Need this information for an assignment, silly me picked a difficult topic and now, 900 words into it, I am stuck - can not turn back now... Please help!
Need this information for an assignment, silly me picked a difficult topic and now, 900 words into it, I am stuck - can not turn back now... Please help!

Awesome, thanks swueakyweal for the response. Though, space age, ethnic, psychedelic, and hippy styles became popular during the 1960s, as did op art and unrestrained drug use, how did this craziness translate into the design of the BMW 2002 which seems mature or sensible (but not bland). Or was it simply influenced, like you implied, by car design of the time which maybe followed a different wavelength to everything else. Thanks in advance!

The BMW 2002 was an enhancement of the 1600 series. If u compare the 1600/2002 u will see a strong resemblance to the early chevrolet corvair, particularly the beltline/roofline tratment & the forward angled front cowl (grill on the BMWs, corvair if u recall was rear-engined). In both cases, they were early compact sedans & coupes that were targeting a market of full size people & the rooflines were a result of the need to accomodate these. The 2002 happened to appear at just the right time, at least in the US, as horsepower became unfashionable & the definition of a ''high performance'' car shifted to one with crisp handling instead of brute power to giver the driver his kicks, not to mention fuel economy far superior to the big V-8s of the 1960's.

I've owned a pair of 2002s as well as a half dozen Corvairs, & they compare favorably in many respects. The Corvair is problem was mismarketing as an economy car when it would have been more successful (not that sales of 1.7 million do not represent success) as a niche model emphasizing its sporting nature, just as the BMW was.

Take it a step further. During the 1950 is & 1960's, German manufacturers were still in a process of regrouping after the forced deindustrialization after WWII. BMW in particular was nearing bankruptcy in the late 1950's, after building & racing some pretty exotic machinery prewar, & only stayed afloat by selling 27 hp Isettas. The 1600-2002 was their first mass-market model & had to appeal to a wide customer base. Yet they could not let go of their heritage & built a solid car that outran & outhandled the home market competition from VW, NSU & Opel. With the very limited 507 series they aimed for Mercedes & Porsche, more to prove that they still had the stuff to build a sports car. While it seemed that the 1600-2002 series was aimed at an international market, it was not ready for the US where HP still ruled & sales were not a factor until the 1970 is (several years after the death of the aformentioned Corvair) when emission & safety regs strangled performance of American cars, opening the door for foreign competition for the first time (excepting the VW Beetle which had a loyal following as a tru economy car). Though they had not modernized the look, the steady increase in engine sizes & performance just happened to capture the mid-70 is market at the right time & has become recognized as the grandfather of the modern compact sports sedan ( l bought a Sentra SE-R in 1993, & the automotive press was gushing about it as the return of the 2002). I've since also owned an Accura Integra, Subaru 2.5RS & WRX & they all fit the same mold, compact, quick, efficient, nimble, no excessive ornamentation or luxury accoutrements, qualities that the 2002 & the Corvair introduced to their respective markets.