In 2014, Joop Bekkema bought a classic car that had been on our wish list for a while to make a report with. The car comes from BMW's Neue Klasse series, which was unveiled in Frankfurt in 1961 and went into production in 1962. Joop's copy is a BMW 2000 from 1968. And the car lived up to the name 'Neue Klasse' at the time, and at the same time provided an answer to the question of what Freude am Fahren means in this car.
We can be short and sweet about this: this BMW 2000 is a travel car par excellence, where comfort clearly wins over sportiness. The car is blessed with the pleasant M10 engine with 1990 cc and a chain-driven overhead camshaft. The power source is linked to a ZF three-speed automatic transmission. And that combination makes the BMW a car that responds adequately to a movement of the accelerator pedal, especially when the petrol mode is switched on. Gasoline level? Yes, because the BMW is also equipped with a modern gas system, which works in unison with the conventional fuel supply. Switching from gas to petrol and vice versa is very easy and goes almost unnoticed. And speaking of shifting: The automatic transmission shifts easily through the gears, all very silently.
We can also attribute flexibility to the damping and suspension characteristics. Smaller and larger imperfections are easily and smoothly absorbed by the chassis, and the spring travel is pleasantly long. And the damping ensures that you are rarely bothered by sharp obstacles in the road surface. Nothing is stiff in this BMW 2000, and that makes the car an extremely enjoyable classic cruiser to be on the road with. It also gives a safe feeling. This is not only due to the solid impression it leaves, but also due to the way in which the braking system works. When you slow down, you can do so very gradually and in doses. Nothing wrong.
The steering of the BMW reinforces the cruise character of the Bavarian classic. This does not work very tightly, but asks the driver to start steering in time. A steering movement is followed nicely with a little delay, and the long bow of the BMW helps to determine the correct direction. This provides excellent visibility marking. In any case, this has already been achieved with this Bavarian, because the all-round visibility is also excellent.
Within the interior, the BMW 2000 combines the slightly idiosyncratic control structure of the buttons with a truly beautiful finish. The covering of the doors and the (excellent seating) furniture is of high quality and is characterized by a pleasant degree of variation. Moreover, the upholstery materials can be pleasantly combined with a fair amount of decorative strips and chrome details. And the dashboard is also excellently equipped, with a ditto finish. It looks fantastic.
This also applies to the exterior, which is richly endowed with the necessary decorative elements and beautiful details, which amply reveal the era in which this car was built. Everything comes together beautifully, and the decoration of this BMW gives extra cachet to the striking design of this BMW, which feels exceptionally solid in all respects. And that also applies to things that you normally pay less attention to. But just open the ventilation window with the button placed underneath it. Or grab the glove compartment. Just open the lid of the fuel filler pipe (covered with a beautiful cap including BMW logo). Then you will also notice how solidly this car was screwed together.
Yes, we already reveal something about this BMW, but not everything. You will read the whole story in a while Auto Motor Klassiek. But we can already reveal one thing: this car proves in every respect why BMW quickly prospered during the 2000s. And why the Neue Klasse played such an important role in this. Joop Bekkema's BMW XNUMX is a great classic that proves in every way why the concept of Neue Klasse was multi-interpretable at the time. And still. Because he made an impression, in every respect.
One beautiful day in 2004 I thought I'd try something different than a Pike. And yes, that was a 2000. And then winter came and after a second time the other way around, I ended up on a roundabout. I then realized that this really is an old car from the 60s. I wasn't very impressed, while I still think it's a nice car with the VDO meters.
My uncle bought a dark blue BMW automatic in 1968, also with a smooth 2 liter engine. A great car that I was allowed to drive as a 20 year old. In 1970 it was exchanged for a BMW 2500 automatic. An even better travel car that has been driven for over 180.000 km without any problems. This 6 cylinder in line was a very smooth and quiet engine with even more travel compatibility.
My father had a manual transmission from 1972 at the time. Very nice driving machine and family car. Very reliable, well built and spacious. In addition, great performance and driving characteristics for that time with the smooth and spicy 2 liter!