1938 BMW 328

The acquisition of Dixi Werke of Eisenach in 1928 gave BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) a foothold into the automotive industry. Producers of aircraft engines, BMW was forbidden from the manufacture of aeronautical machinery due to post-war rules. Initially concentrating on motorcycles and heavy trucks, BMW continued the production of Dixi Werke's smallest model, a licensed version of the British Austin Seven. A BMW badge was applied for the first time in January of 1929.

Larger models followed, including the Type AM in 1932, the Type 303 in 1933, and the Type 315 of 1934. The 326 was introduced in 1936 at the Berlin Motor Show powered by a two-liter model. It was the company's first four-door saloon and would remain in production through 1940, with 464 examples built during that time. Its shortened, steel ladder, twin-tube frame had a wheelbase size of 94 inches and was suspended by a swing axle at the front with transverse leaf springs, while the rear used a live axle with leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. 11-inch hydraulic drum brakes provided the stopping power.

In April of 1938, BMW added the option of ordering the 327 Sports Cabriolet with the Type 328 engine. Vehicles in this configuration were badged as the '327/28.'

The 1,971cc pushrod straight-6 cylinder engine had overhead valves, three Solex 30 JF downdraft carburetors, a 7.5:1 compression ratio, and delivered 79 horsepower at 5,000 RPM. It used a new crossflow cylinder head, hemispherical combustion chambers, and horizontal pushrods operating the exhaust valves. The overhead valves were operated by a camshaft which worked on one of the two rocker arm rails while the other rail was controlled by a return system. It was backed by a four-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear wheels.

The BMW 328 was sporty and its aerodynamic designs reflected the aeronautical experience of BMW. The bodies were built from lightweight aluminum with styling credited to Peter Szymanowski, Fritz Fiedler, Alfred Böning, Ernst Loof, and Alex von Falkenhausen. Fritz Fiedler became chief engineer in 1954 and was responsible for the 503 and 507 models. Between 1955 and 1956, he served as chairman of BMW AG.

The competitive prowess of the BMW 328 was demonstrated by driver Ernst Henne who drove it at the Eifelrennen race at the Nürburgring in 1936, earning a class victory in the 2.0-liter class. Over 100 class victories were achieved in 1937, including the RAC Tourist Trophy, the Österreichische Alpenfahrt, and the La Turbie hillclimb. More class victories followed in 1938, at the RAC Tourist Trophy, the Mille Miglia, and the Alpine Rally. At the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 328 placed fifth overall and first in class.

The state-of-the-art 328 engine had twin cam performance but with less complexity and a lower cost. After World War II, Bristol Cars used the engine, with little modification, to power cars built by Bristol and AC, amongst others, into the late 1960s.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster

The 327 was available as a coupe and BMW's first coachbuilt convertible. This car's body was built by the German firm of Autenreith. It was shown at Pebble Beach and won 'Best of Marque' at the 1999 German Show in Alexandria, VA.

Roadster
Chassis number: 85288

Delivered new from the BMW factory in Eisenach, Germany, to Berlin dealership of Brenner and Schoth on August 27, 1398. Factory records indicate Sportwagen #85288 was delivered with green paint and green upholstery. Brenner and Schoth records, including the first owner's name, were lost during the Allied bombing of Berlin. Frank Spring, renowned Hudson car designer, of Beverly Hills is the first known U.S. owner of the car in 1953. Early in the car's history it was modified for racing by installing air cooled brakes, improved Schleicher cylinder head, crankshaft and camshaft. The current owner has owned the car since 1985.

Roadster

Delivered new to Vorina-Auto in Helsinki, FI on May 27, 1938.

Race history in Scandinavia from the 1930s through the 1950s.

Since 2017 the current Belgian owner has driven and raced it in the Mille Miglia, Zoute Grand Prix and the Rallye des Légendes.

The black 328 is a 1976 BMW Roadster '1938 Factory recreation'. This vehicle was built by the Sbarro factory in Switzerland in 1976. It has the elegance and grace of the 328 with the practicality, power and performance of mid-seventies BMW technology. This car is very rare in that a total of 80 were made and of those 80 only 10 were made for export to the United States. This is number 6 of those 10.

by BMW

Roadster
Chassis number: 85144
Engine number: 85144

Production of the BMW 328 began in April of 1936 and output would eventually reach 464 units by the time production ended in September 1939. They were extensively campaigned by BMW's Works team at contemporary racing events and would earn approximately 125 victories, including 1-2-3 finishes at the Mille Miglia, International Avusrunnen, Grand Prix des Frontières, and two victories at the Nürburgring. A three-car team entry at Le Mans in 1939 resulted in a 5th, 7th, and 9th place finish. Team cars placed 1st and 3rd at the shortened 1940 Mille Miglia and privateers finished 5th and 6th.

Munich-based Automag was the first recorded BMW dealership and is still in existence. This particular 328 was delivered to Automag on April 1st of 1938, and after it left Automag, its earliest history is unknown. By the early 1950s, it had made its way to the United States. In 1969, the car was owned by Mr. Robert Tarwacki of South Bend, Indiana. It was subsequently owned by Mr. James Riley of Chicago, culminating in a sale to its next owner in 1982. By this point in history, the car had been partially restored. Still as a project, the car was acquired by the current owner in 2010, who restarted the project from the beginning. The bodywork was entrusted to Simon Isles and Quest Restorations was responsible for stripping every last nut and bolt. They ensured the frame was square, and the rolling chassis received new road springs, bearings, and bushings. The engine was then rebuilt by Mike Robinson and Ian Nuttall Racing rebuilt the transmission.

The car wears a black exterior and the interior is done in deep red leather with red carpeting, a black hood, and black tonneau covers.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 74308

This BMW Sports Cabriolet is a 327/28 model, wearing coachwork of the 327 and powered by the more potent 328 engine. It was ordered new via the Danish agent, Skandinavisk Moter of Copenhagen, and sold to its original owner on April 5th of 1939. Peter Morgens Skarring purchased it by 1949 and entered it in the Lufthavnsløbet race in Copenhagen on September 18th of 1949. He raced it in the 1950 Tulip Rally, the 1951 Viking Rally in Norway, and the inaugural 1950 Svenska Rally till Midnattssolen, which later became Rally Sweden.

The third owner acquired it in 1953, and it would subsequently change hands several times before being taken off the road in January 1964. The vehicle remained dormant for six years before it was sold in 1970. Following a workshop fire, the car was given a full restoration, with the chassis being restored by Yngve Falk. In 1992, the BMW was sold in unfinished condition to a new custodian who was unable to complete the car before passing away in 1999. The current owner's father acquired it from the seller's widow in September 1999. Yngve Falk was commissioned to manage the restoration, with the bodywork and interior being completed in Sweden. The braking system was rebuilt by TT Workshop in the UK which also supplied a BMW 328 engine with a Bristol cylinder head. The standard transmission was replaced with a synchromesh Volvo unit.

by Dan Vaughan

The BMW 328 Roadster was a compact two-seater with leather straps adorning the front hood and a very potent force in the racing scene. It was powered by a lightweight six-cylinder engine bred from the success of its siblings and fitted to a short-wheelbase chassis, the 328's was very sporty, culminating with a win at the 1940 Mille Miglia.

Racing has always been important; it perfects the breed and promotes the brand. BMW's six-cylinder engine from the 1934 315 became the basis for 328. The 1.5-liter version had modest success in its racing class, but more was required to keep it competitive in the under the 2-liter category. A new, larger version of the engine was developed, resulting in an increase in horsepower to 55 bhp. This was an increase of 15hp. The new engine was fitted to a chassis and dubbed the 319. Visually, few aesthetic differences existed between the 315 and the 319. They were nearly identical, except under-hood.

In 1936, the 326 was introduced. It was a larger vehicle to the 315 but had 55 horsepower. The increase in horsepower and size gave it only a slight increase in performance over its 315 siblings. The following year, a two-seater cabriolet version was introduced, called the 327. This, in a similar guise to the 319, was unable to match its performance resulting in slow sales.

BMW responded by improving its engine, creating a new cylinder head, and modifying the valve train. The valve train was very similar to other marque's of the day, such as Riley and Talbot, where a lateral camshaft actuated the inlet and outlet valves with push-rods and rocker arms. Installed opposite to one another, with each on either sides of the engine, resulting in a hemispherical combustion chamber. These modifications gave the engine a significant boost in power, up by 25bhp over its predecessor, to 80bhp.

In 1936, the engine made its debut in the 328 at the Eiffel Rennen race. It was piloted by Ernst Henne and easily won the 2-liter class. On its inaugural race, the engine had proven to be reliable and powerful. Privateers took notice, and help make the vehicle both a sales success and a dominant force on the racing circuit.

The 328 was given drum brakes in both front and rear, a rack-and-pinon steering setup, and a tubular steel chassis. The lightweight aluminum body concealed the 2-liter, six-cylinder engine and its available 80 horsepower. The engine had a cast-iron block and aluminum heads with two-valves per cylinder. The front suspension featured swing axles and transverse leaf springs while in the rear there was a live axle and semi-elliptic leaf springs. The engine was mated to a ZF four-speed manual gearbox and sent power to the rear wheels. The standard-wheelbase size for the roadsters was 94.5 inches and a length of 153.5 inches. With an overweight of around 1800 lbs, the pre-War BMW 328 was very lightweight, nimble, and fast.

The 328 came in various configurations, such as a roadster and cabriolets. Custom coachbuilders such as Wendler and Drauz, and Glaeser created many of the cabriolet versions, noted for their luxurious amenities and elegant style. The Roadster bodies were the standard configuration with most assembled by the factory. Touring was tasked with creating purpose-built versions for the 1939 24 Hours of LeMans. The 'Superlegerra' (Meaning lightweight) construction methods were used coupled with a design meant to minimize drag. The result was astonishing, with a fifth-place overall finish and an outright victory in the two-liter class.

For 1940, BMW turned their sights on the grueling Mille Miglia race. Five cars were entered and one emerged in first place. Baron Fritz Huschke von Kanstein drove a special-bodied BMW 328 Coupe to victory. It featured a streamlined body with aluminum and magnesium alloy construction. Overall, the 328's finished in first, third, fifth, and sixth at the 1940 Mille Miglia. The 3rd, 5th, and 6th positions were captured by roadster-bodied 328s. The final 328 version entered in the race was a limousine-bodied car that was tailored for racing and given aerodynamic features courtesy of Professor Wunibald Kamm. It was driven by Count Lurani but failed to finish the race.

During the production lifespan of the 328, BMW and Frazer Nash both produced 328s. BMW supplied the British-based Frazer Nash Company with rolling chassis. Total production for all 328 models was around 426 with around half still in existence.

The 328 engine would be used in the post-war Era, by BMW, Bristol, and AC in various forms. It would be used to power such cars as Cooper Bristols Formula 2 racers.

by Dan Vaughan

In 1936, BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) introduced the stylish and aerodynamic Type 328. The design of the vehicle, courtesy of Fritz Fiedler, provided excellent handling and the inline-six-cylinder engine produced excellent performance. The engine featured a cast-iron block and dual overhead valves per cylinder bank. The total output was around 80 horsepower. The engine was placed in the front and provided power to the rear wheels. The body panels were constructed of a lightweight alloy. The chassis was comprised of a tubular space frame construction.

As was sometimes the custom with many early European vehicles, the coachwork was handled by a custom coachbuilder. Examples exist where the famous Figoni et Falaschi Carrosserie of Paris, France outfitted the vehicle with exquisite designs.

The vehicle was very successful on the racing circuit winning such races as a class win at the Mille Miglia in 1938. In 1940 it was first in class and first overall. At the 1939 Le Mans 24 Hour race it place fifth overall and first in class. A 328 won the RAC Rally in 1939.

During the close of the 1940's, Jaguar introduced the XK-120, a vehicle that was similar in design to the BMW Type 328.

by Dan Vaughan