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In 1938, BMW achieved one of their first international victories by taking a class win at that year's Mille Milgia. This result was later trumped by an overall victory in 1940 using this one-of coupe 328 Touring Coupe built on chassis 85368.

Being readily available to both amateurs and professionals, the 328 had already become one the leading sports cars by 1940. It participated in most major competitions and won its two litre class almost every time out. Often, the 328 would outclass its larger opposition with smaller and more efficient engineering from designer Fritz Fiedler.

The ultimate race-ready versions of the 328 had tuned engines that would produce 135 bhp and bodies from Touring of Milan who were specialists in aluminum construction. Touring assembled only three cars, two roadsters and a single coupe that lead BMW's factory team in 1939 and 1940.

These Touring-bodied 328s raced LeMans with good results in 1939 and occupied the leading positions in the 1940 Mille Miglia with Fritz Huschke von Hanstein and his copilot Walter Baumer taking overall victory. They completed the 1000 plus miles at an average speed of 100 mph (160 kph) in the sole Touring Coupe. Their winning car used a thin aluminum skin fixed directly to a load-bearing tubular space frame, giving the coupe a weight of only 780 kg and a top speed of 220 km/h (137 mph).

Shortly after this milestone victory, the Mille Miglia Coupe was lost and until its post-war location was discovered in 1945. Robert Grier then revived the crashed wreck raced it briefly before its long 30 year hibernation in a Connecticut garage. Many considered that one of the most important German race cars had been lost until Jim Proffit found and bought the car in the mid eighties. He finished a comprehensive restoration, raced it briefly then sold the car in 2002 to BMW so it could be included it in their Mobile Tradition collection.

Story by Richard Owen for Supercars.net