1974 BMW 2002 Turbo, archival, limited-edition, signed & numbered, fine-art print

This archival, limited-edition, fine-art pigment print depicts the 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo. 

The 2002 Turbo was the first European production car to utilize turbocharging and the BMW to wear the Motorsport division's three-colored stripes. With twice as much horsepower as the 1602 on which the 2002 line was based, it was seriously sporty in its day. Yes, it suffered from turbo lag, as did all turbo-engined cars in the 70s, but when the boost kicked in, you had to hang on. 

An air dam up front, spoiler in the, flared fenders and alloy wheels gave further proof of its sporting intent, as did the reverse ”turbo 2002” script on the car’s chin. This script was a bit provocative as it was meant to be readable in the rearview mirrors of the drivers who were being passed, and put them on notice that a hotrod behind them. 

This was seen as too intimidating and aggressive by the German government which pressured BMW to sell the cars without the reversed script. Owners often added the decals later anyway. 

The 2002 Turbo unfortunately dropped at about exactly the same time as a major oil crisis which proved to be the death knell for a whole swath of fuel-hungry, ‘70s performance cars.

The car was first shown in late 1973. By mid-1975 the party was over and production ceased with only 1,672 cars being built. 

The Print

This piece is available in three sizes:

• A 70-inch x 39.4-inch print (including a 2-inch, unprinted border) limited to an edition of 7.

• A 40-inch x 22.5-inch print (including a 1.1-inch, unprinted border) limited to an edition of 30.

• A 24-inch x 13.5-inch print (including a 0.7-inch, unprinted border) limited to an edition of 100. 

All pieces are:

• hand-signed and numbered

• printed at one of the world’s best printers, using ultra-high-quality pigments

• printed on 100% cotton, 310 gsm, matte-finish, archival, fine-art paper

The original drawing was created, by-hand (using a stylus and graphics tablet), in Adobe Illustrator, on a vintage Macintosh computer, by the artist Nik Schulz. Each piece ships unframed with a document packet including a certificate of authenticity and handling instructions.