Some more from:
http://www.bmw-driver.net/forum/showthread.php?t=25448
Mk1 Golf Boot Lid
On the Golf
2deurstouring 1
2deurstouring 2
Driving the Luchjenbroers~BMW T
Sturdy Touring
The BMW 2002 Touring was a flop. It was too far ahead of its time. But isn’t the time right for a successor by now? A Dutch company thinks it is, and shows us how.
About fifteen years ago, BMW introduced a remarkable variant of its 02-series, which was remarkably popular at the time. The most special about the so-called ”aTouring”a was the sloping boot, instead of the usual separate trunk. Now, given the car park from the eighties, it is hard to imagine that the concept was so exceptional. The earliest and only pioneer was Renault, with the R4 and R16; which are clearly the predecessor of the currently popular hatchbacks. As if it were a kind of vision of the current GTI-hype, however, BMW has probably seen the possibility to design a practical car like this, with a sporty looks. The O2-series touring was equipped with engines ranging from 1600 to 2000cc. The legendary Touring 2002 tii was not only ahead of its time because it was a hot hatchback, but also because the back seats could be folded down in two separate pieces. This was unique, but the public had to get used to it. As a consequence, the touring remained a piece of beauty in the BMW ranks that vanished quietly after some years. Since then, BMW hasn’t burned their hands on whatever model with an uneven number of doors.
Initiative
Too bad, thought the Dutch brothers Henk and Henny Luchjenbroers from the Dutch town Emmen, owners of a car repair workshop. And deep down in their specialist hearts, they were amazed that, even in Germany, no bodywork specialist would risk building a BMW with that little bit of added functionality. That is why they decided to do it themselves. At first, the brothers were planning on building an estate on the basis of the 5-series, à la Merc T (T for Tourism and Transport). But after a thorough exploration of the BMW touring, they changed their minds. Near the end of 1982, the first saw went through a BMW 3-series in their workshop. The brothers wouldn’t want to call the results a ”˜Touring’, but it suffices to use the suggestive letter T, although that introduced some confusion with the Mercedes T. However, the Luchjenbroers-BMW was worthy of its predecessor that just passed away too early
Style
The BMW T (as we shall call it anyway) deserves this ”˜dignity’ especially, because the design follows naturally the lines of the current 3-series. The trick was to move the piece of bodywork behind the second side window about 30 centimeters backwards. The roof is a completely new piece of steel, so the last part is not just welded on a standard e30 roof. The new side windows were custom made for the Luchjenbroers brothers. Inside, the rear wheel arches were reinforced, in order to give the ”aT”a sufficient stiffness to prevent torsion. This is indismissible because the original frame reinforcement under the rear seats has been removed. That is, because it would be a bit sloppy not to have a level storage space. The final essential part of the BMW T is the boot. During our visit in Emmen, both Henk and Henny would refuse to give way any details about it. The reason becomes clear if one takes a close look at the pictures (ignoring the rear spoiler). An old model of the Volkswagen Golf (Mk 1) was the donor car.
Sturdy ride
In our humble opinion, this borrowed boot is not something to be ashamed of. The bottom of the boot fits the back of BMW nicely, while the fluent lines from the side are maintained. The boot itself closes perfectly and leaves the impression of a sublime finish.
This impression was only confirmed by a test drive in a 320i. The modifications to the bodywork do not change the handling in any negative way; there is no exceptional torsion and there are no funny sounds. The sight around from within the car is very good, but the large surface of glass makes the car kind of a greenhouse on sunny days. But that is the price one has to pay to see and to be seen in a ”aT”a, which really is an eye-catcher. The Goodrich T/A rims and widened BBS wheels only do a favor to those looks.
A blessing
The BMW T we drove was number 001, the exemplar being prepared in the pictures in number 003. So, there is no sign of mass production in the Luchjenbroers workshop. Nevertheless, five right-hand drive BMW’s are arriving soon to be prepared as a ”aT”a. Also, there has been interest from someone in Sydney, Australia to build the ”aT”a under license, but that is just too much of an adventure at this time, according to the brothers.
For now, they are busy enough running their company, so the ”aT”a remains a hobbyist thing for now. It may be clear that this does not equal amateurism. BMW the Netherlands accepts the modification so that the normal factory warranty is retained. Also the ”˜Car Safety Service in the Netherlands’ has given its blessing to the ”aT”a.
A rebuild of a BMW 3-series, regardless the engine-type, should cost an enthusiast about 7500 euros (their account number is 05910-25974). A lot of money, which you will forget about soon when driving on the nearby Autobahn. The looks of the ”aT”a will make an average Merc or Porsche driver really jealous.
