Dedicated to the BMW Baur TC1 (E21 1975-83) in particular, and Baur cabriolets in general. We hope to locate and identify all the BMW Baur TC1s in existence in the United States at the present time.
The cars we drive change on a yearly basis, but the roads we drive them on have stayed largely the same since the late 19th century, when a new-fangled material called asphalt replaced macadam as the construction material of choice. Luxury car makers seem to debut a new concept car every month--roads are less glamorous, and don’t get "reinvented" very often. Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde is hoping to change that withSmart Highway, a plan to modernize European highways.
“We live in a city of endless gray concrete roads, surrounded by steel lamps. They have a huge visual impact on our city,” says Roosegaarde. “But why do they remain so rough and without imagination? Why not make them a vision about mobility, a symbol of the future?”
Roosegarde and Dutch civil engineers Heijmans Infrastructure believe that by ignoring the roads and focusing on the cars, we’re missing the forest for the trees. The group’s plan proposes embedding highways with technology that can visually communicate when the road is slippery, charge your car as you drive, and generate electricity for its own lights. While it remains conceptual, the plan gained considerable momentum this week after it received a Dutch Design Award.
The Smart Highway isn’t a completely new road, but rather, a kit of parts that can be applied to existing roads as needed. For example, something the designers call "Dynamic Paint" communicates with drivers about weather and traffic changes. When the temperature drops under freezing and the roads become slick, the paint would activate, covering the road with a dusting of bright cartoon snowflakes. Similarly, a glow-in-the-dark paint treated with photo-luminizing powder could reduce the need for auxiliary lighting. “Charged in day light, the glow-in-the-dark road illuminates the contours of the road at night for up to 10 hours,” says Roosegaarde.
More technically ambitious is the team’s plan for an Induction Priority Lane, designed to charge the batteries of electric cars as they pass overhead via a series of induction coils embedded under the asphalt. Wind Lights attempt to capitalize on the rush of wind generated by a passing car--hundreds of tiny pinwheel-esque wind turbines would light up as you drive by.
How realistic is their plan? The dynamic paint concept would be fairly simple to implement, though the cute snowflakes will probably be value-engineered out--a simple color-coded warning system would work just as well. Inductive charging, though, is a more complex proposition. I’m no expert on the technology, but from what I understand, it’s already being tested by researches in South Korea.
But as some experts have pointed out, induction charging technology requires plenty of metals and materials like lithium, which is already in high demand. To supply enough just for Holland, the densest highway network in the EU, manufacturers would have to scale up their production exponentially, and it would be expensive. Still, it’s a promising idea--and critics probably did similar naysaying about asphalt back in 1870. Asked about how much smart highways will cost, Roosegarde jokes, "it would be more expensive than a current road, but less expensive than building a new planet Earth."
How Many Baur TC1s Came To The US? Baur TC1 Production and Export Numbers!
THIS IS HUGE, FOLKS!
Ok. For the first time, and based on the charts below from the Baur IG Registry, Baurspotting is going to go out on limb to estimate how many TC1 Baurs came to the US.
Yeah, you heard that right. Folks have been asking me this for the past year and a half, and we have had trouble finding any reliable information that talked about numbers.
Well, we still don't have a definite number---- we may NEVER have that---- but what we DO have is information that allows us to make a reasonable estimate of the number of grey market E21 Baurs that may have come into the US.
Check out the "Total Production of TC1 Models" chart below. At the right of that chart is the following:
Of a total of 4595 vehicles produced at the factory in 1545 are exported and have been delivered 3050 in Germany. According to research, however, a total of 1839 TC1 unknown in the export trade and 14 vehicles status = 2756 + / - 14 to remain in Germany
OK. Are you with me?
1) Total production of TC1 = 4595
2) Number of TC1 officially exported =1545 this includes 3 officially exported to the US.
(See chart 3: the researched factory export figures)
3) Number delivered to Germany = 3050
However..... it appears that 1839 Baurs were involved in export, not 1545! Leaving 2756 Baur TC1s in Germany, not 3050. Therefore if only 2756 of the supposed 3050 Baurs can be accounted for as being in Germany.... what happened to the other 294?
:)
OK.... it does appear that 14 TC1 Baurs are in an unknown status.
Therefore, if there were 4595 TC1 Baurs built, and if 2756 (+/- 14 of unknown status) can be confirmed as going to Germany, and if 1545 can be confirmed as officially exported......
THAT LEAVES 294 TC1 BAURS (+/- 14) THAT ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR! WHERE DID THEY GO?
Where indeed? I don't know if there were other countries besides the US that had a 'grey market' for BMW Baurs. It is possible that some of those 294 (+/- 14) went to other places.
The theory I am advancing here, and it is ONLY a theory, is that those 294 (+/- 14) may represent a maximum number of TC1 Baurs that were brought into the US through the grey market. Don't forget that BMW officially states that 3 additional Baurs were imported through their dealer network.
294. +/- 14.
So that is Baurspotting's estimate of the maximum number of TC1 Baurs that could have come to the US. The number could easily be lower than this estimate. But I highly doubt that it could be much higher.
What do YOU think?
I am open to suggestion or argument. This number is not set in stone. I could be wrong. :) But it is a reasonable starting point for the discussion.
So if we accept that theoretical starting number (294 +/- 14), we may wonder how many of those are left after about 30 years.
We have found about 85 93 (as of 6/9/2014) here at Baurspotting, give or take a couple. There are still more to find out there, no doubt. (The discovery of "NEW FINDS" in the US has slowed down considerably since this post was first published in October 2012. We have only found 7 more in the last 1 1/2 years! I am not sure what this means, but it COULD mean that we are getting close to our goal of finding them all! It seems that we have picked off most of the 'low-hanging fruit', and those that remain to be found are perhaps well hidden.)
But I do think we are off to a pretty good start toward our goal of finding them all!!
Onward and upward, folks! Keep up the GREAT work!
This is an update, and an expansion, of some data that we have previously discussed.
TC1-Individual - Figures - Facts - Extradition
Prdouzierte BMW Baur TC1 - No. A000001 to A004595 in the period from 1978 to 1982:
Year
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
Total Amount *
Quantity
530
815
1045
1157
1048
4595
Said the total quantity refers to all the body building firm in Stuttgart produced and shipped worldwide BAUR TC1. * Total number of built BMW E21, BMW AG d: 1,354,961
Total production of TC1 models
Quantities during the production period
Export fate / stay in the country of production
315
316
318 / 318i
320
323
61
591
410
1874
1659
Of a total of 4595 vehicles produced at the factory in 1545 are exported and have been delivered 3050 in Germany.
According to research, however, a total of 1839 TC1 unknown in the export trade and 14 vehicles status = 2756 + / - 14 to remain in Germany
The researched factory export figures at a glance:
Country
Quantity
Country
Quantity
Country
Quantity
Country
Africa
15
France
148
Qatar
2
Arab Emirates
8
Egypt
7
French Guyana
2
Colombia
11
Singapore
2
Andorra
1
UK
566
Kuwait
1
Spain
11
Argentina
1
Guadaloup
1
Martinique
1
South Africa
85
Australia
82
Hong Kong
13
Netherlands
70
Tunisia
1
Barain
1
Ireland
9
Austria
4
Turkey
1
Belgium
131
Italy
253
Panama
2
USA
3
Cayen
1
Jordan
1
Saudi Arabia
2
Cyprus
4
Chile
2
Canada
17
Sweden
37
Dänmark
5
Canary Islands
2
Switzerland
38
Remaining stock in the Federal Republic of Germany:
The number of currently existing or approved in Germany currently TC1 is not searchable. The TC1 have been on the car-specific code number of E21 sedans recorded at KBA in Flensburg, so that it no selection could be made. On balance, however, the world exist only a few hundred copies. A brief overview can be found in currently researched TC1 TC1-register (see below).
Delivery of the BAUR Topcabriolets / BAUR badge
The TC1 were delivered via the BMW dealership network with the equipment codes of BMW AG. As part of the production at the Stuttgart BAUR TC1 received but also an independent Produkionsnummer that each TC has also made a comprehensible unique.
Indicated this was riveted by the engine compartment of the dome on the linksseiitg Schraubkante "BAUR production plaque." At inception, this BAUR plate was then also further inside the engine compartment, next to / below the Schraubkante. It provides information about the production number as well as a built-up part of BAUR top choice. BAUR each label is far too unique and not reproducible.
Deciphering the BAUR production number
Hood colors code
PVC black
1
PVC light beige
2 (2x)
Sun Country-black
3
PVC black
11
Sun Country-black
13
Sun Country-dark blue
14
Sun Country-dark brown
15
Sun Country-white
29 (1x)
Another BAUR feature found on the BAUR side panels of the roof structure. Here the "Baur" logo can be found in different versions. While the NFL models here wear Clipped BAUR lettering, there was also sometimes provided with carrier foil and embossed lettering in the diaphragms.
International TC1 register
Including the total 4595 BAUR TC1 exists the International TC1 register here on the pages of BAUR TC1.de. In the register you can find information on the researched so far since 2007 TC1.
Current market prices according to the classic car market / as of April 2011
Vehicle
Condition 1
Condition 2
Condition 3
State 4
315 Baur 81-83 75 HP
14.900, -
11.400, - (2009)
7.000, -
5.300, - (2009)
4.000, -
2.500, - (2009)
1.700, -
1.100, - (2009)
316 Baur 78-80 90 hp (80-82)
14.900, -
11.800, - (2009)
7.800, -
5.900, - (2009)
4.300, -
2.800, - (2009)
1.900, -
1.100, - (2009)
316 Baur 80-82 90 hp (78-80)
15.200, -
12.000, - (2009)
7.800, -
5.900, - (2009)
4.400, -
2.800, - (2009)
2.000, -
1.100, - (2009)
318 Baur 78-80 98 HP
16.000, -
12.800, - (2009)
8.000, -
6.700, - (2009)
4.500, -
3.200, - (2009)
2000, -
1.200, - (2009)
318i Baur 80-82105 PS
14.900, -
12.800, - (2009)
8800
6.700, - (2009)
5.300, -
3.200, - (2009)
2.200, -
1.200, - (2009)
320 Baur 78-82122 PS
16.900, -
15.100, - (2009)
8.900, -
7.800, - (2009)
5.300, -
3.800, - (2009)
2.300, -
1.300, - (2009)
323i Baur 77-82143 PS
16,700, -
18,700, - (2009)
11,900
11.200, - (2009)
7.100, -
8.000, - (2009)
3000, -
3.200, - (2009)
This info was obtained from our friends at:
http://www.baur-tc1.de/tc1-individual.html
Thank you!
Check out their site! Tons of great Baur stuff there!
Ok, here is a quiz for a rainy Friday afternoon. You will of course recognize the iconic badge above: the BMW logo, that famous, immediately recognizable symbol of The Ultimate Driving Machine for decades. This one dates from about 2007.
Below, you will find two more logos. One is a view through plane's propeller, showing BMW lettering in the perimeter. The second logo also shows a ring with lettering, different from the first, with a horse symbol in the center.
Which of those two logos is the origin of today's BMW logo?
From which of those two logos did the present logo derive?
THIS:
The Rapp Motor logo was the origin of the BMW logo. BMW formed March 3, 1916 making motorbikes.
LED TO THIS:
Circa 1917.
WHICH LED TO THIS:
Circa 1929. From the cover of a 1929 BMW aircraft engine magazine.
"For many years, it was believed that the blue and white parts of the BMW logo symbolize the sky, seen through moving propeller blades, as seen on the cover of a 1929 BMW aircraft engine magazine. But the logo first appeared in the 1918 Bayern-Flugmotor manual, and was the first time the BMW logo appeared in a printed publication. This logo came from the original Rapp Motor aircraft engine manufacturer logo, the compnay that grew into BMW as we know it today."
The Blue and White colors in the logo are the national colors of Bavaria, the home of BMW. They are also the colors of the Bavarian Royal Family, and their placement is reportedly reversed in the BMW logo, in deference to that fact.
Ok, here is a quiz for a rainy Friday afternoon. You will of course recognize the iconic badge above: the BMW logo, that famous, immediately recognizable symbol of The Ultimate Driving Machine for decades. This one dates from about 2007.
Below, you will find two more logos. One is a view through plane's helicopter, showing BMW lettering in the perimeter. The second logo also shows a ring with lettering, different from the first, with a horse symbol in the center.
Which of those two logos is the origin of today's BMW logo?
From which of those two logos did the present logo derive?
