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What do we see in BMW’s Showroom? (update: type 3/15)

There's nothing like a nice, original and even moody picture to start the day with. This one dates from early 1929 and gives us an inside look at what must have been one of the first BMW dealerships. It wasn't until October 1928 that BMW took over the Dixi-factory in Eisenach, where among two other models the Austin Seven was made under licence. We do know that before production started BMW imported 100 complete Sevens from the UK and rebadged them either as BMW and Dixi, but that's as far as our knowledge goes. Except on the motorcycle we can't see the familiar BMW logo, so these must either be rebadged Sevens or perhaps still original Dixi's. How's your Seven/BMW/Dixi knowledge? Can you tell us what we see in this showroom?
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Comments

#6 speedex@gmx.de.fake 2013-01-18 11:07

The BMW types are to recognize as DA 2 (apart from the motorcycles). The photo has been taken at 1930. The wheels are with spokes and blinding plates. More pictures you will find here: http://www.dixi-automobile.de/ahnengalerie.htm

+1 #5 2013-01-18 06:12

Definitely not the English Austin Seven style body. The radiator surround is very different and there is a bar between the headlights. As mentioned all the English Sevens and Dixis had wire wheels. However all Austin Sevens of any design including the Dixi always had front wheel brakes.
The original Dixi DA1(Dixi Austin) from 1928 was a tourer made in Germany under license and looked like the English car but with a mirror image engine. Later a saloon was produced, again looking very like an English top hat body.
BMW took over Dixi and continued the DA1 before introducing the DA2.
The cars shown are July 1929 BMW DA2 3/15PS Limousine bodies by Ambi Budd with wheel discs fitted over the wires. The engine is still the mirror image Austin Seven 747 cc unit. The rear of the car has a locker with spare wheel attached.

Tony.

#4 2013-01-17 21:02

The "writing on the wall" in the background says "Bayrische Motoren Werke"-so question solved.

+1 #3 2013-01-17 10:53

BMW 3/15
Es handelt sich um BMW 3 / 15 mit Ambi-Budd Karosserie gebaut zwischen 1929 und 1932. Die späteren Modelle mit der von BMW entwickelten vorderer Schwingachse.(grauenhaft zu Fahren).
Sie war schwerer wie die orginal DIXI Aluminium Karosserie von 1928, und die
Fahrleistungen waren entsprechend schwach.
Sie wurden 1932 abgelöst vom 3/20 mit eigenem vom BMW entwickelten Motor mit 800cc 20 PS und Ventilen im Zylinderkopf.

Siegfried Otto Hepp
Lagjähriger DIXI DA1 Besitzer
von 1959 - 1965

#2 2013-01-17 06:52

As this photo is a 1929 photo, and since these cars are LHD, they must be Dixies !
The first 100 cars from Austin, were supplied as kits, but by December 1927 the first of the official Dixi-manufactured vehicles, the DA-1 3/15PS were coming off the production line.
Stuart

#1 2013-01-17 05:09

I think these cars are BMW 3/15 already. They have disc-wheels, Dixi had wire-wheels. BMW had front-breakes, Dixi´s not. And the limousines were produced by Ambi-Budd in Berlin. They have little differences. Look at the colored stripes under the side windows. But are you really sure the pic is from early 1929? According to the pope of German prewar-cars Werner Oswald (Deutsche Autos 1920-1945) the first BMW 3/15 came to the dealers in july 29.

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