1935 BMW 315 Roadster

BMW presented the prototype of its sports roadster at the Berlin Motor Show in May 1934. Like the BMW 315 saloon, it had a 1.5-liter straight-6 engine developed from BMW's first 6-cylinder engine, originally seen in the 1933 BMW 303 saloon. The BMW 315 saloon was the company's first model to record a top speed in excess of 100 km/h, and it formed the basis for this high-performance, 40-horsepower BMW 315/1 roadster, of which 242 examples were built. The 315/1 was also the company's first car to achieve success in motorsport; the BMW works team entered five cars in the 1934 Alpine Rally, and at the finish, they were the only cars in their class to score maximum points. The 315 range of saloons and roadsters was eventually replaced by the even more successful BMW 328 in 1936.