The BMW 1800 TI is a hugely collectible landmark BMW. It was the most powerful model of the original Neue Klasse line of sedans and coupes that saved BMW from bankruptcy in the 1960s, and an icon for BMW enthusiasts. But there’s a version you’ve probably never heard of, and that’s the 1800 TI pickup. Now, one of these rare classics has come up for sale.
While the M livery is not period correct by eight years, the seller claims that it was specially ordered from BMW as a conversion, and the VIN plate confirms it is an original 1800 TI. According to legend, it’s one of two pickups used by a BMW dealership in France as service vehicles. Part of its perceived value for the auction on Car And Classic will hinge on it being an official BMW pickup.
BMW Has Form With Converted Pickups
BMW has never produced a truck for the mass market, but it has dabbled with the design for a few concepts. There’s a legendary E30 generation M3 convertible that was modified into a pickup in 1986 to transport parts and equipment around the BMW facilities in Garching, near Munich. It was purely functional, but BMW let journalists drive it and enjoyed the publicity. Then, this year, BMW showed off an E90 pickup, partly to use like the E30, partly as a homage to the original, and partly as an April Fool’s joke and publicity stunt. However, this BMW 1800 TI, if everything is true about its origins, precedes the E30 by just over twenty years.
The famous red, blue, and violet of BMW Motorsport made its racing debut in 1973 on the BMW 3.0 CSL, making the livery an anachronism here. But we’ll look past that for now. According to the BMW 1800 TI’s auction listing, they are “BMW Martini Racing-style decals,” but Martini Racing didn’t start using its iconic colors on cars until the 1971 racing series, and that was with Porsche. The BMW M colors were actually spawned from a failed sponsorship deal with Texaco.
BMW has been accused of copying Martini Racing’s stripes, but that’s beside the point. We would want a good look at the original documentation to be sure it’s an official conversion made by BMW.
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A Genuine Oddball
The BMW 1800 TI pickup still has the original rear doors, and they open into the middle of truck bed, which is covered and accessible by a trunk lid. If you replaced the rear doors with solid body panels, you would have a coupe with an incredibly long trunk. It also has a trailer hitch, which makes sense for it as a work vehicle. The advert suggests that it “would be perfect as a support vehicle for a BMW collection or could offer commercial opportunities if you run a workshop specializing in vintage vehicles.” However, the pictures show it’s been heavily used, and it’s now a 60-year-old vehicle. It’s likely at the end or beyond its working life, and should be slipped into a collection and shared at enthusiast displays and events.
If it takes your fancy, you’ve got until June 22 to submit your bid.
Source: Car And Classic
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