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I am restoring my 85 and need a stereo. What would have come from the factory for a German delivered car? What would have been the ultimate aftermarket head unit back then? I was 14 at the time and knew the answer then but my head is full of cobwebs now. And I don’t care about Bluetooth or anything. I just want to look down and feel like it’s 1985! Thanks

In the US, up to the early 80s radios were dealer installed, and could be different ones, but many were blaupunkt CR2001 and 3001. Picture of early to mid 80s Blaupunkt line below.

By 85 in the US at least, they came with BMW branded Alpines. Like the picture of the radio out of the car below.

For dealer added or aftermarket, at least through the early to mid 80s, I’d say the ultimate was the Blaupunkt Berlin.

The other common high end aftermarket used in BMWs in the mid 80s would be the Becker Mexico.

But again, the ultimate aftermarket head for a BMW in 84/85 imo was undoubtedly the Berlin.
It cost probably 2x the next most expensive head unit at the time and was so space age with that stalk.

Ah, I remember the Berlin. Now.....to find one. That'll be the hard part. I also came across the Blaupunkt Bremen which is a modern radio that looks period. I know that contradicts my first post but it looks right (sorta). Ok. Someone must have a Berlin out there!

I think Berlins come up for sale from time to time. There’s one on eBay right now asking 1100 obo, but it’s the earlier version and wouldn’t look right in an 85.
I’ve also considered the new Bremen, but it’s got mixed reviews.
My biggest issue is that Blaupunkt doesn’t really exist anymore, it’s just a company that owns the license to the name, and it sells licenses to Chinese companies who slap the name on their cheap products.
So paying $600 for a $200 Chinese radio is tough to stomach.

There was a guy in the pelican Forums that had a few last year. I’ve reached out to him to see if he still has any available

My 1985 euro 635CSi came with a Becker Mexico AM/FM/ cassette player as pictured above.

Alpinab7 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 08, 2021 1:07 pm Ah, I remember the Berlin. Now.....to find one. That'll be the hard part. I also came across the Blaupunkt Bremen which is a modern radio that looks period. I know that contradicts my first post but it looks right (sorta). Ok. Someone must have a Berlin out there!

I have a Berlin IQR 85 in it’s original box. I will dig it out later to get some pics.

I also have 2X IQR 88 and another 85 that really want selling as “spares or repair”.

Open to reasonable offers.

This thread brings to mind the fact that my wife's uncle, Andreas Kress, was a/the designer of the Blaupunkt radio faces for many years. He and Aunt Mary came from Germany to our wedding in 1980 (and brought us a beautiful set of China). He showed me pictures of his car at the time, an E21. He later had a series of E30 M3s (one of which he totalled on the Autobahn, wadded it up into a very expensive ball). Always bought red cars,, he said it was the only proper color for a sports car.. This was before I had even considered owning a BMW, but it planted a seed. He loved his job at Blaupunkt.

Aunt Mary is still alive, but Uncle Andy died about 20 years ago, before I got my first BMW.

That doesn't help your decision about which period-correct head unit to get. Just an observation that we sometimes have connections in life that later are significant.

It would be nice to have illumination in line with dash.

It does not match when the radio has green illumination in any bimmers from 80's.

There was also Blaupunkt Electronic CD01 (two-unit model) and CD02 with the cardridge for single CD. That time (not sure if it was 85 or 86/87) that was the highest radioi BMW was offering for their cars.

The only problem with these 'age' related headunits is that their radio reception is awful.

What I want is a headunit with age related looks ability to red back-light and have modern functionality ,RDS etc.

I have posted recently about the Blaupunkt Barcelona 200 series, which also has mobile phone Bluetooth capability.

While not being period, it at least has a retro Blaupunkt look and modern usable functionality.

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