• Fri, 2014-07-25 01:14
    • /Scott
    BMW News

    The BMW 2002 is the car that established BMW in the U.S.—and enthusiasm for the car was largely responsible for the creation of the BMW Car Club of America 45 years ago. Who of us doesn’t enjoy looking at a lovingly-cared-for original 2002, or a meticulously restored one?
     
    How about watching a 2002 undergo a restoration—as it happens? Thanks to Clarion Corporation of America, we can do that.
     
    Clarion has just announced their Summer Roadtrip Sweepstakes promotion, which it says is “inspired by the global influence of the BMW 2002 in fashion and lifestyle.” The promotion centers on the new “Clarion Builds” program, a unique marketing effort in which Clarion and its partners restore unique automotive vehicles. Interested fans can follow the progress of the restoration through social and traditional media. And the first Clarion Builds project is a 1974 BMW 2002! How cool is that?!
     

    Clarion’s Summer Roadtrip Sweepstakes will run from now through August 15, 2014. To find out more or to enter, go to Clarion’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/clarionusa and follow the instructions. Weekly and grand prizes are available. The site says that no purchase is required, and there are multiple opportunities to qualify for bonus entries.

    Contests and prizes are great, but what we’re really interested in is the BMW 2002 and its restoration. Apparently others are interested, too. As Allen H. Gharapetian, Vice President of Marketing and Product Planning for Clarion Corporation of America explains, "We knew from the start that our Clarion Builds BMW 2002 restoration project was going to be an exciting one, but we were completely taken by what an influence this iconic car has had on the lives of our fans and friends who remember this trend-setting car from the 1970s for reasons beyond owning, driving, or riding in one." Gharapetian goes on to say, "As we discover more about the importance of the BMW 2002 in the automotive industry, especially given that it almost single-handedly defined the sports sedan category, we are also realizing what a favorite this car has been in design, music, fashion, film, and related industries. In fact, several well known brands have and continue to use this specific BMW model in trendy ad campaigns, music videos, 1970s era movies, and in many other forms of art and cultural events."

    We recommend starting with the Clarion Builds web site at www.clarionbuilds.com. There you can see what goes into the restoration, starting with how the car was selected, tips on buying a project car, partners in the project—many of which BMW CCA members will be very familiar—and videos of the process.

    Clarion’s web site explains that while their goal is to make everything look just as it did when the car rolled off the line in Germany in 1974, they will also be installing serious components and capabilities “behind the scenes” to bring the car’s audio, information, and entertainment electronics into the 21st century.

    The Clarion Builds BMW 2002 project is designed to show fans and enthusiasts, in detail, the restoration—and upgrade—process and continue to generate interest in the program as the project heads toward completion by the end of the year. The purpose of the Summer Roadtrip Sweepstakes is to gather more fans for the Clarion Builds program.

    To find out more about the program, visit http://www.clarionbuilds.com, watch the build introduction video below, and follow Clarion Builds at www.facebook.com/clarionusa, and www.twitter.com/ClarionUSA.—Scott Blazey

     

     

    [Photos and video courtesy of Clarion Corporation of America. Clarion Corporation of America is a subsidiary of Japan-based Clarion Co. Ltd, which is an international provider of automotive audio and electronics.]