mobile tradition live...dear friends of the bmw group, bmw group mobile tradition is launching a new...

BMW convertiblesThere have been BMW convertibles eversince BMW cars came on the scene. An“open” journey through time

BMW Group Mobile TraditionLiving tradition at the BMW Group. A cross-section through all activities

Motorcycle racingMotorsport history at the BMW Groupbegan with motorcycles. Big names and big successes recall the racesbefore the war

In September 2003, BMW will provide animpressive link between the launch of the6 Series and a tradition of convertiblesextending back almost 75 years.

In a product range encompassing smallcars through to luxury automobiles, con-vertibles were part of BMW tradition almostfrom the start. BMW launched the first con-vertible in 1929. The BMW 3/15 PS wasjust three metres in length with a 750 ccdisplacement and 15 bhp. It was manufac-tured under an Austin Seven licence, at thattime the most successful small car.

BMW “Open” – the history of the BMW convertible

The models got faster and more powerfuluntil the 327 Type was manufactured as thefirst purely luxury model. The enthusiasm ofcar aficionados for convertibles started upagain in 1954 following a break caused bythe war. The trend continued with the“Topcabriolets” (semi-convertibles) of the1970s and then the highly successful 3 Series convertibles. They are now pro-duced in five basic models with an almostinexhaustible range of different versions.

For an overview of the history of BMWconvertibles see page 14.

BMW GroupMobile Tradition

BMW and motorcycle racing 0

Anniversaries in the year 2003

Start of volume productionfor the first BMW product

Mobile Tradition liveFacts and background

www.bmw-mobiletradition.com | Mobile Tradition | Volume 01 | Issue 01 | March 2003History moves with us

FactsThe most important events, dates andanniversaries in the coming months

Page 14-18

Page 10-13

Page 6-9

Page 3-5

BMW 3 Series

85 years

70 years

70 years

30 years

20 years

BMW 132 – first big radialengine from BMW

The first BMW six-cylindercar appears

BMW Group head office andBMW Museum

The first BMW with dieselengine

BMW 335 BMW 3/15

Dear Friends of the BMW Group,

BMW Group Mobile Tradition is launching a new medium: Mobile Tradition live. This isideally timed to coincide with Europe’s biggest classic car fair, the Techno Classica inEssen. Mobile Tradition live will bring you quarterly reports and background informa-tion from the history of the BMW Group, the products and the brands. There will alsobe information on associated historical events and people. The BMW Group will use this new medium to reflect the successful developments ofyesteryear. It will also provide an additional platform for enthusiasts of historic vehiclesand friends of the brands manufactured by the Group. Recent years have highlighted

a significant fact: classic car fans and owners are not the only people to appreciate tradition –we are experiencing this resonance throughout the public domain. Enthusiasm for historicvehicles has been growing continuously for some years now. BMW has played an importantrole in this process: after all, we have the biggest proactive club scene in this sector.Mobile Tradition live will bring history to life in detailed reports and documentary image mate-rial, examples of restoration projects from our extensive collection of vehicles, features andarticles on the most important events across the world. We will show you all the other ser-vices offered by BMW Group Mobile Tradition at the beginning of this issue (page 6).We should now like to wish you a pleasurable journey down memory lane.

Read and enjoy!

Holger Lapp

Holger Lapp, Director of BMW Group Mobile Tradition

Editorial

Responsible: Holger Lapp (see below for address)

BMW Group Mobile TraditionSchleißheimer Straße 416 / BMW Allee

80935 Munichwww.bmw-mobiletradition.com

Publication details

Page 02

BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Tangible mobility, living history Page 06

BMW motorcycles: BMW and early motorcycle racing Page 10

BMW „Open“: The history of the BMW convertible Page 14

Absolutely unique: The BMW 3200 CS Convertible, a unique car Page 19

Contents Issue 01.2003

Dates, facts, anniversaries: The most important events in the coming months Page 03

Ernst Henne at the world record attempt nearWiener Neustadt in 1931.Read all about it from Page 10.

BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Dates & Facts

Motorcycle parts catalogue 2003BMW motorcycles have now been mak-ing a substantial contribution to the his-tory of BMW for 80 years. A newexpanded edition of the parts cataloguefor historic motorcycles manufacturedbetween the years 1948 and 1969 isbeing published to celebrate theanniversary year.

This edition also includes nearly 70new products, ranging from wire spokesin various sizes to all types of contactbreaker set, and from shock absorbersto speedometers for classic motorcy-cles. Once again, the catalogue has avery clear structure and parts can beeasily identified in the layout. All partscan be ordered at BMW dealers. The 40-page motorcycle parts cata-logue will be available in two languageversions (English/German) from thebeginning of April at any BMW dealer.The order number is 01 20 5 590 032.

Mobile Tradition live / Issue 01.2003 Page 03

Facts Fakten Faits Fatti

10 to 13 April 2003 / Essen (D)Techno Classica Exhibition, Essen Trade Fair, hall 12,biggest classic car show in the world.

25 to 28 April 2003 / Cernobbio (I)Concorso d´Eleganza Villa d´EsteRally of historic automobiles through nor-thern Italy.

22 to 25 May 2003 / Brescia (I)Mille MigliaRally, recreation of the legendary racesfrom the first half of the 20th century.Showcase for great BMW successes.

29 May to 1 June 2003 / Schwerin (D)27th International Annual MeetingRally, organized by BMW Veterans Club.

3 to 6 July 2003 / Montafon (A)Silvretta ClassicHistoric Alpine rally through the Austrian Alps.

4 to 6 July 2003 / Garmisch-Partenkirchen (D)3rd International Bikers’ MeetingExhibition and rally, a must for fans ofhistoric motorcycles.

11 to 13 July 2003 / Goodwood (GB)Goodwood Festival of SpeedExhibition and race on the site of thefamous historic races and the new Rolls-Royce facility.

April 2003 May 2003 July 2003

Dates and events

BMW Group Mobile Tradition at Techno Classica

Munich. This date is a must. Everyonetaking part in this event has a good time:Essen’s Techno Classica is the biggestmeeting point for friends of classic carsacross Europe. 2003 will once again seeBMW Group Mobile Tradition presentingvisitors with a wide range of exhibits ingenerous surroundings covering 2,000 m2

in Hall 12. Here are the most importantexhibits at this year’s show:

The stand will feature some of the jew-els in the rich tradition of the BMW con-vertible, focusing on the slogan “BavarianOpen”: from the BMW 3/15 Convertible,reaching a speed of 75 km/h on 15 bhp, tothe first BMW M3 Convertible, with aspeed well in excess of 230 km/h. Thehighlight is absolutely unique: the BMW3200 CS Convertible was a present fromthe Board of Management of BMW AG toHerbert Quandt, the major shareholderwhose intervention in 1959 preserved thecompany’s independence. Bertone con-verted the V8 Coupé into a convertible.Three anniversaries form additional focal

points: BMW has been building motorcy-cles for 80 years, the BMW M1 waslaunched 25 years ago, and in 1983 – 20years ago – Nelson Piquet won theFormula 1 World Championship in theBrabham BMW BT 52. The first R 32model manufactured in 1923, with a Boxerengine and cardan drive, is also presentedon the stand, together with a new highlightin the collection: a BMW supercharger lastused by racing legend John Surtees, in itsoriginal pre-war condition.

The BMW M1 is represented by a pro-duction model and two racing versions. Thecar that won the 1983 World Championship– an F1 Brabham BMW Turbo BT 52 – is asymbol of the BMW Group’s commitmentto Formula 1. In line with tradition, the brandclubs are again represented in the hall ofBMW Group Mobile Tradition. A new com-munications profile for BMW GroupMobile Tradition is also being launched atTechno Classica. A completely restruc-tured homepage can be found by clickingon www.bmwgroup.com/history.

Facts Fakten Faits Fatti

Page 04

Parts catalogue now also online

The parts catalogue provides indispensa-ble assistance if you are restoring a historicvehicle. As from May 2003, this cataloguewill also be available on the Internet. Therewill be pictures of all spare parts in the sec-tion Parts Sale on the home pagewww.bmw-mobiletradition.com. Ongoingupdates ensure that the latest data isalways available for Isetta, 1500 – 2000 CS,1502 – 2002 tii, 2500 – 3.3 Li, 2.5 CS – 3.0CSL, E12, E21, E23, E24, E26 (M1) andZ1. There is also a list of part numbers.Spare parts can be purchased throughyour BMW dealer. Lists detailing monthlymanufacture of replica parts over the pasttwelve months can be called up. A simpleregistration process gives you access tothis database. Access is granted two work-ing days after registration.

Accessories catalogue 2003A new expanded collectors and acces-sories catalogue is being published thisyear. It includes a rangeof special products formotorcycle enthusiastsin celebration of the 80thanniversary of BMWmotorcycles: lovingly de-signed miniatures, likethe anniversary editionof the BMW R 32 on anacrylic plinth and theprecision manufacturedR 90 S, a beautifulmotorcycle Knirpsumbrella, a motorcyclecap and a hand-craftedBoxer key ring.

In addition, there are32 additional new prod-ucts focusing on BMWautomobiles. 19 high-quali-ty miniatures range frommodels in the 02 Series suchas a 2002 Baur Convertible,two red M3 E30s and a light green Isettawith a camping trailer, through to the M1.Some model cars will be available in newcolours from spring. Four miniatures fromthe “Art Car Museum Edition” will beavailable for the first time: the master-pieces by Alexander Calder, Andy Warhol,Sandro Chia and Jenny Holzer. The 120-page Accessories Catalogue will be avail-able in four languages from the beginningof April 2003.

Cernobbio/Munich. The ConcorsodÉleganza Villa dÉste in Cernobbio,Northern Italy, is the only traditionalConcours dÉlegance still in existencethat covers the entire spectrum fromclassic dream cars to modern conceptcars and prototypes.

The organizers are expecting a fan-tastic cross-section spanning designand automobile history from the year1920 to the year 1970 at Lake Como inNorthern Italy on 26 and 27 April.

All vehicles have to meet strict FIVAcriteria (Féderation Internationale desVehicules Anciens) and are either pre-

Concorso dÉleganza Villa dÉste 2003

Munich. BMW Group Mobile Tradition isnow responsible for handling the For-mula 1 exhibition cars from BMWWilliams. This covers the entire schedul-ing process, logistics, transport and sup-port for the cars by operations manage-ment at Mobile Tradition.

This arrangement offers a lot ofadvantages. It makes use of an existingorganization with outstanding profession-al expertise and an established pool of

Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The firstweekend of July 2003 is the date: the 3rd

BMW Motorcycle Bikers’ Meeting will beattracting lots of riders and fans of themotorcycles made in Bavaria to theBavarian mountains.

The 2nd International BMW Motor-cycle Bikers’ Meeting hosted 17,000motorcyclists and was a fantastic suc-cess. This event has now become anestablished date in the international bik-ers’ calendar.

The dream landscape and the goodexperience has persuaded BMW to optfor Garmisch-Partenkirchen once again.This means that you too will be able toenjoy the unique hospitality in this partof Germany.

An extremely varied and excitingprogramme has again been put togetherfor riders and visitors. It will ensure thatthe 3rd International BMW MotorcycleBikers’ Meeting from 4-6 July 2003 is a

truly special experience. A big exhibitionfeaturing many highlights will celebratethe 80th anniversary of BMW motorcyclehistory. Naturally enough, BMW motor-cycle riders’ gear and accessories willalso be available for sale, including T-shirts and caps specially designed forthe bikers’ meeting.

All drivers of historic vehicles arewarmly invited to take part in our ClassicCorso and experience the unique flair ofhistory on the move in the company oflike-minded enthusiasts.

Make sure you note this date inGarmisch-Partenkirchen in your diaryright now. Book your room today atTourist Information, Freya Hofmann, bymailing [email protected] or phoningTel. +49 (0) 88 21-18 07 26. You can findmore information by going to the website http://www.bmw-motorrad.de/ bikermeeting, or calling Astrid Busch on+49 (0) 89-38 23 75 48.

Third International BMW Motorcycle Bikers’ Meeting

sented in their original condition or faith-fully restored in line with the original.

The Concorso was held for the firsttime in 1929. Recently, it has been givennew impetus by selective integration ofnew sponsors. Dr Jean-Marc Droulers,President of Villa dÉste S.p.a., ex-plained the role of the sponsors: “TheBMW Group provides Villa dÉste S.p.a.with a principal sponsor that can be inte-grated perfectly within the concept. Theimage of a premium manufacturer with along and illustrious tradition makes theinvolvement of the BMW Group excep-tionally positive.”

transport equipment. Mobile Tradition candraw on more than 20 years of experiencein handling vehicles from the historic col-lection and the BMW Art Car Collectionthroughout the world.

If you happen to see a vehicle like thatin a TV studio during a sports broadcast,at a dealer presentation or some otherevent around the globe where BMW isinvolved, it will have come from BMWGroup Mobile Tradition.

Formula 1 exhibition cars in action


BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Anniversaries

Anniversaries in BMW’s corporate history

85 years

70 years

70 years

30 years

The first BMW with a diesel engineA diesel engine and typical BMW dynamic driving – can the tworeally be combined? This was the question customers and peo-ple at BMW alike were asking themselves in mid-1983 when the524td came on the scene. It was the first BMW to be launchedwith a diesel engine.

One thing soon became clear: the 524td was a genuineBMW. Anyone who equated diesel cars with thrift, long life, anda stolid temperament had to revise their ideas on the last point inview of its performance. An acceleration of 0 – 100 km/h in lessthan 13 seconds and a top speed of 180 km/h preserved even“old” BMW hands from experiencing a loss of power.

The 85 kW (115 bhp) 2.4 litre six-cylinder diesel engine withturbocharger was developed at the factory of BMW MotorenGesellschaft mbH in Steyr, Austria. The company started operat-ing in 1980 and from 1983 this was one of the engines manufac-tured there. Success proved BMW right. During the five years itwas in production, more than 74,000 cars with the first BMWdiesel engine were sold. Today, BMW powers four model serieswith ultramodern diesel power units.

20 years

BMW design engineers Fritz Fiedler and Rudolf Schleicher hadcreated a completely new car. Customers could purchase thesmallest six-cylinder engine in Germany at a price of 3,600reichsmarks. It was packaged as a saloon in a modern all-steelbodywork, or, at a slightly higher price, powered a range of attrac-tive, open-top models. After being in production for about a year,with 2,300 cars being produced, this 30 bhp original model in theBMW six-cylinder tradition travelling at 90 km/h was replaced bythe more powerful 315 model in spring 1934.

Start of volume production for first BMW product1917 sees development of the first product to come off the pro-duction lines of Bayerische Motoren Werke at SchleißheimerStraße 288 in Munich – the BMW IIIa aeroengine. Max Friz designedthe power unit for the 200 bhp class. The first design drawings wereavailable in May and on 17 September the engine was on the testrig. After a successful maiden flight for the IIIa in December 1917,volume production started up at the beginning of 1918.

Large reserves of power at considerable altitudes and low fuelconsumption made this engine an extremely interesting proposi-tion for the armed forces during the First World War. It was primari-ly used in the Fokker D VII and in the Junkers Ju A 20 and Ju F 13aircraft. Demand for the BMW IIIa very soon outstripped productioncapacities at BMW, so the military authorities ordered it to be man-ufactured in parallel at Opel. The military authorities were alsoresponsible for the fact that the first BMW product was designatedwith a three instead of a one. At the beginning of 1917 the “In-spection of Flying Units” introduced uniform model designationsfor aeroengines. The Roman numeral referred to the performanceclass. Class I was reserved for engines from 100 to 105 bhp TheBMW engine was 185 bhp and was assigned to category III.

BMW Head Office and BMW MuseumAt the close of the 1960s, the central Munich plant was burstingat the seams. Years of expansion by the company had forced anincreasing number of departments to relocate outside the com-plex. The objective was to build a new administrative building toprevent fragmentation of the BMW organization. This buildingwould integrate the central control and planning departments ofthe Group on the site south of the plant.

The design of Viennese architect Prof. Karl Schwanzer cre-ated a striking ensemble by uniting an office tower – the “BMW-Four-cylinder-building” – with a circular museum building – the“Museum-silver-bowl” – and a flat functional building. The avant-garde suspended high-rise building was developed in an innova-tive lift-slab method of construction.

The new BMW Museum was not intended to present a stat-ic history of the company. It was projected as a “continuation ofthe road within an enclosed space”, providing a dynamic tour ofBMW’s corporate and product history. The building was con-structed in less than three years. BMW presented it to the publicon 18 May 1973 in a grand opening ceremony.

The first BMW six-cylinder is launchedEven today, the sleek and powerful six-cylinder in-line engineforms the heart of most BMW cars. This story began 70 years agoin a small car. In mid-1929, the first BMW car was launched, a cardeveloped further under the Austin Seven licence. The first carprincipally designed by BMW came in 1932: a small Type 3/20 PS.

BMW took the first step up into the next class in 1933 withthe first six-cylinder model 303. Within a short space of time, the

BMW 132 – the first big radial engine from BMWBMW took over the licence for manufacturing air-cooled radialengines from US aircraft manufacturer Pratt & Whitney AircraftCompany on 3 January 1928. The nine-cylinder model Pratt &Whitney Hornet was initially manufactured virtually unchangedunder the designation BMW Hornet.

Soon BMW embarked on its own development. The result wasthe BMW 132 that went into production in 1933. A number of dif-ferent versions were built. Aside from the carburettor designs usedmainly in civilian aircraft, versions with direct fuel injection weremanufactured for the German Luftwaffe. The engines had a cubiccapacity of 27.7 litres and generated up to 1200 bhp, depending onthe model. Use of this engine in the Junkers Ju 52 turned the BMW132 into one of the most important aeroengines for civilian aircraftduring the 1930s. Numerous pioneering flights were undertakenwith the BMW 132. The most impressive was the first direct flightfrom Berlin to New York in a Focke Wulf Fw 200 S-1 Condor fittedwith four BMW 132 engines. It covered the distance to New York in24 hours and 57 minutes on 10 August 1938.

The first vehicle collection – opened at the facility in 1967.

As early as 1930, BMW presented the R 32 as the first “classicmotorcycle” at the Paris Motor Show. At that time, the motorcy-cle was only seven years old. Bayerische Motoren Werke hadlaunched it as the company’s first motorcycle model seven yearspreviously. Up to that time, the company had been solely con-cerned with the manufacture of aeroengines. Although this busi-ness was extremely successful, there were substantial restric-tions in place following the Versailles Treaty.

The R 32 is the illustrious ancestor of all BMW motorcycles.With 500 cc and 8.5 bhp it propelled riders to a speed of 95 km/h.At the 1933 Berlin Motor Show, it marked the tenth motorcycleanniversary, living proof of the company’s ambition to manufac-ture classics right from the start.

The first reference to a works archive is recorded in 1943. Atthat time, the archive was part of the advertising department andany important technical information on all the products manufac-tured was filed here. Although this archive was moved during thewar in order to protect it from destruction, it changed hands andcame under different ownership. In 1947 BMW bought thearchive back at a price typical for the times: it cost two cubicmetres of wood.

BMW celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1966. Following thecrisis at the end of the 1950s when thecompany was close to bankruptcy, fullorder books gave the company confi-dence to hold the celebrations with a newself-assurance. The high point of the cel-ebrations was a lavish ceremony at theMunich Opera House. The first companychronicle with numerous historical docu-ments was published to celebrate a HalfCentury of BMW.

The following year, the companyhoused its collection of automobiles in a

museum on the factory site and opened the doors to the public.Although the scope of the museum was rather modest, it laiddown a marker. An exhibition area needed to be created to housethe company’s history. This was a heritage that the foundingfathers had already looked back on with pride in the early stages– even then they had a perspective on the future. 1973 saw theofficial opening of the BMW Museum.

Since that time, hundreds of thousands of visitors havepassed through the museum’s portals each year to look backon the company’s history. The interest of BMW enthusiastshad grown over the years and three years later, in November1976, the first BMW Veterans’ Club was established, withclose links to BMW AG.

At the end of the 1970s, official interest was awakened inautomobile and motorcycle history. At that time, the two-volumecorporate history The BMW Story by Horst Mönnich was pub-lished. There were also two further extensive publications onautomobile and motorcycle history at BMW by Halwart Schraderand Stefan Knittel.

Tradition was also given greater prominence within the com-pany in order to enhance the profile of the brand. The in-houseautomobile collection was expanded from the mid-1980s and

there was an increased drive to presentthe vehicles at ever more prestigiousevents – nationally and internationally. Adual strategy became established: com-plementing the BMW Museum at headoffice, a Rolling Museum enabled enthusi-asts across the globe to experience thefascination of the BMW brand.

In 1994, the establishment of BMWGroup Mobile Tradition firmly anchored thecelebration of heritage within the corpo-rate structure.

Bayerische Motoren Werke and its history– keeping tradition alive with passion The history of BMW goes back to the year 1917. BMW Group Mobile Tradition has been responsible for seamless documentation and presentationof corporate, brand and product history since 1994. However, BMW started to record its heritage at a much earlier date.

Celebration of the company’s 50th anniversary

In 1994, BMW created Mobile Tradition inorder to provide the structural conditions forcomprehensive, professional and completeintegration of corporate history across theGroup. Right from the start, the function ofMobile Tradition was not just preservation.Its main thrust was to make tradition a livingexperience in the present day. The primaryconcern at BMW Group Mobile Tradition isresponsibility for all active and inactivebrands – including MINI and Rolls-Royce,the inactive brands Triumph and Riley, whilealso including the Dixi and Glas brands aspart of the BMW brand heritage.

The motto “History moves with us”should definitely be taken literally. All vehi-cles represented in what is very nearly acomplete collection of vehicles at BMWGroup Mobile Tradition are ready to takethe road at a moment’s notice. They fre-quently feature as mobile exhibits atevents and tours. The mission of BMWGroup Mobile Tradition is to preserve theheritage of the Group. Comprehensivepresentation of brand history and BMWcorporate history is always linked up withthe company’s current activities. The aimis always to present a living experience ofhistoric mobility using dynamic approach-es to exhibitions and activities.

BMW Group Mobile Tradition makesthe arrangements for all the activities andservices related to presenting the history ofthe company and the brands of the BMWGroup. BMW Group Mobile Tradition isdivided into the following areas: Archive,Historic Vehicle Collection, Service, Partsand Accessories, BMW Museum, Commu-nication and Events. Another key elementis management of the numerous BMWClubs. BMW Group Mobile Tradition pro-vides them with information, organizationand in some cases even extends support toproviding a degree of financial assistance.

Information and knowledge: the archive

The BMW Group Mobile Tradition archiveis where all documentation is collected,

stored and disseminated for further use.This archive includes information on com-pany, brand and product history, for exam-ple information on all the vehicles, theirtechnical data, design drawings and repairmanuals. The archive centre is the centralcontact for all internal departments if theyrequire historical information of any type.

The archive is also an impor-tant contact for queries from jour-nalists, authors, historians and oth-ers concerned with the tradition ofthe BMW Group and its products.Anyone with an interest in BMWcan carry out Internet research inthe BMW Archive using an individ-ual password that is provided freeof charge. The most advancedarchive technology is beingdeployed to organize the data.Many hundreds of thousands ofdocuments ranging from instruc-tions, photos and posters to files,prospectuses and trophies can be


BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Company

called up by anyone who is using thearchive. Databases can be accessed bysimply clicking on the address www.his-torischesarchiv.bmw.de. These databasescover the period from the year of establish-ment of the company in 1916 to the 1970sand they are continually being updated bythe addition of subsequent years.

BMW Group Mobile Tradition: tangiblemobility, living historyFor the past nine years, BMW Group Mobile Tradition has been established as an organization responsible for preserving and communicating thecompany’s history across the Group.

The archive: central office for all documents on BMW history.

The head office of BMW Group Mobile Tradition in Munich – next-door to BMW’s research andinnovation centre.

Cars designed by famous artists over thelast 40 years are exhibited beside cars thathave starred in Hollywood films. Each ofthese priceless treasures makes its ownspecial contribution to this extensive col-lection that BMW is proud to make accessi-ble to a broad public.

The name Mobile Tradition reflectsthe goal of bringing a tradition of heritageand engineering to life. This is achievedthrough the collection of historic vehiclesand by faithful restoration programmes.The original purpose of mobility is therebypresented for the future generations. Allthe vehicles in the collection are in run-ning order and regularly take their rightfulplace in several hundred missions eachyear, preferably in the fast-growing leisure

Tangible mobility, living history

market of activities focussing on classicvehicles. One outstanding example of amobile tradition is the historic Mille Migliarace, where the cars taking part drive1,600 kilometres along the length andbreadth of Italy.

The goal of turning history into anexperience is given realistic and tangibleform for millions of spectators. During the1930s, BMW celebrated some big racingsuccesses at this legendary pre-war racingevent. Its fame lives on to this very day withthe nickname “Mille Miglia” for the BMW328 – a regular participant in these events.

Service non-stop: parts and accessories

BMW Group Mobile Tradition guaranteesaficionados a comprehensive parts supplyso that they can carry out faithful restora-tion of BMW classic cars. This ensures thatthe BMW tradition is kept alive and mobile,with historic BMW vehicles remaining atangible expression of a motoring heritagedriving along roads across the world. BMWGroup Mobile Tradition supplies owners ofhistoric vehicles with all spare parts 15years after volume production ceases. Thisinvolves an inventory of spare parts, com-ponents and accessories running into tensof thousands.

BMW advises dealers and ownersand manages the entire process of distri-bution and logistics. The workshop ofBMW Group Mobile Tradition has a teamof highly specialized mechanics andcraftsmen working on repairing andrestoring all the vehicles housed in thehistoric collection reflecting BMW’smotoring heritage. In addition, friends ofthe BMW brand receive assistance and

Page 08

The Archive IV System (HIAS) was devel-oped as an in-house facility. It networksthe archive landscape and the databasesto give all users rapid access to the infor-mation they might be looking for. An inter-active, user-friendly search functionopens up the entire spectrum of historicalarchive material to interested researchers.Links allow users to extend and refinesearches without hassle and in accor-dance with their requirements. Thismeans they can target precisely the kindof information they are looking for. Thearchive does not just contain informationon individual BMW models. It also pro-vides facts, figures and information ondesign engineers, test reports, prospec-tuses, pictures, advertisements and allsorts of other topics across the broadspectrum of BMW’s history.

Chronology of uniqueness: the vehicle collection

The historical collection is the core ofBMW Group Mobile Tradition. It encom-passes more than 400 automobiles and170 motorcycles that have been manufac-tured in volume production since BMWstarted production. There are also exhibitsfeaturing engines from automobiles,motorcycles and aeroplanes. Naturallyenough, the exhibition also features someexciting and interesting exhibits takenfrom the long history of BMW’s involve-ment with the motorsport scene.

You can find cars that took part in theParis-Dakar Rally standing side by side withracing motorcycles from the historic periodof motor racing before the war. There aretouring cars alongside Formula 1 racingcars. Special models such as BMW Art Scale drawing of the BMW 700 from the archive.

The vehicle collection of BMW Group Mobile Tradition. For faithful restoration: the BMW Motorcycle Parts Catalogue.

BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Company


no less than 200,000 members in morethan 180 clubs around the world.

BMW Group Mobile Tradition sup-ports the clubs at their events. It also usesa wide variety of communication media toprovide basic information about compa-nies, brands and products. BMW Clubmembers are active keepers and uphold-ers of the BMW tradition and they consti-tute an extremely important partner whenit comes to collecting information aboutthe service and parts market relating tohistoric vehicles.

BMW Group Mobile Tradition pro-vides an impressive showcase for theBMW heritage in three publication series:BMW Dimensions, BMW Profiles andBMW Portraits. The portrait of “PaulRosche: Stories of History. A genialengine designer” is being published in2003. There will also be a new edition ofthe profile volume “BMW Coupés.Tradition of Elegance”.

cles and aeroengines manufactured byBMW. Supplementary information in arange of different media and temporaryexhibitions on special topics complementthe presentation of BMW history.

Living history: clubs, events and communication

Around the world every year, there arenumerous exhibitions and events cele-brating the tradition of the BMW Groupand its brands, products and innovations.BMW Group Mobile Tradition prides itselfon making a very big contribution to theseoccasions because it brings the BMW tra-dition alive for the people who are friendsof the BMW brand.

Strong growth in the classic-car sceneduring recent years bears testimony to therising interest in the concept and traditionof a motoring heritage.

It is all too evident at the world’sbiggest exhibition in the sector, the TechnoClassica held in Essen, at a con-gress of the International Council,the umbrella organization of theworldwide BMW Club, at theCorcorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Esteheld in Cernobbio on Lake Como,at the Festival of Speed inGoodwood, or indeed at any oneof numerous other events heldthroughout the world.

The typical BMW spirit isalso expressed in the BMW Cluborganization. This is the biggestorganization of its kind any-where in the world. Pioneeringspirit, sporty motoring and cre-ativity characterize the friends ofthe BMW brand – and there are

information on their vehicle at first hand.BMW supplies replicas of repair manualsfor the global fleet of 225,000 cars and120,000 motorcycles.

All information is available in digitalform in keeping with the times, and userscan locate data in electronic or printed cat-alogues quickly and easily. Experts atBMW Group Mobile Tradition also designthe comprehensive range of accessoriesthat meet the requirements of classic cars.

A journey through time: the BMW Museum

The BMW Museum was opened in 1973.Since then, millions of visitors have takena tour through BMW history. The exhibi-tion Horizons of Time takes the visitorfrom the start of the 20th century to thepresent. It even looks at the future of theBMW brand and demonstrates the inte-gration of the BMW company within thesocial and community context.

The BMW Museum was one of thefirst museums of this type and today itenjoys a worldwide reputation – not leastbecause of the vision of the architect whoplaced a famous landmark in the cityscapeof northern Munich.

His goal was to create an experience ofthe infinity of time within the finite realms ofan enclosed space. Visitors are taken on aspiralling exhibition tour covering a total of2,000 square metres and they experiencethe most illustrious automobiles, motorcy-

High point of the classic-car season: Consorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Cernobbio at Lake Como, 2001.

Perfect support: mission control at events ofBMW Group Mobile Tradition.

The BMW Museum: an architectural landmarkin the north of Munich.

Bayerische Motoren Werke entered theGerman motorcycle market relativelylate. When BMW launched its first model– the R 32 – in the autumn of 1923, hun-dreds of motorcycle factories hadalready started up production. In addi-tion, numerous foreign makes werebeing imported to Germany from theyears around 1910.

Although BMW had made a name foritself as an aeroengine manufacturer, theVersailles Treaty had taken away the corebusiness. It was therefore necessary forthe newcomer to establish itself fast as amotorcycle make. The company neededto win over the public with its products.

Racing as competitive factor

World records and overall victories:BMW and motorcycle racingMotorsport costs money – the 1920s were no different to today, when the enormous budgets of the Formula 1 teams are often debated in the media.Companies are motivated by profit and this raises the question as to why a company like Bayerische Motoren Werke was already investing personneland financial resources in motorsport during the 1920s and 1930s.

descriptions that left lots of questionsopen. For example the magazine DerMotorwagen (The Motor Car) commentedas follows on the launch of the R 32 at the1923 Berlin Motor Show: “…finally thehigh point of the motorcycle exhibition,the new B.M.W. motorcycle with cylindersmounted traverse to the direction ofmotion, a remarkably fast and successfulmotorcycle, despite its youth.”

It’s true, this was a nice complement,but the reader was kept in the dark aboutwhat exactly the good features of themotorcycle were. None of the journalistshad had an opportunity to experience themotorcycle outside the stand, let alone

But how could you reach the public atthe beginning of the 1920s? Radio andtelevision had not yet started their tri-umphal march and outside the sportspages the daily press, which todaydevotes entire sections to the automo-bile and motorcycle, was only aware ofthe motor industry as a welcome adver-tiser for the small ads section.

“Despite its youth, remarkably fast”

The trade press was also thin on theground. Even in the few trade publicationsthat existed, vehicles were not putthrough the tests we know today. In manycases, there were only short subjective

by Fred Jakobs

drive it themselves. Descriptions like thisfailed to provide verifiable statements onthe performance of a product.

And more than 50 years were to passuntil tests carrying out direct comparisonscame on the scene, like those you findtoday in motorcycle magazines. If cus-tomers wanted to have some kind ofobjective comparison between differentmodels, they could only refer to lists ofresults from the race weekends. Thesewere published both in the trade maga-zines and in the sports pages of the dailypress. Readers were able to use theselists to make their assessment, relying onthe maxim that the fastest motorcycle wasalso the best.

Success in the first season

BMW was extremely successful even inits first motorcycle racing season in1924. The company gained first place inone of Germany’s most prestigioussporting events at the Solitude Racenear Stuttgart. The victory at theSchleizer Triangle brought them the titleof German Champion for the first time.240 trophies for first place had been wonby the close of 1926 and this ensuredsustained press coverage.

It was particularly fortunate if therewas an extensive commentary on a raceand the trade press devoted increasedattention to special designs.

The British: full of praise

In 1926, BMW won the Six Days inEngland and gained an international rep-utation when design engineer RudolfSchleicher lined up as an amateur rideron his R 37 motorcycle and won a goldmedal.

The British press were full of praisefor the fledgling motorcycle maker fromGermany: “Probably the most excitingmotorcycle in the competition,” enthusedthe magazine Motor-Cycle, at that timethe bible of the European motorcycle fra-ternity.

The article was generously illustratedwith specially commissioned drawingsand culminated in a conclusion that theBMW advertising department could nothave put better: “After the most difficultdays we were unable to detect oil leaksanywhere. The motorcycles were running

quietly and appeared to have massivereserves of power. They are miles aheadof any British motorcycle as far as thedesign is concerned.“

This was the first notable mention ofBMW motorcycles in the foreign press.Schleicher’s “adventure” had paid off:The reputation of the BMW name hadspread to motorcycle enthusiasts outsideGermany.

The race: a victory for advertising

The manufacturers themselves madeextensive use of sporting successes intheir advertising: 95 percent of allmotorcycle posters from the years 1923to 1940 in the Historical Archive of BMWAG exclusively feature those victoriesand records. There were elaboratelydesigned forms with spaces to enter thecurrent results – on the basis of BMWwinning – by a fast printing method onthe actual day of the race.

These posters were faster to manu-facture and distribute than any other formof print medium.

Like all other manufacturers andmany suppliers, BMW also placed adver-tisements about the successes andreferred to victories, championships andrecords in prospectuses.

During the 1920s, BMW even printedspecial prospectuses that only listed rac-ing successes. However, around the endof the 1920s advertising related to racingbecame totally inflationary.

Virtually every manufacturer adver-tised with victories and successes, evenif the event was completely insignificant.An advertisementby the manufac-turer Sunbeamgives an indica-tion of the waythings had gone. Itadvertised with1,000 victories inthe year 1927alone.

This made theraces rather arbi-trary. All victoriestended to be treat-ed on an equallevel because withso many differentevents, there wasno benchmark forcomparison.

Mobile Tradition live / Issue 01.2003

BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Motorcycles

European champion with one victory

Racing series were unknown – a singlerace decided the award of the titles ofGerman Champion and EuropeanChampion until well into the 1930s. Andthe home advantage of the riders general-ly played a crucial role, as the story of theTourist Trophy on the Isle of Man shows:This race was held for the first time in1907 and it was not until 1938 that EwaldKluge on a DKW became the first foreign-er to achieve a class victory. One yearlater, Georg Meier with his superchargedBMW achieved the first win by a rider from

Otto Ley and Karl Gall at the Avus Circuit in 1937.

When Otto Ley and Karl Gall celebrated a twin victory at the Avus in1937, posters were printed in advance and updated on the day of the

race, the fastest form of advertising.

Franz Bieber won the first GermanChampionship for BMW in 1924.

In September 1929, Ernst Henne waschasing the record for BMW for the firsttime. On the road to the bavairan city ofIngolstadt, he achieved aspeed of 216.750 km/h, beat-ing the previous best per-formance by around 9 km/h.

From that point on, BMWhad a useful slogan that was ideal for usein advertising: “The fastest motorcycle inthe world” adorned posters, advertise-ments and prospectuses in prominentpositions. BMW was well aware of theadvertising effect and poured resourcesinto defending the title or winning it backas quickly as possible, because the slo-gan “second fastest motorcycle in theworld” was not exactly effective in anadvertising context.

Commitment to racing sport created acompany with confidence in its products:a motorcycle that finished the race wasreliable. A motorcycle that also crossedthe finishing line in first place was techni-cally refined and superior to the competi-

tion. In 1937, BMW had positioned itselfat the top of the league as a motorcyclebuilder. Victory in the Six Days had given itthe most reliable motorcycle in the world.Ernst Henne’s world records gave it theworld’s fastest. And in 1938, GeorgMeier’s triumph in the first EuropeanChampionship to be held over an entireseason meant that BMW were quite sim-ply building the best racing motorcycle inthe world

Racing as engineering test track

However, a high-profile image was not theonly benefit a company could gain fromracing. Technology transfer from racing tovolume production was a key factor in acompany’s decision to take part in racingactivities, for it advanced the develop-ment of the company’s own products.Technical innovations were generally test-

ed under race conditions where progresscould be compared directly with the prod-ucts and solutions fielded by the compe-tition. This approach was already taken byBMW when the company produced itsfirst model, the R 32.

In May 1923, five months before theofficial launch, BMW chief design engineerMax Friz went on the Rally through theBavarian Mountains without incurring anypenalty points, putting the reliability of theproduct to the test. In subsequent years,numerous sophisticated solutions weretested in racing down to the last detail. Themost significant was undoubtedly the firstever telescopic fork with hydraulic suspen-sion, introduced in volume production ofthe R 12 and R 17 models.

The design engineer wins

However, the riders were not always soenthusiastic when they had to test techni-cal innovations. A case in point was thelinear-guide rear-wheel suspensiondeveloped by Alexander von Falken-hausen. The BMW works team refused totest it under race conditions during theSix Days in 1936 because they suspectedthat it would compromise driving charac-teristics. BMW racing director RudolfSchleicher was himself very scepticalabout the rear-wheel suspension andinformed von Falkenhausen without cere-

outside the British Isles in the seniorclass, equivalent to overall winner.

It was clearly necessary to standard-ize conditions in order to obtain a truly fairand objective comparison as to whichmotorcycle really was the fastest andhence the best in the world.

The first standard: world record

They had to be valid in every Europeancountry, as well as overseas. World recordruns, if they were carried out in accor-dance with the regulations of the FICM(Fédération Internationale des ClubsMotocyclistes) provided this kind of com-parative benchmark.

Although there were numerous class-es and endurance records, the jewel in thecrown was the “absolute” world record: in

order to eliminate external influencessuch as inclines or head winds, riders hadto cover a distance of one kilometre inboth directions once and within a specifictime. Timekeeping was finite and therewas no room for excuses.

Ernst Henne and the first world record for a BMW motorcycle: poster from 1929.

The most important product fairs also featured theworld’s fastest motorcycle as the focal point – the1930 Paris Motor Show.

Timing for Henne’s record.

The pinnacle of motorcycle production: theand the best in 1937.

Outstanding victories from early BMW motorcycle history

Racing director Rudolf Schleicher with a BMW R 37 designed by him.

BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Motorcycles


motorcycle industry during the 1950sshows that even successful makes witha commitment to racing like NSU andDKW could vanish into obscurity.Meanwhile British Triumph motorcyclesremained successful in the marketalthough the company invested virtuallyno money in racing and left this area tothe sphere of amateur riders.

However, it is undisputed that the rac-ing successes in the 1920s and 1930swere a key factor in laying the foundationfor the sporty and reliable image oftoday’s BMW brand.

ance,” was the proud comment by BMWin 1938 in an advertisement extolling thepioneering role of racing in the develop-ment of production models.

Foundation of today’s image

Whether motorcycle construction atBMW would have been different withoutactive participation in racing is inevitablya matter for conjecture. In the same way,it is now almost impossible to judge theextent to which racing successes influ-enced the motorcycle market at thetime. The collapse of the German

mony that he should take the new modelup to the starting line – after all, he had

designed it. Following the event at whichhe won the gold medal, von Falkenhausensaid to the press that he had “never hadsuch a comfortable ride and didn’t get anyhard knocks”.

This convinced the rest of the teamand prompted BMW to fit rear-wheel sus-pension to all the off-road and road racingmotorcycles ridden by the works driversand also to Ernst Henne’s world recordmotorcycle. When rear suspension wasincorporated in volume production in1938, the prospectus referred to “...sev-eral years of conscientious testing inmajor off-road tests and racing events inGermany and abroad...”.

Engineering like racing riders

Ernst Henne’s last world record, fivegrand prix, the German Championshipand winning the Silver Vase in1937 wereenumerated in the same breath as “…bearing witness to the much improvedroadholding by virtue of the sprung rearwheel…”. Customers felt privileged –after all, their BMW incorporated thesame innovations that the company wasusing in the racing motorcycles drivenby the best riders of the time.Communication was along the samelines: “Tested in big races, proven indaily use, all BMW motorcycles are wit-nesses to peak technological perform-

Tough off-road test: JosefForstner with the new rear-wheel suspension at the 1937 Six Days.

Year Rider Event Motorcycle/class

1924

1924

1925

Gold medal in the International Six Day Race in England

500 cc BMW

1929

1933

1937

1938

1939

Overall victory at the SolitudeRudi Reich BMW R 37

First win in the GermanChampionshipFranz Bieber 500 cc-class

First win in the GermanChampionshipJosef Stelzer 250 cc-class

1926 Rudolf Schleicher BMW R 37

Paul KöppenFirst win in the Targa Florio in Sicily1927

Ernst HenneFirst world record in Munich at 216 km/h

750 cc super-charged BMW

First win for Germany at theInternational Six Day Race in Wales BMW R16

Stelzer, Henne,Mauermeier, Kraus

500 cc super-charged BMWWorld record in Frankfurt at 279.5 km/hErnst Henne

Win in the European ChampionshipGeorg Meier

Win in the Senior TTGeorg Meier



Advertisements inevitablyfeature Georg Meier’s victoryat the Senior TT.

fastest, the most reliable

BMW 326 Convertible, 1936 to 1941.

Convertibles are always special cars, lux-ury vehicles in any category. They meetthe requirements of motorists who areless concerned with practical criteria andwill pay a premium price for aesthetics,leisure value and the individual touch.

BMW presented its first convertiblein the autumn of 1929. At that time,Bayerische Motoren Werke had juststarted up volume production of auto-mobiles. On 1 October 1928, BMW took

over Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach which hadgot into financial difficulties. The com-pany had marketed its four-wheel prod-ucts under the brand name Dixi. A smallcar – the Dixi 3/15 PS – was a key factorin the purchase. This was built under anAustin Seven licence, at that time themost successful small car.

BMW developed this model into theBMW 3/15 PS, its first automobile, withwhat was at that time an extremely mod-

BMW “Open” – convertibles from BMWOpen-top cars come in all shapes and sizes – roadsters, spiders, tourers, phaetons and convertibles. And they raise many questions. For example,what is a convertible? In simple terms, a convertible is generally a 2+2-seater automobile where the hardtop has been replaced by a weather-prooffolding roof, with fixed retractable side windows. The term convertible has been in general use for this type of open-top automobile since the 1920s.

ern all-steel bodywork manufactured inBerlin. This small saloon was comple-mented by a “touring car” or “phaeton”,a completely open three or four-seaterwith a lightweight emergency cover andinsertable cellon side windows.

BMW joined forces with bodyworkbuilders Ambi-Budd in Berlin-Johannisthal to manufacture the firstconvertible for people who liked travel-ling in open-top cars but preferred to

by Walter Zeichner

avoid direct contact with wind and dust. This car was justthree metres long, powered by a 15 bhp four-cylinderengine with a displacement of just 750 cc. It came on themarket at the end of 1929.

A lady at the wheel: epitome of modernityduring the 1920s

“A lady likes to be seen at the wheel with the breeze freelycoursing through her hair when the sun is shining, but pro-tected against the elements in wind and rain …” – such wasthe purple prose in the prospectus advertising the firstBMW convertible in the 1930s. “A lady at the wheel” hadbecome the epitome of social modernity during the 1920sand BMW was adept at exploiting this fact in its advertising.

A two-seater convertible of the same type followed inthe summer, also with fixed window frame in the side doors.When production ceased in 1931, BMW had sold animpressive 1,600 of the two versions of the first BMW con-vertible.

The new small car BMW 3/20 PS followed on the heelsof the BMW 3/15 PS in early 1932. A joint-venture contractwith Daimler-Benz AG meant that the bodywork of this carwas manufactured at its Sindelfingen factory. The bodyworkwas then married up with the chassis in Eisenach. Thismodel was also available in three-seater and four-seater ver-sions, and almost 500 cars were built.

In 1933 BMW launched a completely new car, the com-pact six-cylinder 303 Type. This model packed 30 bhp andBMW had finally discovered its own style in building light-weight and powerful automobiles. Naturally enough, thistype was also supplied as a convertible, with the foldingroof projecting over the rear of the vehicle like an outsizedrucksack. Soon there followed the more advanced andpowerful models 315 and 319, which were also supplied as

convertibles. These models were

referred to as four-windowconvertibles, to distinguishthem from the sports con-vertibles that were beingbuilt at the same time withonly two side windows.

Essential ingredients: achassis and an individualbodywork

In the 1920s and 1930sthings were not quite likethey are now, particularlywhen it came to convertibles.Customers would quite oftenjust order a motorized chas-sis and then select a body-work company of their choiceto manufacture the body-work. Companies likeHeinrich Gläser GmbH inDresden, Wilhelm Reutter inStuttgart, Wendler in


BMW Group Mobile Tradition: Automobiles

Leisure in the fresh air and great driving with the BMW326 Convertible. This is what advertising promised in1936, along with a comfortable ride.

Drivers provide personal testimony in 1934: automobiles fromBMW keep the promises made in the advertisements.

Extract from a 1930 catalogue.

Historische BMW advertisements

Autenrieth featuring wings with excep-tionally generous curves.

The two-litre, six-cylinder in-lineengine packed 55 bhp in the standardversion and 80 bhp in the sister modelBMW 327/28. This was propelled by thepowerful engine for the legendary BMW328 Roadster, attaining a speed inexcess of 140 km/h. Later on, this luxuri-ous automobile was also available as acoupé. They were typical sports cars forsociety’s crème de la crème, by nomeans an everyday occurrence on thestreets.

Early in 1939, shortly before theoutbreak of the Second World War,

BMW presentedthe 3.5 litre 335Model, based onthe 326 Type.

The engineunder the bonnetwas BMW’s mostpowerful at thetime at 90 bhp.Soon afterwards,the manufactureof civilian auto-mobiles was halt-ed to make wayfor wartime pro-

duction and only a few hundred of thenew BMW top-of-the-range modelswere produced. They included two-seater and four-seater luxury convert-ibles and these number among therarest and most sought-after classicBMW automobiles.

BMW „Open“ – convertibles from BMW

The first production car after thewar – the Baroque Angel 507

After 1945, the BMW automobile factoryin Eisenach was cut off from the mainworks in Munich. The manufacture ofautomobiles based on BMW designswas started up again there under Sovietadministration as early as 1946. Alliedprohibitions on production and massivedestruction at the BMW works meantthat serious production of automobilesonly became an option again at the endof the 1940s.

BMW launched the 501 Type at the1951 IAA Frankfurt Motor Show. It wasthe first production car to be made inMunich, with manufacture commencingin December 1952. This opulent “heavy”car with its lavish design soon becameknown as the Baroque Angel. It was builton a massive chassis in accordance withthe old tradition of automobile construc-tion – an ideal basis for a convertible ver-

Reutlingen or Gustav Drauz in Heilbronnmainly offered bodyworks for sports con-vertibles. They were manufactured insmall batches or even as specials, andthey were particularly fashionable, withthe cachet of exclusivity. BMW listed carswith a Drauz bodywork in its official salescatalogues, and the company Autenriethin Darmstadt became a “court supplier”manufacturing exclusive convertibles forBMW from 1936 onwards.

The 327 Sport: the firstpure luxury car

The two-litre 326 Type took BMW intothe circle of manufacturers of large cars.The four-seater andfive-seater convert-ible of this type wasa model that wasquite capable oftaking on the com-petition in this class(Mercedes, Audi,Adler, etc.). Speedsof up to 120 km/hmeant that driverand passengerscould cruise downthe new fast roads– the autobahns.

One year later, BMW launched itsfirst real luxury car, the 327 Sport.Initially this was only supplied as a con-vertible. It was designed by BMW designengineers as an extremely elegant 2+2seater. A very limited number were man-ufactured and the bodywork was built by

BMW 502 : reception in Munich for the conquerors of the north face of the Eiger during the 1950s.

BMW 327 Convertible on an Alpine tour in the 1930s.

The dashboard of the BMW 327.



customers were not put off by the rela-tively high price tag of DM 6,950 for the2+2 seater convertible, even though theycould have bought respectable saloons

real sales hits at the time. The big BMWcars remained exclusive vehicles for afi-cionados, with less than 100 cars beingbuilt in all. That’s why the BMW 501 and502 convertibles were only in productionfor one year.

Starting in 1956, BMW supplied thesports convertible 503 Type. This waseven more exclusive and much moreexpensive with a price tag of DM 30,000.The design of the 503 was heavily influ-enced by the designer of the BMW 507,Albrecht Graf Goertz. The car was manu-factured as a convertible with an alumini-um bodywork and with windows and asoft top that were retractable at the touchof a button. This luxury convertible had aproduction run of just 139 cars andalthough BMW did not earn any money onthis model, it continued the prestigecachet which had been attached to thebrand during the 1930s.

The BMW Isetta convertible was adifferent story. Production started up in1955 under an Italian licence, with thedesign being taken further by BMW. Thebubble car quickly became a sales hit forpeople who were moving over from amotorcycle to a car. Apart from a version

produced as a deliv-ery van, the Isettawith a front door wasalso supplied from1957 as a convertiblewith a folding roofreplacing the rearpanorama window.Only a few examplesof the two versionswere produced andtoday they are partic-ularly rare.

Larger numbersof the BMW Series700 Convertible weremanufactured at Baurin Stuttgart between1961 and 1964. Thesmall coupés andsaloons were designed by Michelotti andpowered by the proven Boxer engine.They were dear to the hearts of small-carenthusiasts, and an impressive 2,592

sion. The BMW management of the timewas convinced that the future lay withbuilding luxury automobiles in the bestpre-war tradition. When the companyKarl Baur near Stuttgart suggestedbuilding a luxury convertible, everybodyagreed in 1954 to start working on thisproject. Well-heeled customers wereable to order a two-door or four-doorconvertible as a special based on theBMW 501 or its eight-cylinder 502 ver-sion from 1955 onwards.

A BMW 502 Convertible cost DM21,900 in 1955. At that time, Daimler-Benz was the only other company inGermany manufacturing a more expen-sive car with its 300 Series models.

There’s no doubt that customersable to purchase the exclusive BMWconvertible, largely built by hand, werefew and far between.

Small and micro cars like the BMWIsetta, the Glas Goggomobil and theMesserschmitt Cabin Scooter were the

The frame construction of BMW cars from the 1930s and 1950s was an ideal basis for a wide range of convertible bodyworks.

Isetta Convertible: the open version of the bubble car quickly became a sales hit for people moving over

from a motorcycle to a car.

The public’s darling: BMW 700 designed by Michelotti (1961 to 1964).

Big hit: more than140,000 3 SeriesConvertibles soldThe particularly appeal-ing design of the open-top four-seater was cou-pled with the dynamicdriving style of the BMWsix-cylinder and subse-quently four-cylinderengines. This was asure-fire guarantee forsuccess. More than140,000 convertibleswere sold on the basisof this second BMW 3Series until productionceased in 1993.

786 BMW M3 Convertibles were areal gem, developed by BMW MotorsportGmbH for drivers who were particularlykeen on performance.

Following this success, the traditionof the BMW Convertible was continuedwith subsequent generations of theBMW 3 Series. An astonishing variety offittings and automatic features weredeveloped, and anyone interested in pur-chasing a BMW convertible today has afascinating choice between five basicmodels with all the associated potentialfor equipment and individual design.There really is something to satisfy virtu-ally any requirement.

BMW „Open“ – convertibles from BMW

BMW Convertibles: the whole rangefrom small car to luxury automobileRight from the start of BMW automobilehistory up until the present day, the his-tory of the convertible has been inti-mately bound up with the story of thebrand and the blue-and-white logo. Anastonishing variety encompasses all thestages from the small car to the luxuryautomobile.

In September 2003, BayerischeMotoren Werke will be continuing a tradi-tion lasting almost 75 years in a particu-larly impressive way when it launches theBMW convertible for the new 6 Series onthe international stage.

like the Opel Rekord for less money.Introduction of the New Class models in1961 and the two-door BMW 02 Series in1966 saw the beginning of the successstory for BMW on a scale that was in quitea different order of magnitude. The pro-duction of automobiles increased morethan threefold between 1962 and 1970.

From 1967: Topcabriolets (semi-convertibles) and full convertibles

1968 again witnessed production of aconvertible in the form of the BMW1600. Baur in Stuttgart was againresponsible for manufacture of thebodywork. A particular rarity was theBMW 2002 full convertible produced in

1971 as an intermediate type with a pro-duction run of only 200, before the 2002Convertible was manufactured in thesame year with a fixed roof frame androllover bar.

When the first BMW 3 Series cameonstream in the year 1975, Baur devel-oped a convertible version soon afterthat was included in the official BMWsales range.

However, this was not really a con-vertible in the true sense of the word,but a convertible saloon with fixed roofbraces and a rollover bar. This car wasmarketed as a semi-convertible. Bauralso developed a semi-convertible forthe BMW E 30 successor model series.

BMW had now been working forsome time on a convertible manufacturedentirely in-house based on the 3 Series.For the higher classes, the 5 Series and 7 Series, there was not sufficient demandto justify economic production of anopen-top version.

The 3 Series Convertible was initiallylaunched as the 325i Type at the IAAFrankfurt Motor Show in 1985.

BMW 1600 Convertible from 1968

In good company for sport and leisure: BMW 2002 Convertible.

Festival of success: More than 140,000 convertibles based on the second BMW 3 Series were sold until production ceased in 1993.

Herbert Quandt was one of the big industrial personali-ties of the Federal Republic in the post-war period. Hisfather was also an industrialist and left each of his sonsHerbert and Harald 50 percent of the Quandt Group in1954. Herbert Quandt was born in Pritzwalk inBrandenburg. He took over electronics, vehicles, fertiliz-ers, oil and textiles, and was hence engaged in a numberof different fields. During the course of his lifetime heheld a number of Board of Management posts and man-dates on Supervisory Boards, for example at Varta,Wintershall and at Frankfurter Bank. For 20 years, he was a member of the Boardof Management at Daimler-Benz AG, in which the Quandt Group held 15 percentof the shares, until Quandt sold the holding to the government of Kuwait foraround one billion marks in 1974. Herbert Quandt was an honorary citizen of thecity of Dingolfing, he held an honorary doctorate of the University of Mainz, and hewas awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit. He did not allow himself to be held backby an inherited impairment of vision that made reading almost impossible. In1959, he even set up a world record in the 3-litre motor boat class.


Herbert Quandt


BMW 3200 CS – a unique car

The BMW Type 3200 CS was the last of the big BMW modelswith an alloy V8 engine. Together with the small cars, thesemodels shaped the profile of the brand during the post-warperiod. After the sale of the company in 1959 was avoided atthe last minute through the intervention of major shareholderHerbert Quandt, the BMW 700 small car from BayerischeMotoren Werke had finally brought rising sales.

Aside from the development of the completely new mid-range BMW 1500, the company once again went for the luxu-ry of an expensive grand tourer coupé as successor to theBMW 503 which had ceased production in 1960.

So that in-house capacities did not have to be tied up indeveloping a new bodywork, this order was given to the well-known company of Nuccio Bertone in Turin. A modified ver-sion of 503 Type was used for the chassis with the engine ofthe BMW 507 Roadster tuned to 160 PS.

In September 1961, this BMW 3200 CS was launched asa prototype alongside the BMW 1500, and the first vehicles forcustomers were produced in spring 1962, mostly manufac-tured by craftsmen. Bertone supplied the bodyworks toMunich. The BMW Board of Management selected one of thefirst cars in order to present it to the company’s major share-holder, the “company’s rescuer”, as a present. He had beenlargely responsible for the positive development of BayerischeMotorenwerke. But it was intended to be a very special BMW3200 CS – a one-off convertible.

This one-off was finally built to the specification of BMWat Carozzeria Bertone in Grugliasco near Turin, where the pro-duction coupé bodyworks were also being manufactured. Theclassic construction of the BMW 3200 Coupé with solid boxframe made it easier to undertake a perfect conversion of thisone-off to a convertible from the perspective of torsional stiff-ness.

The interior of the car was in the unusual colour of silvergrey, in keeping with the exterior paintwork in Polaris silver.The windows were operated electrically at the touch of a but-ton, while the lined fabric top opened hydraulically.

BMW shareholderHerbert Quandt

The BMW 3200 CS is one of the gemsof BMW Group Mobile Tradition. It wasmanufactured for Herbert Quandt and

was returned to the ownership of BMWin 2002. The fittings and the fact that

there is only one of these cars in thewhole world also make it a rarity in thevehicle collection. A further feature is

the special connection between theformer owner and the company BMW.

After the convertible bodywork had been produced by Bertoneat the beginning of December, the one-off model was com-pleted in Munich, and in May 1962 the car was handed over toBMW’s main shareholder Herbert Quandt in Munich.

Until 1968, the car remained in the possession of theQuandt family and travelled a distance of some 60,000 kmduring this time, also being a favourite with Herbert Quandt’swife Johanna. After the car had changed hands four times,BMW Group Mobile Tradition was able to purchase this one-off vehicle for the historical collection. This was a car thatcombined the fascination of a one-off with the heritage of anillustrious owner in a very special way.

After careful restoration, where the focus lay on retainingthe natural patina, the BMW 3200 CS Convertible will be pre-sented to visitors and aficionados at the Techno ClassicaEssen in April.

The BMW 3200 CS Convertible: the one-off model made for Herbert Quandt has “Polaris Silver” paintwork. The windows came down at the touch of a button.

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