It has a fascinating racing history prior to World War II, but its identity was not fully established until decades later.
A super interesting 1938 BMW 328 "Exceptional Rivalry" Roadster with a fantastic pre-WWII dashing history that in some way slipped past a few earlier proprietors is currently available to be purchased at RM Sotheby's Monterey, California, occasion this August.
The 328, which worked from 1936 to 1940, was prevailed over by the stunning 507 roadster, a vehicle that almost bankrupted BMW because of its high creation costs. However, the 328's past, particularly in motorsport, cannot be overlooked. From 1936 to 1939, it dominated the 2.0-liter class for a number of reasons, including its stressed aluminum bodywork and lightweight tube frame construction with welded floors. An inline-six engine and a four-speed manual transmission provided power. The technology and design were truly cutting-edge.
This particular 328, nonetheless, was one of the more outrageous variants BMW gave to the German public dashing group, called the Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps (NSKK). Three 328 Roadsters were used by the NSKK to win almost every European racing event in 1938, and three more were ordered later that year for the following racing season.
One of them was chassis number 85335, which is the car shown here. Lightweight bodywork, upgraded Solex 30 IF carburetors, a larger fuel tank, a high-compression engine, additional instrumentation in the cabin, racing windscreens, plexiglass wind wings, reinforced suspension parts, metal covers for the passenger and rear spare area, hydraulically assisted drum brakes, and 17-inch light alloy wheels were all present in all three vehicles. The absolute result came to just 135 pulls, yet the vehicles gauged something like 1,830 pounds.
Suspension #85335 participated in a few overwhelming perseverance occasions, like the 963-mile Mille Miglia Africana along the Libyan coast, where it was driven by a genuine German sovereign and completed fifth generally speaking and second in class. It then proceeded to contend in the 1939 "24 Hours of Le Monitors," where it completed second in class by and by.
In September of 39, the three roadsters competed in their final race, the Belgrade Grand Prix, where 85335 finished second in their class for the final time. From that point onward, the vehicle disappeared for a really long time. Collectors purchased its siblings' chassis.
85335 was erroneously thought to have been discarded for parts by many, but a collector in New Jersey managed to acquire it in 1963. The person didn't have the foggiest idea what he truly had. A few years later, it was sold to a New York Ferrari collector who also didn't know the car's history because it had been modified to look like a regular road-going 328.
However, it quietly revealed its true identity because it came with a number of original boxes of competition spare parts from before World War II. In the 1980s, it was given to another owner, who had it restored for vintage racing competition. Over the next few decades, BMW enthusiasts regularly informed the owner about the car's pre-war history.
This normally catches the eye of BMW. At the time, it sent its own 328 racing expert to look at the car and make sure it was the right one. BMW sent it to D.L. George Historic Motorcars in Cochranville, Pennsylvania, where it was restored to its 1939 racing configuration after the owner's family agreed to sell it in 2017. Invoices from 2018 to 2022 demonstrate that no expense was overlooked, with over seven figures invested. At the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, it won the Early Le Mans class on its debut.
In the years leading up to the Z4, BMW has produced roadsters, but chassis #85335 and other surviving 328s are truly unique. A seven-figure price tag, if not more, is almost certain, so anyone wishing to bid had better have big pockets.
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