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Cars of the '30s
Starting for the very first time in the Alpine Rally, the
BMW Dixi scored its first victory for BMW. The small car built under a British licence had hardly acquired the white and blue symbol when three
Dixis driven by Buchner, Kandt and Wagner won the performance test over the highest Alpine passes in 1929.
Two years later, in the first 6,210-mile rally from Berlin via France and Spain to Portugal and via Italy, Yugoslavia and Austria back to Berlin - a total distance including diversions of no less
than 7,140 miles - three Works cars and one private team continued this outstanding success story.
The BMW Dixi had only 750 cc and 15-18 bhp, but boasted a top speed
of 62 mph.
BMW's real success story in car racing started in 1933 with the introduction of 6-cylinder engines. Three brand-new
BMW 315/1 won their class in the 2,000-km German Rally in 1934.
The Munich factory then really hit the headlines at Nurburgring in 1936. We not only celebrated Ralph Roese's victory in his 315/1, but also congratulated Ernst Henne on his overall win in the
brand-new BMW 328 that only became available through BMW dealerships 10 weeks later.
With its characteristic three-carburetor engine, the BMW 328 left its stamp on BMW motorsport for two decades.
Even after World War II, the design principle of this car lived
on in other models. Connoisseurs claim that the BMW 328 was indeed the only real German sports car before the war.
Even in pre-war days BMW engines tuned for competition developed up to 135 bhp. And the tubular space frames for the aerodynamic
aluminum bodies weighed a mere 93 pounds. BMW calls these
coupes streamliners.
June 18, 1939,
a streamlined BMW Coupe with a drag coefficient of about 0.30 leaves the starting line of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. After the race-round-the-clock and a triple victory in its class,
this outstanding car had improved the record speed from 74.8 mph to 82.3 mph. But the greatest success of all was the 1940 Mille Miglia, with BMW cars finishing in positions 1, 3, 5 and 6.
See Also:
Veritas
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| 315/1 |
1934
From the start, BMW cars were for sporty motoring. To supplement the standard 1.5- and 1.9-liter models, BMW launched the 315/1 and 319/1 in the mid-'30s: special versions with 3 carbs, higher compression and 40/55 bhp. Top speed was
75 and 81 mph respectively.
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| 328 |
1936
Total production of the 328 from 1936 to 1940 was just 462 units. With hemispherical combustion chambers and inclined-V valves, this 2-liter developed 80 bhp and a top speed of 96 mph. More than 160 of this most successful pre-war BMW
have been preserved to this day.
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328 Mille Miglia Coupe |
1939
With an average speed of 103.4 mph, this Mille Miglia coupe was the winner on the 1,000-mile course in 1940. Achieving a top speed of 130 mph, this car excels by its power-to-weight ratio of only 5 kg/bhp.
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| 328 Mille Miglia roadster |
1940
Proceeding from the 328, BMW then developed this roadster for the 1,000-mile race in Italy in 1940. With its lightweight construction and aerodynamic streamlining, this car raced in the 1940 Mille Miglia and achieved a top speed of 139
mph.
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