Description
The 327 was one of those cars that couldn't be described – it had to be experienced. Its sheer performance, handling and comfort defy description, but the mechanical specs don't seem unusual or unorthodox today. In 1938, however, the BMW was something of a pioneer with its tubular frame. “Independent front suspension and a good power-to-weight ratio. ” – Road & Track, 1954.
The takeover of the Dixi factory in Eisenach in 1928 gave BMW, hitherto a manufacturer of aircraft engines and motorcycles, a foothold in motorcycle production. Dixi's license-built version of the Austin Seven was gradually developed and improved, ending with a swing-axle suspension and overhead valves, and then in 1933 came the first real BMW: the six-cylinder 303. The latter adopted a twin-tube frame and abandoned the rear swing axles in favor of a conventional live axle, while up front there was superior cross-leaf independent suspension and rack and pinion steering. These features, together with the four-bearing engine with overhead valves, would form the basis for the more powerful and sportier models that would follow.
Introduced for 1938, the 327 sports-tourer used the shortened, boxed ladder-type chassis of the 326 saloon, shared by the 320, but with semi-elliptic rear suspension instead of torsion bars. The gearbox was a Hurth four-speed manual with freewheeling between 1st and 2nd gear, allowing clutchless shifting at low speeds, while there were hydraulic brakes all around and centralized chassis lubrication. BMW's pushrod six had by now been enlarged to 1.971 cc and developed approximately 55 hp in Type 55 form as installed in the 327, which could also be ordered with the 80 hp 'hemi-head' unit from the 328 sports car at an additional cost. Equipped with the standard engine the 327 was known as the 'Fast Tourer' and with the 328 installed as the 'Sport Cabriolet'. By the time production ended in 1941, 124 BMW 327 convertibles had been built.
However, that was not the end of the BMW 327 story. After WWII, BMW's Eisenach factory ended up behind the Iron Curtain, but instead of uncovering it – their usual treatment of valuable German assets – the occupied Russians opted to restart production of pre-war designs. Both cars and motorcycles were made with BMW's distinctive blue and white quartered emblem, until a successful legal action in 1950 saw the Munich company successfully assert its rights to the trademark. As a result, the Eastern Bloc offshoot adopted the name 'EMW' (Eisenacher Motoren Werke) and changed the blue parts of the emblem to red. As the name suggests, the EMW 327 was a continuation of the pre-war BMW 327 coupe and convertible, and was virtually identical to its ancestor apart from the front-hinged doors. Production continued until 1956 when the company, now known as VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach, dropped its old BMW models and started production of the new Wartburg.
This matching-numbers example of a rare and highly sought-after early BMW sports car left the Eisenach factory on December 21, 1940 and was delivered new three days later to its first owner, Paul Laurency from Aix-La-Chapelle (Aachen). Chassis number '87268' left the factory equipped with three (as opposed to the standard engine's two) carburettors, so it can safely be concluded that it is more powerful and faster than the stock offering. This particular car is also equipped with the alternative ZF four-speed manual transmission instead of the aforementioned Hurth freewheel type.
Fully restored to original specification and concours standard in 2012, the car has only covered approximately 500 kilometers since the completion of the rebuild and is presented in commensurately excellent condition. This beautiful sporty soft-top comes with restoration invoices and photos; Belgian registration papers and Contrôle Technique; and a BMW Mobile Tradition Certificate of Authenticity.
