B.M.W.

D, 1928 to date

(1) Bayerische Motoren-Werke, Eisenach, Munich, 1928 – 1939

(2) Bayerische Motoren-Werke AG, Munich, 1952 to date

The BMW firm developed from the Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke, Munich founded in 1916 for the production of aero engines. In 1922 the name was changed to Bayerische Motoren-Werke, and production of engines for boats, lorries and motor cycles began. In 1923 the first BMW motor cycle appeared. In 1928 the Eisenach Dixi works were acquired and car production began with the BMW-Dixi, an Austin Seven built under license. BMW car production was carried on in Eisenach, while production of BMW motorcycles remained in Munich. The BMW-Dixi was succeeded in 1932 by the 800cc BMW 3/20ps model with tubular backbone chassis and independent suspension.

In 1933 came the first 6-cylinder model, the BMW 303 for sale). The range of sixes continued with the ‘BMW 315’(1.490cc, 34 and 40bhp) and ‘BMW 319’ (1.911cc, 45 and 55bhp). The triple-carburettor sports versions of these BMW cars laid the foundation for the famous BMW sports cars, noted for their speed and appearance. The engine of the ‘BMW 326’ (1971cc, 50bhp) became the basis for the ‘BMW 327’ and ‘BMW 328’. The BMW 327 used the 55bhp engine, while the most successful BMW 328 developed 80bhp. Two of this model’s most remarkable successes amongst many in races, rallies and trials were a class win at Le Mans and the winning of the 1940 abbreviated Mille Miglia. The ‘BMW 327/328’ used an 80bhp engine in the ‘BMW 327’ longer wheelbase chassis and was also very successful in competitions. The last pre-World War 2 model was the ‘BMW 335’ with a 3.485cc 90bhp engine. It was intended for the British market and only a few hundred BMW 335’s were built. From 1935 to 1939 BMW’s were imported into the United Kingdom and marketed under the name of Frazer Nash-BMW.

The Eisenach factory was lost through nationalization in 1945. Production of BMW motorcycles was taken up again in the Munich factory and facilities for BMW car production were prepared. The first Munich-built BMW car appeared in 1952, the ‘BMW 501’ with a 6-cylinder 1.971cc engine, based on the last pre-war designs. This started the range of 6- and 8-cylinder prestige BMW cars. The last of this range was the ‘BMW 3200’ CS 2-door coupé with 3.2-litre 160bhp engine for sale. In 1955 BMW started production of the Isetta bubble car under licence, and this was followed in 1957 by the BMW ‘600’ 4-seater based on it. In 1960 the ‘BMW 700’ appeared with a 697cc air-cooled opposed twin-cylinder engine mounted in the rear. In 1962 BMW began to produce medium sized cars again, bringing out the 4-cylinder ‘BMW 1500’ (80bhp), which was developed into the ‘BMW 1800’(90bhp). The ‘BMW 1800TI’ and the ‘BMW 1800 TI/SA’ were tuned versions developing 110 and 130bhp respectively. In 1965 the ‘BMW 2000 C’ (100bhp) and the ‘BMW 2000 TI’ (120bhp) coupés appeared. In 1966 the ‘BMW 1600’ (83bhp), the ‘BMW 2000’ (100bhp) and the ‘BMW 2000 TI’ (120bhp) with 4-cylinder in-line engines of 1573cc and 1990cc capacity were added to the range. In 1967 the Frazer Nash-BMW name was revived for a special luxury model of the ‘BMW 2000TI’, selling in England for £1830. New for 1968 were the BMW 2002 for sale, combining the 135bhp 2-litre engine with the BMW 1600 chassis, and the BMW 1600GT, which used the body of the former Glas 1700, a result of the BMW-Glas merger of 1967. In 1969 the BMW company produced their first six since 1958, the BMW 2500. Mechanically this derived from the existing fours, but was powered by a 170bhp 2494cc 7-bearing engine. A bigger 2.8-litre version was also available By 1971 BMW were offering a 2985cc version with either twin carburetors or Bosch fuel injection; in the latter form it gave 200bhp. Also new in 1971 was a semi-estate car, the Touring, available in 1600, 1800, or 2000 guise. BMW ran a Formula 2 team in 1969, using special 1.6-litre engines in British Lola chassis, but though there were several victories in 1970, the BMW company retired from his branch of the sport after two seasons. The 1973 range embraced the 1600, 1800, 2000, and the sixes, as well as a new ohc BMW 520 for sale with 1990c 4-cylinder engine, wishbone and trailing-link front suspension, and saloon bodywork in the 2500 idiom. Options included 115bhp twin-carburettor or 130bhp fuel-injection models, and a choice of 4- and 5-speed manual and automatic transmissions. A 200bhp derivative of this unit powered a prototype mid-engined coupé, the turbo, with all-disc brakes.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; HON

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com

Studebaker

US/ CDN, 1902 – 1966

(1) Studebaker Corp, South Bend, Indiana, 1902 – 1954

(2) Studebaker-Packard Corp, South Bend, Indiana, 1954 – 1964

(3) Studebaker Corp of Canada Ltd, Hamilton, Ontario, 1964 – 1966

The brothers Henry and Clem Studebaker opened a blacksmith’s and wagon-building shop in South Bend in 1852, horse-drawn vehicles of their construction serving in both the American Civil War and World War 1, and production continuing until 1919. Their first Studebaker cars were electrics, made in modest numbers from 1902 to 1912: these Studebaker carwere joined in 1904 by the Model-C petrol Studebaker car, a typically American 16hp flat-twin with amidships engine, 2-speed gearbox, and chain drive. This Studebaker carwas followed a year later by a vertical 4 on more European lines, this Studebaker car was selling for $3.000. For the next few seasons, however, Studebaker electred to act as selling gents for Studebaker cars built to their order, and their more expensive offerings of Studebaker cars were built by Garford of Elyria. The cheaper machines were the EMF and Flanders built by the Everitt-Metzger-Flanders Co, and these two makes accounted for 9.700 Studebaker cars in 1910. 1913 saw a brace of Studebaker cars made at South Bend, both with sv monobloc engines, dual ignition, and electric lighting and starting: the 3-speed gearboxes on the Studebaker cars were mounted in unit with the back axles, and the 6-cylinder Studebaker car was claimed to be the first such car to retail in the USA for less than $2.000. In 1914 there was a smaller, 15/20hp Studebaker car with 3.2-litre 4 with coil ignition only. Studebaker sold over 45.000 Studebaker cars in 1915, and their sixth position in 1916 US sales was matched by a seventh place in 1920. 1919 was the last year for 4-cylinder Studebaker cars, and the 1920 Studebaker cars, while retaining separate gearboxes, abandoned the transaxle layout. Studebaker carmodels available were 6s of 4.7-litres and 5.8-litres, the latter establishing a line of really large 6-cylinder Studebaker cars which survived until 1928. An inexpensive 3.3-litre Studebaker Light 6 joined the range in 1921, and 1923 Studebaker cars had all-metal bodies with welded steel pressings. Balloon tyres were standardized on Studebaker cars in 1925, in which year contracting-type hydraulic front wheel brakes were an option: open Studebaker cars were made with permanent tops of the ‘California’ type and detachable side-curtains. Front wheel brakes were standard on the Studebaker carin 1926, but the Studebaker carcompany reverted to mechanical actuation in 1927, in which year a ‘compact’, the Studebaker Erskine, was marketed. Studebaker cars went after stock-car records in a big way in the later 1920s, an outstanding performance of a Studebaker car being 25.000 miles in 25.000 minutes. The 1929 range Studebaker cars consisted of two 6s, the ‘Studebaker Dictator’ and ‘Studebaker Commander’ (at $1.265 and $1.495 respectively), and a brace of straight-eights of 4-litres’ and 5.5-litres’ capacity. Pierce-Arrow was acquired by the Studebaker car company in 1928, but regained its independence five years later. In 1930 Studebaker cars, with Plymouth, pioneered the free wheel, offered initially on 8-cylinder Studebaker cars alone, but available throughout the range by the latter part of the year, when the cheapest Studebaker car, the Light 6, could be bought in England for £295.

Another compact Studebaker carappeared under the Rockne nameplate in 1932. Special versions of the ‘Studebaker President 8’ distinguished themselves in the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. Cliff Bergere’s Studebaker Special finishing 3rd, while in 1933 6th to 12th places were filled by similar Studebaker cars. Studebaker cars went into receivership in 1933, but came back strongly in 1934 with an unattractively-styled three-model range of Studebaker cars – the 3.4-litre ‘Studebaker Dictator 6’, the 3.6-litre ‘Studebaker Commander 8’, and the 4.1-litre ‘Studebaker President 8 ‘, all with synchromesh, free wheel, and X-braced frames. Subsequent evolution of Studebaker cars followed accepted American lines: transverse independent front suspension, automatic overdrive, and hydraulic brakes once more in 1935: a hill-holder (modernized version of the sprag) in 1936: headlamps half-faired into the wings of the Studebaker car in 1938: and column change in 1939, when Raymond Loewy became responsible for the Studebaker car Corporation’s styling. 1939 was also the first year for one of America’s longest-lived modern economy cars, the 2.7-litre 6-cylinder sv ‘Studebaker Champion’ selling at $765. Fluid couplings was available on the 1942 Studebaker car range, which included Studebaker cars last straight-8s. The revolutionary post-war ‘coming or going’ style with wrap-around rear window on Studebaker cars was launched by Loewy on the 1946/ 1947 Studebaker cars with 2.8-litre and 3.7-litre 6-cylinder engines. Sales climbed to 239.000 Studebaker cars in 1949, and the inevitable ohv V8 – a relatively small one of 3.8-litres – replaced the bigger 6 in 1951 Studebaker cars. Studebaker car companys answer to the big battalions was the low and elegant line of the 1953 Studebaker cars, which unfortunately became more cluttered down the years, and finances were not impoved by the merger of the Studebaker car company with Packard in 1954. An interesting departure was the sporting ‘Studebaker Hawk’ coupé powered by Packard’s V8 engine and Ultramatic transmission in 1956: 1957 versions had blown Studebaker car engines, the only example of a factory-equipped super-charger (save the 1954 Kaiser) since the Graham. The Studebaker car company managed to get their ‘Studebaker Lark’ compact sedan tooled and into production in ten months in 1959, and this descendant of the old sv ‘Champion’ was the only Studebaker car now offered with the exception of the ‘Studebaker Hawk’. The small 6 Studebaker car achieved ohv at long last in 1961, and 1962 saw the exciting fiberglass-bodied ‘Studebaker Avanti’ coupé with disc brakes on the front wheels, a 4-speed gearbox, and optional supercharger. The Studebaker car annexed 29 stock-car records, including a flying mile at 168.15mph, but neither this nor the continuing ‘Lark’ range could save Studebaker cars. A wide choice of Studebaker car models – two 6s and three 8s – was listed for 1964, but early in the season South Bend stopped making Studebaker cars, and production was transferred to the Canadian plant which had been assembling Studebaker cars since 1912. Even as an ‘import’, the Studebaker car did not sell well: the last examples of the Studebaker car marque had 3.2-litre 6-cylinder and 4.7-litre 8-cylinder Chevrolet engines, but even these were abandoned in the spring of 1966. Production of the ‘Studebaker Avanti’ was continued on a small scale by an independent factory in South Bend.

Source: Georgano, encyclopedia of motorcar; MCS 

The information is written with the greatest of care. However, if you have any suggested amendments please contact us at office@prewarcar.com