BMW 328 Touring Coupe 1939

The BMW 328 Touring Coupe competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1939 and won the 2 Litre Class. One year later, in 1940, the BMW 328 Coupe won the overall victory in the Mille Miglia endurance race. This success was by far the most important victory for BMW before 1945 in motor racing. The fact that BMW also took the team victory highlights the status of this success. The BMW 328 Touring Coupe was built on the chassis of a BMW 328 series vehicle in 1939. A very special streamlined body was fitted to this chassis at coachbuilder Touring in Milan. This consisted of a space-frame made of steel and an outer skin of aluminium, and it played a key role in the lightweight design of the vehicle amounting to around 760 kg. The body of the BMW 328 Touring Coupe is also designed on the basis of aerodynamic principles. Although Touring did not have a wind tunnel, they had a great deal of experience in designing streamlined bodies.

The vehicle was powered by a modified BMW 328 engine. While the series vehicles generate a maximum output of 80 hp, the maximum output of the BMW 328 Touring Coupé is 136 hp. The vehicle was painted white when it was manufactured. The car was also white when it raced in the Le Mans 24 Hours, but it was painted in matt silver shortly before the Mille Miglia in 1940. At the time, the colors for racing cars were allocated on the basis of the countries. Although Germany had the white color, more and more German vehicles were painted silver.

Text Paul Damiens - Photos BMW Motorsport & Paul Damiens

Wallpapers from BMW 328 Touring Coupe 1939 (click on picture to enlarge)