Last updated on January 20, 2023
Today’s car is a 1969 BMW 1600 Cabriolet and David S has owned it since 2008. It is finished in deep cherry red (Granada) with a black vinyl interior and boot, with a black cloth convertible top. It is powered by a 85 hp, 1600 cc, in-line 4 cylinder with a single barrel Solex 38PDSI downdraft carburetor. It is mated to a 4-speed synchro manual transmission and delivers that power to the rear wheels through 3.64:1 gear ratio. Helping slow it down are disc brakes in the front and drums in the rear. It has 4-wheel independent suspension with Macpherson struts up front and semi-trailing arms with coil springs in the rear. David added a modern aftermarket strut brace to tie the 2 front suspension towers together. This is one of the few non-original modifications in the restoration with the sole purposes of safety and handling
This is 1 of 1,682 that were produced from 1967 to 1971. The original 1968 MSRP was $2,676.00. The published top speed is 105 mph with a 0-60 time of 12.1 seconds. David started his restoration in 2011 and completed it in 2016. It was literally just it time to drive it to Monterey car week for the BMW 100 year celebration. He was honored to have his car displayed at the BMW Car Club of America hospitality tent at vintage race weekend. This is a very rare car here in the U.S. It brings a smile to David’s face as he cruises up and down the coast (PCH) in his ultimate tanning machine or just taking a leisurely tour along the local thoroughfares of L.A.’s beach cities. This is beautifully restored car and gets plenty of attention at local car shows, including Southern California Vintage BMW events, local Concours, and Cars and Coffee events. Thanks for riding along. Frank
