque as a sports sedan maker.

The 2002 is a development from the original Neue Klasse (German for New Class) 02 Series of the 1960s and 1970s and a precursor to the modern BMW 3-series.

Fun fact: The 2002 was an accidental success triggered by two employees who independently installed a 2-litre engine into their personal 1600-2s to get more performance. Their chance meeting at the BMW workshop led their idea of a larger 2-litre engine for the 02 Series being signed off for production by the BMW board.

In 1968, the sportier 2002, which is short for two-litre, two-door, was launched. Unlike the smaller engined 1600-2 model, the more powerful engine complied with the exhaust emission regulations of the United States, giving the brand a major sales boost.

In its day, the BMW 2002 ran alongside the Italian Alfa Romeo 1750/2000 GTV as desirable sports cars. To Prof Tan, the 2002 is a handsome compact two-door sedan with an unmistakable boxy design. Highlights include the shark-nosed twin-kidney grille and the distinctive chrome trim that frames the car with a flat clamshell bonnet and boot.

A motoring enthusiast friend introduced him to a Sin Ming workshop where he viewed an orange 2002, but the car was sold before he could commit to buying it. Not long after, another unit being serviced by the same workshop came up for sale. Prof Tan bought this other unit, a 1974 Fjord Blue 2002 tii, for $100,000.

The “tii” is the mechanical fuel-injected version of the 2002, giving the 2-litre engine 130hp rather than 100hp of the carburettor-fed 2002. This is good for a 9.4-second 0-100kmh sprint timing and a 186kmh top speed – regarded as fast in its day.

To temper any over-exuberance, the motor workshop’s boss suggested that the car be driven gently. As it is a classic BMW, Prof Tan was also cognisant that the replacement of wear-and-tear parts was to be expected from time to time.

Over the past six years of ownership, parts like the rear axle components, brakes and clutch master cylinder have been replaced, all fixed by the same workshop which had been maintaining the car even before Prof Tan bought it.

Heeding his workshop’s advice, Prof Tan does not push the car beyond 80kmh, while appreciating the 2002’s retro four-speed manual transmission, unassisted steering and engaging driving experience.

Being a Singapore unit since it was registered in 1974, the car is still on a regular registration plate, without any usage restrictions, rather than being under the Classic Vehicle Scheme, which limits usage to 45 days a year. Prof Tan drives the car as and when he likes, for both work and leisure.

His 19-year-old son, a full-time national serviceman, recently obtained his driving licence, so he gets to drive the car too. As the young man is a petrolhead and avid car spotter, the 2002 tii has become a vehicle for father-son bonding.

Prof Tan says: “Some of his enthusiasm has rubbed off on me. Nowadays, he drags me along together with the BMW for Dempsey car meets.”

Through the course of ownership, Prof Tan has become accustomed to the 2002 tii getting admiring glances and the occasional toot or thumbs-up when he drives it.

He has managed to trace half a dozen of its previous owners, some of whom are captains of industry or established professionals. Prof Tan is the car’s 13th owner and intends to keep it going for the long haul. He will renew its certificate of entitlement for a fifth cycle when that is due in 2029.

While the Golf remains a shared family car, the 2002 tii is Prof Tan’s personal joyride – a charismatic BMW cherished as much for its retro drive as for its fascinating backstory.

What’s in the boot?