BMW 328 Although it was called the Alpine Trial, that famous long-distance road event was Europe'
Although it was called the Alpine Trial, that famous long-distance road event was Europe's toughest rally before the Second World War. It spanned several Alpine countries, lasted five to six days, and took in the most gruelling of moun-tain passes. In the 1929 event a new "young" make figured among the Coupe des Alpes winners—the German BMW; initials of great renown in the aircraft and motorcycle worlds, but unknown then as a car manufacturer. The car was, in fact, a renamed Dixi-built Austin Seven, the Bayerische Motoren Werke having taken over the Dixi factory at Eisenach and continued production of the Germanised, left-hand drive Austins under licence, as BMWs. These gave them the entrée they sought into the motor industry, but as makers of aero-engines and a very advanced transverse twin, shaft-drive motorcycle, BMW had far too much talent to rest content with such a bread-and-butter product. Despite the current economic gloom, their chief designer Dr Fritz Fiedler inaugurated improvements which transformed the little car by 1932, with ohv engine and independent suspension. Two years later they dropped the Seven and moved into the 1.1 and 14 litre classes with some highly promising small ohv sixes. The 11- litre unit gave 34bhp in standard form, and was fitted into a short wheelbase tubular chassis with independent front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering, Three such cars ran in the 1934 Alpine Trial and defeated the British Frazer Nash team to win the 1-I litre class. Much impressed by the agile little German cars, Frazer Nash chief H. J. Aldington took prompt "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" action and secured UK import rights for BMW cars, thereby introducing the British to new standards of sports car motoring early the follow-ing year. Meantime Dr Fiedler had enlarged the engine still further to 65 x 96mm, giving 1,911cc for the Type 319 of 1935, and yet further to 66 x 96mm (1,971cc) for the 326 model released at the Berlin Show early in 1936. These were advanced designs and from them was derived BMW's most sensational car yet, the Type 328 sports model. At that stage in the short, violent life of Germany's Third Reich, emphasis was very much on national prestige. Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union carried the banner in Grand Prix spheres, and although BMW had begun a motorcycle racing programme, they now moved into sports car racing as well. Their weapon was the Type 328, which they intended to sell in considerable numbers to private owners, besides operating an official team to contest the International 2 litre class. Aiming for optimum performance with reliability, Fiedler devised a varia-tion on the Talbot-Lago method of achieving "hemi-head" and angled valve efficiency without resort to overhead camshafts. The pushrods operated one set of inclined valves, while rockers and cross-pushrods actuated the opposite
Origin of a distinguished species: the 328 sports BMW was evolved from this earlier 11 litre 6-cylinder touring BMW which scored a notable class victory in the 1934 Alpine Trial. Very advanced for its time, the chassis had tubular side members, transverse leaf indepen-dent front suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering valves. The head was of aluminium, and with three Solex downdraught carburet-tors above paired vertical inlet ports, 80bhp was attained at 4,500rpm on a 71 :1 compression ratio. This smooth, potent unit was installed in a light but very rigid welded tubular chassis with 7ft 10 in wheelbase and hydraulic brakes. Delahaye/Talbot style independent front suspension by a single transverse leaf and wishbones was employed, but of lighter interpretation. Rear springing was by semi-elliptics, while direct and precise rack-and-pinion steering was used. Aerodynamically clean and attractive light-alloy two-seater bodywork had integral wings and running boards, recessed headlights and a forward-opening one-piece "alligator"-type bonnet giving easy engine acces-sibility. Eighty horsepower with a road weight of under 1,8301b meant a 95mph fully-equipped sports car which could be sold for £695 in Britain. By com-parison, the contemporary 2 litre Aston Martin sports two-seater gave 110bhp, weighed 2,5801b, attained 82.8mph and cost £575 with very basic road equip-ment. A tuned and modified BMW 328 could easily top 110mph, but although it was raced—and won—extensively, the car was good for more than speed; it was just as suitable for use in a long-distance rally or on a muddy English trials hill as in any race lasting 2 miles or 24 hours, while it could take two people and a modicum of luggage on a long tour or into town for theatre or dinner. "Bay-em-Vay" racing successes were innumerable, outstanding among them being their 2-litre class wins in the 1937 Eifelrennen and 1938 Mille Miglia by the British driver A. F. P. Fane, a 1-2-3 class win and team prize in the 1936 Ulster TT, and other class wins in the
1937 TT, 1938 Antwerp, Spa 24 Hours, Avus and Chimay races, and 1939 Le Mans and Tobruk–Tripoli. At Brook-lands in 1937 a 328 averaged 102.2mph for 1 hour on pump fuel, while their biggest win of all came in the 1940 Mille Miglia with a coupe at 103.5mph —a lustrous close to the 328's official career. After the martial interlude Dr Fiedler's engine lived on a further 15 years or so, under the name of Bristol, the British aircraft concern who revived this bril-liant unit for use in their own cars, in the post-war Frazer Nash, and in Cooper, Lister, AC and other prominent British sports and racing cars. As to the lovely little 328 car, the high prices it commands at today's auctions are eloquent of its value to connoisseurs, forty years after its heyday.
Specification Engine : 6 cylinders in line, aluminium head; 66 x 96mm, 1,971cc; ohv operated by vertical and cross pushrods; triple Solex
The clean, incisive lines of the Type 328 sports two-seater BMW are apparent in this view. That its performance lived up to its looks and advanced specification was amply borne out by the large number of 2litre class wins gained by the 328 before and after the war Below: In victory formation, three white works BMW Type 328s driven by Roese, Briem and Heinemann run clean away with the 2 litre class of the 1938 Antwerp GP in Belgium. The cars generally raced with the rear wheel spats removed in the interests of accessibility
downdraught carburetters; Bosch coil ignition; 4-bearing crankshaft; 80bhp at 4,50Orpm. Transmission : Dry single-plate clutch; 4-speed gearbox (synchromesh on 3rd and 4th) in unit with engine; open propellor shaft; spiral-bevel final drive. Chassis: Welded steel tubular frame; independent front suspension by transverse leaf spring and wishbones; semi-elliptic rear springs; hydraulic dampers all round; hydraulic brakes. Dimensions : Wheelbase, 7ft l0-in; front track, 3ft 9jin; rear track, 4ft Oin; approx. car weight, 1,8301b.
