BMW 1800 SA

The BMW 1800 SA and BMW 2000 SA were South African-built saloons produced from 1968 to 1973. They were based on the former Glas 1700, designed by Pietro Frua, and were developed after BMW took control of Glas in 1966. Before the South African programme was confirmed, Glas engineers in Dingolfing developed prototypes of an improved Glas 1700 using BMW mechanical components. These cars were intended as possible European models under the name BMW 1800 GL, but the plan was abandoned because the car would have competed too closely with BMW’s own Neue Klasse saloons. Prototypes with BMW 1800 engines and gearboxes were built and internally presented in June 1967. For production, BMW retained the original Glas 1700 body almost unchanged. This included the distinctive rear boot lid, positioned lower than the surrounding side panels, a design feature typical of Frua’s work. The cars were initially shown in South Africa as BMW 1800 GL, but when production began in June 1968, the official names became 1800 SA and 2000 SA, with SA referring to South Africa. Early cars were assembled from CKD kits prepared in Dingolfing. The right-hand-drive version had already been developed during the Glas period. After Glas 1700 production ended in Germany, the production equipment was transferred to South Africa, where the cars were assembled by the local BMW importer. A smaller assembly operation also existed in Rhodesia, reaching about one third of South African production. South African cars had several local-market differences, including additional front and rear reflectors, a speedometer calibrated in miles, and bilingual owner’s manuals in English and Afrikaans. A 1600 version with 85 hp was listed in documentation, but it does not appear to have entered regular production. In August 1973, the model was facelifted into the BMW 1804 SA and 2004 SA, with front and rear styling revised to appear more BMW-like. Production of these later versions continued until mid-1974.