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The
5 Series was launched in 1972 with the 520 and
520i.
In
1973, the first 5 Series model with a 6-cylinder
engine was produced. The 525 had the same engine as the 2500,
but with 5 fewer horsepower.
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The
New Class product line was
unchanged for 1973, although US '02s had horsepower reductions from
140hp to 125hp due to new EPA emissions regulations.
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1600-2/1602
One of the first models imported into the USA. Car and Driver called the 1600-2 "the best small sedan we ever drove."
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Cabriolets
The 1600 Cabriolet was removed from the product line in 1971.
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1800-2/1802
Introduced in the Fall of 1963, the 1800 had a bored and stroked 1500 engine producing 90 hp.
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2000tilux
The Tilux had leather interior, walnut dash and an upscaled dash.
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2002
The ultimate sports sedan began life as a 1600 with a 2-liter, single carb, four-cylinder engine.
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2002ti
The ti was a 2002 with 120 hp.
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2002tii
An upgrade to the 2002ti, the tii had a 1.4 in larger track, H-rated Michelin XAS tires, wider wheels and bigger brakes.
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Touring
The 1800, 2000 and 2002tii Touring models were introduced in 1971.
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The
New Six product
line was unchanged for 1973.
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2500
The original new six was an entry level four-door, medium-priced sedan with style and performance.
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2800
The 2800 was a 2500 with an engine stroked to 2.8 liters and extra luxury features.
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3.0CSi
The 3.0 CSi was the fuel-injected version of the 3.0CS.
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3.0S
With a bigger bore, the original engine grew to 3 liters. The Euro version had 180 hp, but the US model only 170 hp, due to emissions requirements.
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3.0CS
The ads called it "Bavarian Cream". The press called it one of the best cars in the world. The 3.0 range made its debut at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show.
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3.0CSL
The "L" here meant Lightweight. The car's doors, hood and trunk were made of aluminum. A fabled Group 2 racer.
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Bavaria
Called "one of the world's great buys in luxury sedans", the
Bavaria was a 2500 with a 2800 engine created especially for
the US market.
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1973's
Events
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| Austrian
Niki
Lauda raced CSL's in the early '70s. |
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| Chicago
became home to the world's tallest building in 1973 when the Sears
Tower was topped off. |
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BMW
expansion continues as the headquarters building in Munich is
occupied and the new Dingolfing plant officially opens. The first
European subsidiary is opened in France
and BMW North America is founded.
In racing, BMW is European
Formula 2 Champion, European Touring Car Champion and World Sidecar
Champion. |
The fourth
and largest Arab-Israeli conflict begins when Egyptian and Syrian forces
attack Israel. OPEC oil ministers decide to use oil as a weapon in the
war, mandate a cut in exports, and recommend an embargo against unfriendly
states. The oil embargo leads to a worldwide
Oil Crisis.
TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) is designed and in 1983
it becomes the standard for communicating between computers over the Internet.
The 1973
Nobel Prize for Chemistry is awarded to Ernst Otto Fischer (West
Germany) and Geoffrey Wilkinson (UK) for their work on automobile exhaust
pollution.
A ceasefire
is signed ending the involvement of American ground troops in the Vietnam
War.
Pablo
Picasso, one of the greatest artists of the 20th Century, died
in 1973.
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