| Dates imported: | 1934 to 1937 |
|---|---|
| Body Type: | open 2-seater with flowing wings |
| Engine: | BMW 6-cylinder 1.5 & 1.9-litre (1490 & 1911 cc) |
| No. imported: | 42 (16 1.5-litre, 26 1.9-litre) |
| Other features: | This is the car that changed the direction for Frazer Nash. The new BMW sports model beat the Frazer Nash chain-drive cars to win the 1500cc class in the 1934 Alpine Trial. HJ Aldington, who was competing in the Trial, was impressed and arranged for Frazer Nash to become the BMW’s UK importer from 1935 onwards. |
The BMW featured a lightweight twin-tube chassis with independent front suspension, rack & pinion steering, 6-cylinder engines of 1.5 or 1.9 litres, synchromesh gearbox, propeller shaft and spiral-bevel rear axle (no chains in sight!)
BMW produced over 400 of these sports cars of which 42 were imported into Britain fitted with right-hand drive and Frazer Nash-BMW badges. 24 of the 42 FN-BMWs still exist. BMW also produced many thousands of cabriolet and saloons using the same chassis, of which more than 600 were imported into Britain and sold as FN-BMWs. About 40 of these FN-BMWs still exist.
| Dates Imported: | 1937 to 1939 |
|---|---|
| Body Type: | open 2-seater with flowing wings |
| Engine: | BMW 6-cylinder 2-litre (1971 cc) |
| No. imported: | 48 |
| Other features: | Developed from the 319 Sports, the 328 featured a modified engine with overhead valves set at 90° to produce a hemispherical combustion chamber. This was achieved by clever use of pushrods & rockers operating from a single block-mounted camshaft and not the more usual twin overhead camshafts. |
BMW built over 460 328s of which 48 were imported into Britain and sold as Frazer Nash-BMWs. All but 2 of the 48 FN-BMW 328s survive today. The 328 was the pre-eminent 2-litre sports car of the late-1930s and achieved success in competition events throughout Europe. A few cars were given streamlined lightweight bodies by ‘Touring Superleggera’ of Milan and were successful at Le Mans in 1939 and the Mille Miglia in 1940. One of the 1940 Mille Miglia cars was brought to England in 1945 by HJ Aldington and provided the inspiration for the post-war Frazer Nash.
http://bmwhistoricmotorclub.co.uk/
The BMW Historic Motor Club is a member of the Classic and Type Club Section of the International Council of BMW Clubs and is officially recognised by BMW. Membership is available for anyone who owns or has an interest in historic BMW, Frazer Nash-BMW, EMW, Dixi, Veritas and AFM cars.