Ask almost any BMW enthusiast which car birthed the Ultimate Driving Machine and the answer will almost unanimously with the BMW 2002. It’s the car that put the Bavarian brand on the map as making some of the best driving machines in the world, especially in America. However, there’s one model that stands out among the 2002s that enthusiast drool over — the BMW 2002tii Touring.

Not many Touring models, the hatchback models, were brought to the US market. Of course, Americans weren’t fond of hatches or wagons even back then. So the BMW 2002 Touring is a rare car on this side of the Atlantic. But the best version of the car was the 2002tii Touring, which came with a fuel injected version of the 2.0 liter M10 four-cylinder engine. It made about 130 hp and came with a four-speed manual as-standard.

This specific car is a 1971 model and has had its engine replaced with a not numbers-matching but identical M10 engine and Kugelfischer fuel injection. It’s also received a few modifications but nothing to take away from the beauty of the car itself.

The standard four-speed manual was replaced with a five-speed from an E21 3 Series. The suspension is Bilstein rather than stock and it has a leather-wrapped Petri steering wheel. However, it all looks brilliant and drives a bit better than it originally did.

This owner claims it to be in very good condition, but notes that it isn’t perfect. There are a few dings and scratches here and there but they’re minor and the car is said to be in sound mechanical condition. Its factory Colorado Orange paint was resprayed a few years ago but the paint in the engine bay and door jams are said to be original. Either way, it looks quite good.

Now, it’s not the cheapest car in the world, considering its age and the fact that it isn’t perfect, nor completely original. At the time of this article, the car is listed at $15,250 but there are still three days left on the auction, so it could go up. While that’s not cheap for a 2002, as they can be had for seemingly nothing if you look hard enough, this model is one of the rarer models BMW ever made at the time, came with the best engine and has some upgrades. For a BMW enthusiast who wants a classic to drive, rather than collect in a garage, this car could be perfect.

[Source: Bring-A-Trailer]