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328: A sports car becomes a legend.

The launch of the 326 in 1936 was soon followed by yet another sensation on the Nurburgring race track on 14 June, when the brand new BMW 328 made its first public appearance: ''It's amazing what Henne gets out of this new 2-litre engine. What superb acceleration! He shoots off down the long straight and into the turns and bends of the circuit... this sports car is faster than any other car with a super-charged engine! With a clear lead Henne reaches the finishing line...'

What the Motorwelt described so enthusiastically was the result of a rapid development. The engineers, mechanics and designers of the BMW development department in Munich had little time and money to create this sports car. They had to focus on the essential, and perhaps this is precisely what made this car so successful. Within a short while the BMW 328 acquired a dominating position in its class, often even outperforming competitors with significantly more power. A maximum output of 80 bhp at a weight of only 830 kg helped the elegant series-production version of the roadster to develop impressive power.

Between April 1936 and September 1939, 464 units of the BMW 328 were produced. By 1940 this sports car had participated in 172 national and international races, achieving 141 victories in the process, many of which were legendary such as the overall victory and the team victory in the 1940 Mille Miglia race. Featuring the special roadster and coupé body by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, the 328 did the 1,000 miles at an average speed of 166.7 kilometres per hour (104 mph). The thin aluminium skin of these Superleggera bodies is directly fixed to the delicate, load-bearing tubular space frame, giving the coupé a weight of only 780 kg and a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph).

Story by BMW