1939 BMW 328 Saloon Racer

1939 BMW 328 Saloon Racer

Now before you get in a huff that I’m writing about a Bimmer rather than a Buick, let me tell you why this car is important in my opinion, and a significant influence on what we build and race in HAMB world. First you have to ask what is the pure essence of a hot rod? Its taking something heavy and presumably slow, and making it lighter, more efficient, and hopefully faster/ better handling.

The 328 was a roadster made by BMW between 1936 and 1940, designed by chief engineer Fritz Fiedler. In 1939, the 328 was redesigned to be a purpose-built closed racer to maximize aerodynamics. It possessed radical components for its time, starting with an all aluminum and magnesium tubular chassis that weighed a mere 70.5 pounds! Bodywork (by Touring of Milan) was an ultra thin aluminum skin stretched over the lattice skeleton bringing the entire car’s weight to T bucket-like 1675 pounds. The 6 cylinder engine was equally radical, featuring hemispherical combustion chambers making an honest 135 horsepower, topping the car out at 137 mph.  It participated in most major competitions and won its two liter class almost every time out. Often, the 328 would outclass its larger opposition with it’s tiny but efficient power source. It also won the RAC Rally in 1939 and came in fifth overall (first in its class) in the 1939 Le Mans 24 hours. The 1940 Mille Miglia was the crowning win for the BMW coupe, when over 15 minutes passed before Alfa Romeo came home in second place.

I took the chassis photos below at the BMW museum in Munich last week, and if you find yourself in Germany, it’s worth the visit for sure. The pre-war racers, both motorcycle and car, are really inspiring. There are so many vintage engineering and styling cues that will likely give you a few ideas on your own projects.

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