In the history of BWM, the 328 Mille Miglia ‘Buegelfalte’ was one of the most noteworthy auto engineering productions of the 1930s pre-war period. A sporting machine built out of the Munich factory in 1937 for Rudolf Schleicher´s developmental department, the 328 Chassis 85032 collected multiple racing wins including the Mille Migela (where I guess its name has originated). So successful in both performance and popularity, it stood as the blueprint for a generation of post-war sports cars that also leant a hand in inspiring the shape of Jaguar’s XK120 Roadster design.
The 328 achieved outstanding racing success in the late 1930s early 1940s, collecting a gold medal in the German Alpenfahrt with Fritz Roth and Blasi Huber at the wheel, then at Mille Miglia Italy when a dominating win was accomplished with its 2.0 litre inline-6 pushing 80 horsepower, capable of carrying its 1830-pound body to over 100 mph.
The Mille Miglia race, was an annual event held 24 times during the period of 1927 till 1957 swerving through the hills of northern Italy. The figure 8 shaped racetrack commenced in Brescia, veering its way down the open road to Rome and then back up to Brescia. The concept birthed by two Italians in 1926 wanting to hold an endurance race 1500kms long and had 77 Gran Turismo cars participating in its first year. With later years seeing growing public popularity and all cars increasing in performance and power, the event was banned in 1957 following the subsequent deaths of 12 people after a Ferrari crashed into spectators.
Some 25 years on, the event was brought back but as a 4-day road rally for cars produced between the ‘Golden Age’ of the Mille Miglia and Gran Turismo racing years of 1927 to 1957.
BMW’s 328 not only stood as a design and auto engineering bench march for the 30s and 40s, but inspired the new BMW concept sports car 328 Roadster, paying homage to its 75th anniversary. This concept combined styling features of the original 328 model, particularly the open cockpit, racing headlights and large kidney-style grill, all embodied by a carbon fibre shell.
You might be thinking, what would it cost to have an original parked in your driveway? Well, it ain’t no lunch money. RM Auction reportedly sold an original 328 for a cool $5.6 million. Let’s not ask for the cost of insurance.
Stay dapper.
Robbie – Dapper Lounge
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