I found it!

[Sherlock77]

I remember several years ago seeing a brilliant photo of NYC in the bad old days (1980), a particular photo that featured a street scene based around a vintage BMW 2002... The photographer was Brian Rose, a pro photographer, it is one of my all time favourite photos (that I didn't take)...

At the time he was a student, and you have to know that it took guts to take that photo... I still wish I took this photo, it's so good! After doing some digging around I found the photo, just because I really wanted to find it, and here it is, alright so it's not soothing nature, all the better

 

[Aneka]

I believe the magic of this photo is the colour combination.

 

[Suzette]

I like the juxtaposition of the fur coat (luxury) amongst the urban decay.
Very intriguing.

 

[Mary Terry]

I love this picture. The fur coat and heels, entering an old banger car, the white guy in a suit in the background, a potential drug deal going down on the right side near the "no dumping" sign. Classic New York.

 

[FlowerFlo]

This is a really cool photo and somehow it reminds me of the book snowblind by roeert sabbag.

 

[Nitro]

Interesting.
Do you have any idea what year the BMW is?
With the US mandated 5 mph crash resistant bumpers, it can be no older than a 1974 and the final production ceased in 1977.

I feel that if the capture was indeed taken in 1980, the car is merely city winter dirty and not exactly a clunker car.

 

[watersprite]

I like all of it.
- The scratchy texture of the buildings,
- the way they form stale but intriguing canyons,
- the contrast between the immobility of the buildings & the implied movement of the vehicle,
- which makes the stark metaphor for the contrast between the men & the woman,
- and the metallic, menacing texture of the fire escapes.
- but not only all that
- for a brief time in the late 1990’s I had an old, horrid green Volvo which resembled that car.

 

[Sherlock77]

Interesting.
Do you have any idea what year the BMW is?
With the US mandated 5 mph crash resistant bumpers, it can be no older than a 1974 and the final production ceased in 1977.

I feel that if the capture was indeed taken in 1980, the car is merely city winter dirty and not exactly a clunker car.

I can also tell based on the rear tail lights, the BMW 2002 was sold in the United States with that style from 1973 to 1976... And if I didn't already say this, it is one of my favourite cars of all time, a classic design...

Looking at Brian's website, it looks like I could get an 8x10 print of it for purchasing his book, the book sells for a mere $250 (US) Although the thought occurred to me last night about asking how much he would charge to buy a print of that photo, he is still an active photographer who became a pro photographer... His website is here - Homepage There are more 1980 NYC photos scattered around it

 

[Nitro]

Don't the '83 still have the slender chrome plated bumpers?

 

[Sherlock77]

@Nitro Production of the BMW 2002 ceased by 1977, replaced by the 320i, which became the 3-Series of today that we know...

 

[Aspychata]

All in a New York minute. The composition, the monotone colors really are amazing, thanks for posting. At first, l thought it was a homeless person approaching car but then l saw the heels.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Bell-bottom jean overalls hanging on the fence. The things we catch in the background.

 

[Nitro]

@Nitro Production of the BMW 2002 ceased by 1977, replaced by the 320i, which became the 3-Series of today that we know...

My bad, I meant to type '73.
The '73 2002 models had thin chrome wraparound front bumpers devoid of the black accordions that came out in '74 and ended at the close of production.
So by estimate, this car in your photo was no older than 1974.
With the average span that people in the USA keep a new vehicle hovering around ten years, I would hardly consider a 6 year old Bimmer ready for scrap and easily in the hands of a second owner