By the mid-1970s, BMW sorely needed a replacement for its aging 2002. By 1977, when its replacement came around, it was 11 years old – can you imagine any passenger car model lasting that long nowadays? Its replacement was the E21 320i, which had big shoes to fill, coming with the 2002’s 2-liter M10 engine. The engine itself was equipped with K-Jetronic fuel injection for cleaner emissions and a 10hp bump, but this was offset by an extra 400 lb. of weight. This and more insulation took away some of the feel of connection to the road, and the 320i got mixed reviews in the press. However, buyers still cited performance as one of their main reasons for purchasing the car – you can have your own taste of this somewhat forgotten 2002 successor with this 1977 BMW 320i, available for $1950 in Milpitas, CA (although possibly in northern Nevada, according to the listing text).
Archive for the ‘Feature’ Category
Poor Man’s BMW #1 – 1977 BMW 320i
September 24, 2013American Innovation – 1962 Oldsmobile F-85
September 24, 2013Younger folks may remember now-defunct Oldsmobile as the brand that, in spite of advertising itself as “not your father’s Oldsmobile”, was the epitome of that tagline. Towards the end, they were having some success building good cars to try to compete with the Japanese luxury brands with cars such as the Aurora, Intrigue, and Alero. But what many people may not remember is that Olds used to have a reputation for innovation, beating other GM divisions to the punch with the first production turbocharged engine, an early aluminum V8 engine, and the comeback of front-wheel drive in a luxury car. Find today’s innovative 215 Rockette-powered 1962 Oldsmobile F-85 with bidding at $3000 and only 6 hours left in Liberty, KS.
Accessible Design Icon – 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado
September 23, 2013Even though they haven’t always had the lifelong recognition some instant classics like the Jaguar E-type have, partly due to going in and out of fashion, there are quite a few design icons in the post-war repertoire of American manufacturers. While many of the cars Americans love and remember from their childhoods are, with hindsight, oversize, cluttered, and overwrought. That said, there was a golden period for design minimalism in the mid-1960s, and one of the cars to benefit from this fashion is the Oldsmobile Toronado. You can find today’s 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado for $3995 in Malvern, OH.


