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By
DAVID PIKE
Bayerische Motoren-Werke (which translates to Bavarian Motor Works and
which we know today as BMW) was founded in 1916 principally to build
aircraft and aircraft engines. It branched into motorcycles in 1923,
producing its first flat-twin motorcycle in Munich. Its first production
of motor cars took place in 1923 when BMW acquired the Dixi company and
their motor works at Eisenach.
This car was called the BMW-Dixi and was based on
the English Austin 7, being built under licence. It had a
four-cylinder engine which BMW developed further into a 1.2-litre
six-cylinder engine, which was used to power the first true BMWs
and became known as the 3-series. The first of these, introduced
in 1932, was the independently-sprung 3/20 PS and this was
followed a year later by the 303.
Following the 303 a series of sporting sixes were
designed by Fritz Fiedler. The 315 was introduced in 1934-35 and
its 1,490cc engine fitted with three-carburettors developed 30kW.
In 1936 the engine capacity was enlarged to 1,875cc which, with
twin-carburettors, developed 33kW or up to 41kW with the three-carburettor
arrangement.
The most renowned pre-World War II BMWs were the
326, 327 and 328 sports sixes produced in the 1936 to 1939 period.
They had an ingenious ohv gear operated by cross-over pushrods.
The 328 was a highly developed three single downdraught
carburettor version of the 1,971cc, six-cylinder aluminium head
engine and was one of the few genuine 160km/h sportscars available
in the 1930s. This gave the car a power output of 60kW and enabled
it to win the 1938 Mille Miglia, while in 1939 a coup‚ version
finished fifth in the Le Mans 24 Hour race.
One of the most interesting features of the 328
was the use of relatively soft springing. Sports cars of that
period usually had a stiff suspension and a strong - and hence
heavy - chassis as this was believed necessary to achieve good
handling and road-holding. BMW took another route and built a
light but stiff chassis and coupled it with a relatively supple
suspension which worked well. A similar system is still in use in
many sports cars today. Rack and pinion steering was also used in
the 328 which was superior to other systems commonly used at that
time.
One visual feature of these cars which remained a
hallmark of all future BMWs was the narrow twin-oval grille. Only
460 of the 328s were produced up to the start of World War II and
today very few survive but from those that have we know that this
attractive sports car set a styling trend, especially with its
incorporation of headlights, wings and body into a single smooth
flowing unit, that many post war sports cars have since followed.
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