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This Modified 1967 BMW 1600–2 Might Be the Perfect Way To Experience Retro Racing

Taking a retro vehicle on track might just be the purest form of driving someone can experience. It’s fundamentally raw, with nothing but your hands, feet, and talent keeping you on track. And boy, oh boy, the cars are nothing short of special.
1967 BMW 1600-2 12 photos
Photo: Bring a Trailer
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A vintage vehicle will always hold a special place in a car enthusiast’s heart. They are raw and unforgiving yet extremely rewarding when driven properly. They turn into an extension of your body, you are one with the machine, and there’s no better feeling out there.

You might think that getting into this world of retro racing is immensely expensive, and for the most part, you’d be right. Social media embedded retro vehicles like Ferraris, Jaguars, or Porsche into our minds when we think about retro racing. But it doesn't have to be this way.

The nice thing about track driving is that anyone can do it, no matter the car. Anything from a Miata to a LaFerrari is welcome, and this same principle applies when it comes to retro cars. You don’t have to go out and spend an absurd amount of money on an old-school supercar that you’ll be afraid to drive. You can get something affordable and have just as much fun, or even more.

Now, I’ve been blabbing about these cheap, vintage racers without giving you a proper example. Well, it’s time to show you what I’ve been hiding. Bring a Trailer has listed this modified 1967 BMW 1600-2. The current bid on this little pocket rocket is 5,500 dollars, so I kept my promise when I said affordable. But it will be available for only 2 more days in Novato, California.

This BMW 1600 features a 2-liter (122ci) M10 engine with dual Weber carbs and a 4-speed manual transmission. Don’t expect it to make an insane amount of power, but you can be certain that it will be more than enough to have fun. This fun factor comes courtesy of how lightweight it is, thanks to fiberglass body panels and a gutted interior.

Now that I mentioned the interior, let me take you on a tour - there are two Cobra bucket seats, a half-cage, a steering wheel, and...Uhm….that’s it. To be honest, you don’t need anything else. It’s a track car, so why would you need anything else?

As I said, don’t expect comfortable rides, good fuel economy, or safety out of these cars…expect a special connection with a machine, driving Nirvana, a feeling like no other.
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About the author: Călin Iosif
Călin Iosif profile photo

Călin’s origin story is being exposed to Top Gear when he was very young. Watching too much of Clarkson, Hammond and May argue on TV turned him into Petrolhead (an automotive journalist with a soft spot for old pieces of... cars, old cars).
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