The BMW 328

The BMW 328 is a sports car made by BMW between 1936 and 1940, with the body designed by Peter Szymanowski, who became BMW chief of design after the World War II. Technically the car has been designed by Fritz Fiedler. It featured many advanced features for its time, such as a tubular space frame and a hemispherical combustion chamber engine. It was much praised at the time for its performance and handling, proving to be suitable not only for the BMW factory drivers, but also perfect for everyday motoring.

Specifications

• Engine : straight-6 OHV (light alloy cylinder head)
• Displacement : 1,971 cc (1.971 L; 120.3 cu in) (66 mm (2.6 in) Bore × 96 mm (3.8 in) Stroke)
• Compression ratio : 7,5 : 1
• Fuel feed : 3 Solex 30 JF downdraft carburetor
• Power : 80 PS (59 kW; 79 hp)@5000rpm*
• Valve train : Pushrod OHV, side cam shaft driven by duplex chain
• Fuel capacity : 50 L (13 US gal; 11 imp gal) (if needed 100 L (26 US gal; 22 imp gal) possible)
• Cooling : Pump (7,5 l water)
• Transmission : 4-speed
• Chassis : Aluminium body and steel ladder frame[2]
• Suspension front : swing axle with transverse leaf springs
• Suspension rear : live axle with leaf springs
• Shock absorbers : Hydraulic shock absorbers
• Brakes : 280 mm (11 in)-diameter hydraulic drum brakes
• Wheelbase : 2,400 mm (94 in)
• Track : 1,153 mm (45.4 in)/1,220 mm (48 in)
• External dimensions : 3,900 mm (150 in) × 1,550 mm (61 in) × 1,400 mm (55 in)
• Tires : 5.25 or 5.50–16
• Unloaded weight : 830 kg (1,830 lb)
• Top speed :150 km/h (93 mph)

Engine

• The engine has hemispherical or cross flow combustion chambers. The intake valves are opened by the usual overhead valve push rod arrangement of a side cam, push rods, and rocker arms. The exhaust valves, on the other side of the cylinder head, are opened by the same cam shaft, vertical push rods, rocker arms, horizontal push rods, and a second set of rocker arms.

Awards

• In 1999 the BMW 328 was named one of 25 finalists for Car of the Century by a worldwide panel of automotive journalists.

Motorsports

• It won the RAC Rally in 1939 and came in fifth overall (first in its class) in the 1939 Le Mans 24hours.

Mille Miglia

• In 1938, BMW 328 became a class winner in Mille Miglia.
• In 1940, the Mille Miglia Touring Coupe won the Mille Miglia with average speed of 166.7 km/h (103.6 mph).
• In 2004, the BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupe became the first car to win both the Mille Miglia (1940) and the modern-day classical version of the race.^[3]
  
  

Production

After the Second World War, the manufacturing plant in Eisenach where the 328 had been built found itself in the Russian occupation zone, and automobile manufacturing in Eisenach would follow a state directed path until German Reunification in 1989.

Influence on Bristols

One of the Mille Miglia 328s (disguised as a Frazer Nash) and BMW's technical plans for the car were taken from the bombed BMW factory by English representatives from the Bristol Aeroplane Company and Frazer Nash companies. Fiedler, the BMW engineer, was persuaded to come too. Bristol Cars was set up to build complete cars, called Bristols, and would also supply engines to Frazer Nash for all their post-war cars. The first Bristol car, the 400, was heavily based on the BMW plans. This Bristol engine was also a common option in AC cars, before the Cobra.

( source : Wikipedia )