BMW 328

The BMW 328 made sports car and motorsport history in the 1930s, establishing itself as a milestone in automotive engineering while playing a significant part in the manufacturer’s enduring image of speed and dynamics.

BMW embarked on a completely new venture into sports cars, specifically the BMW 328, in June 1936. The small two-seater delivered the goods on its debut at the Nürburgring Eifelrennen race – the 80 bhp BMW 328 with its powerful two-litre six-cylinder engine far outpaced its significantly more powerful rivals. Success was unstoppable from then on; the little roadster continued to dominate its class, wiping away the competition at virtually all the racing events it competed in at the time. Weighing in at less than eight hundred kilos, the open-topped two-seater grew to be the most successful sports car in its class – a sensational achievement without even needing a supercharger.

Sporting triumph with unique aerodynamics

The BMW 328 owed much of its sporting success to its streamlined body design. Its distinctive features included elegantly curved wings as well as leather straps across its bonnet and spare tyre cover on the rear. The designers Rudolf Schleicher and Fritz Fiedler combined a variety of unique features in the roadster, notably its racy curves and lightweight build combined with the ideal engine for perfect handling. The BMW 328 – the manufacturer’s first six-cylinder – not only came first in class in 1930s motor racing, but also brought the German motor racing scene back to life after the Second World War until well into the 1950s.

A unique collector’s item from the 1930s

The BMW 328 is one of the most sought-after collector’s items today with only 464 built between 1936 and 1940. Fifty-nine left the factory in Eisenach with externally crafted coachwork rather than the rather austere standard roadster body; one of them is the 1938 model showcased at the ZeitHaus museum. Karl Weinberger of Munich supplied the elegant convertible body to be fitted onto the assembled chassis and running gear, helping create a mixture of sports car and luxury convertible for everyday use.