Earlier this year, BMW had an i4 painted in Inka Orange to mark 50 years since unveiling its very first electric car. For the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, the Bavarian brand converted two 1602s to electric propulsion and used them as transport vehicles for the Olympic committee. The idea of honoring BMW’s first EV has now been revisited by Ronnie Fieg, the founder of the New York lifestyle label Kith.
He stayed true to the original electric BMW by converting a 1602 to electric power after removing the oily bits. He purchased a car from the very same year of production as the source of inspiration, 1972, and worked closely with the German marque to restore the vehicle down to the last bolt. The EV has been in the works for about 12 months and has received a “deep luxe green” paint dubbed Vitality Green that has never been offered on a production model. In fact, we’re being told it will never be a part of the color palette.
— Ronnie Fieg (@RonnieFieg) September 24, 2022
The one-off car has also been fitted with special Kith BMW roundel logos on the hood and trunk lid as well as on the wheel center caps. Since this is only a preview for now, images of the interior have not been provided. However, Ronnie Fieg says the 1602 Elektro has a full grain merino leather with a caramel color and Kith monogram deboss.
It will be interesting to find out what powers the classic car since the announcement refers to a “modern electric battery.” We’ve recently written about another fully restored 1602 converted to EV power and that one had an air-cooled HyPer 9 electric. It delivered 120 hp and 173 lb-ft (235 Nm) to the rear wheels and kept the original four-speed manual gearbox. Coincidentally, that electric BMW was also painted in green, a Porsche-inspired Oak Green paint that was also used on the second-generation Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Source: ronniefieg / Twitter
Chapter II pic.twitter.com/44PDvFqjzt
— Ronnie Fieg (@RonnieFieg) September 21, 2022
