1970 BMW 1800

During the 1950s, the BMW line-up consisted of luxury cars with displacements of two litres or greater, economy cars powered by motorcycle engines, and motorcycles. With their luxury cars becoming increasingly outdated and unprofitable and their motorcycles and economy cars becoming less attractive to an increasingly affluent society, BMW needed a car in the 1.5 to 2 litre class to become competitive.

 

The New Class coupes introduced the Hofmeister kink, which has been used on most BMW cars since.

Introduced in September 1963, the BMW 1800 was the second member of the New Class family. This model had an M10 engine with an 84 mm (3.3 in) bore and 80 mm (3.1 in) stroke, giving a displacement of 1,773 cc. It produced 67 kW (90 hp) at 5,250 rpm and 130 N⋅m (96 lb⋅ft) at 3,000 rpm.

The 1800 TI (Turismo Internazionale) model featured components developed for the 1800 by the tuning company Alpina. The upgrades included dual Solex PHH two-barrel side-draft carburetors and higher-compression pistons for 82 kW (110 hp) at 5,800 rpm and 136 N⋅m (100 lb⋅ft) at 4,000 rpm; an anti-roll bar was also added to the front suspension.

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A homologation special, the 1800 TI/SA, was introduced in 1964 (The SA stood for Sonderausführung, or "special version".) The TI/SA's engine had dual Weber DCOE-45 two-barrel carburetors and a 10.5:1 compression ratio. This engine produced 97 kW (130 hp) at 6,100 rpm and 144 N⋅m (106 lb⋅ft) at 5,250 rpm. The TI/SA also had a Getrag five-speed gearbox (with dog-leg first), a stronger front anti-roll bar as well as a new anti-roll bar at the rear, and larger-diameter brake discs than the TI. 200 examples of the TI/SA were built and were only sold to licensed racing and sports drivers.

 

The 1800 was the longest-produced Neue Klasse variant. Until 1968, the 1800 was equipped with a 1773 cc engine. By the way, BMW replaced it in the autumn of 1968 with the 1766 cc engine (M10B18). The original power unit was an excellent basis for sporty modifications. The concept “Neue Klasse” also lent itself to “Touring sport” aspects. The BMW 1800 TI won the 1964 Hours of Francorchamps in its class in 24 with an hourly average of 164 kilometers. It was partly the prelude to the arrival of a very rare BMW: the 1800 TI SA.

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The special thing about this car was that only 200 were produced. They were therefore only allowed to be ridden by drivers with a special racing license. This version of the “Neue Klasse” is the least made, and the most special. The BMW 1800 was technically adapted to be known as TI / SA. A reinforced crankshaft, 2 double Weber 45 DCOE carburettors, and an adjusted compression ratio provided this, among other things. BMW also fitted wider tires and a front and rear stabilizer. Furthermore, the sports version was lighter than the series version: it saved 20 kilos. The circuit versions were even lighter due to the use of lightweight panels. The TI / SA also had a fully synchronized (close-ratio) Getrag five-speed gearbox. Incidentally, it only delivered its maximum torque of 157 Nm between 5100 and 5400 revolutions per minute. With an output of 130 DIN-HP at 6100 rpm, the racing variant only produced in 1965 reached a top speed of more than 180 kilometers per hour. And to curb performance, BMW fitted larger front disc brakes and rear disc brakes.

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OUR CAR

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The car in our collection is very special. Starting life as a standard 1800, it has been completely rebuilt to pay homage to the TI / SA. The engine has been completely rebuilt, taken to 2000cc, with a strengthed cranshaft, new valves and cylinders and a hotter cam. In addition it now sports 2 weber 45 DOCE carburettors and also has the 5 speed Getrag gearbox - just like the original TI/SA, except in this case the power output is now 160bhp.

To complement these upgrades to the engine and transmission, the suspension has been uprated and lowered and the brakes are uprated also. Finally a stainless steel sports exhaust was added.

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All this work has recently been carried out by specialists at Retro - engineering, leaders in developing and racing these outstanding cars,

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CARS IN ACTION IN PERIOD

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