BMW’s reluctance toward pickups is understandable. Luxury trucks are mainly limited to the U.S. market, and since the Munich-based automaker doesn’t have a dedicated platform for a workhorse, developing a pickup from scratch to serve primarily one region wouldn’t make financial sense. Let’s not forget the Mercedes X-Class, based on the Nissan Navara, which turned out to be a commercial flop.
That said, BMW has experimented with factory-built pickups over the years. Its most recent effort was an X7-based concept unveiled in 2019, though it remained a one-off. In 2011, engineers secretly built an M3 E92 pickup as an April Fools’ prank. Go back even further, and you’ll find the M3 E30 truck created in 1986, which was used in-house until 2012. Now, a new auction hosted by Car & Classic brings to light a pickup that predates all of these oddball creations.
It’s a 1965 1800 TI from the original Neue Klasse era. Reportedly, only two were ever made for a BMW dealership to use as service vehicles. While the trucks were commissioned by the dealer, the conversion was likely carried out externally. When we asked BMW to check its archives, the company told us it has no record of producing these trucks.
This sedan-turned-pickup mashup underwent a full transformation and remains in good condition even after 60 years. The BMW truck that never was features M stripes on its white body and a hitch with a fixed tow bar. Even the wooden dashboard has held up well, despite the 1800 TI’s age. Some wear and tear is visible, but that’s hardly surprising for a vehicle built when most of us weren’t even born.
The VIN confirms it’s based on the 1800 TI, so it packs a 1.8-liter inline-four engine modified by ALPINA. In its day, the engine produced a respectable 110 horsepower, sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual gearbox. Top speed? 106 mph (170 km/h). According to the listing, everything works, and the truck even comes with a small set of tools, just in case.
Even if it wasn’t built by BMW itself, this 1800 TI pickup certainly looks like a factory product. It has only 62,613 kilometers (38,905 miles) on the odometer and is now seeking a new owner. If you’re feeling adventurous, Car & Classic is opening the bidding today and will continue through next Sunday. Given its rarity, it’s difficult to determine its selling price. If BMW had confirmed it was an in-house build, the value would likely skyrocket. Even so, it’s an intriguing piece of automotive history, a “what if” Neue Klasse truck.
You can see the photos here: Car & Classic