BMW History - 1930s

 

The air-cooled radial engine is much in demand in the early Thirties, thanks to its excellent power/weight ratio.

Wolfgang von Gronau crosses the North Atlantic in 44 hours from east to west in a Dornier 'Whale' open flying boat powered by BMW engines. BMW Hornet and BMW Xa are the names of the first radial engines from the BMW works in Munich. 

An attractive chassis design for the BMW Dixi mini-car was presented in 1930 with the sporty, two-seat Wartburg.

Crowds welcome triumphant BMW drivers after the 6,000-mile Alpine Rally through four countries.

A German version of the British Austin Seven, the 1931 DA/4 was the European counterpart of the famous Ford Model T.

 

The New 20hp BMW 3/20, the first model to be developed entirely in Munich, wins the Concours d'Elegance in Baden-Baden.

Technical revolution: the crankshaft of the new BMW 303 6-cylinder engine, designed by Rudolph Schleicher.

The 1933 303 was BMW's first 6 cylinder model and the first to use the "kidney" style grille.

 

The famous JU 52 is powered by three air-cooled BMW radial engines based on a Pratt & Whitney design.

The 1934 315/1 roadster had a racy appearance with clean lines and deep cutaway doors.

 

The BMW K 12 is the first motorcycle with a telescopic front fork hydraulic shock absorber.

Beginning in 1935, the 315 advanced to become the undisputed champion in the 1.5-liter sports car category.

 

The most success-crowned sportscar of its day: the 80-hp BMW 328 Roadster.

In the 328 Roadster, BMW produced a car which became a legend of sports car and racing history. Nominated for Car of the Century in 1999.

 

108 hp missile: In this machine Ernst Henne sets a world record of 173.686 mph (279.508 km/h), which will stand for 14 years.

A special aeroengine factory starts up at D?rerhof near Eisenach. Another is set up at Allach near Munich for large-scale production.

 

Series winner: in 1938 and 1940, Europe's most lauded 2-liter sportscar, the BMW 328, handily wins the Mille Miglia thousand-kilometer race between Brescia and Rome. 

 

 George ("Schorsch") Meier is the first foreigner to win the Isle of Man Senior TT - the world's most rugged motorcycle competition of its day.

Shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War, BMW takes over the Brandenburgische Motorenwerke in Berlin-Spandau and factories in Basdorf and Z?lsdorf near Berlin.