BMW responded to the Great Depression with the R 2, a single-cylinder bike with a 198cc engine that exempted it from road tax and licensing requirements. The pressed-steel “Star” frame—built with technology adapted from automobile production—gave the bike a high-end look that belied its affordable price. A first-year model, the R 2 seen here has BMW’s only exposed valve train. Purchased by Jack Wells in Germany in the 1990s, it won Best in Show among motorcycles at the 2011 Amelia Island Concours.