1938 BMW 327 Cabriolet

1,971cc Inline 6-cylinder Engine
2 Solex Carburetors
55bhp at 4,500rpm
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Front Leaf-Spring Axle – Semi-Elliptic Leaf Springs at the Rear
4-Wheel Drum Brakes
*A Unique and distinctive look
*Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 1993 entrant
*Older nut-and-bolt restoration
*Rare opportunity to acquire a BMW 327

THE BMW 327

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 springing in place of torsion bars. The gearbox was a Hurth four-speed manual unit with freewheel between 1st and 2nd gears, enabling clutch-less gear changes at low speeds, while there were hydraulic brakes all around and centralized chassis lubrication. BMW's pushrod six had by now been enlarged to 1,971cc and developed around 55bhp in Type 55 form, as installed in the 327, which could also be ordered with the 328 sports car's 80bhp 'hemi-head' unit at extra cost. When fitted with the standard engine, the 327 was known as the 'Fast Tourer', and with the 328 unit installed, as the 'Sport Cabriolet'. A total of 1,124 BMW 327 convertibles had been built by the time production ceased in 1941.

However, that was not the end of the BMW 327's story. After WW2, BMW's factory at Eisenach ended up behind the Iron Curtain, but rather than stripping it bare - their usual treatment of valuable German assets - the occupying Russians chose to restart production of pre-war designs. Both cars and motorcycles were made bearing BMW's distinctive blue and white quartered emblem until a successful legal action in 1950 saw the Munich firm successfully reassert its rights to the trademark. As a result, the Eastern Bloc offshoot adopted the name 'EMW' (Eisenacher Motoren Werke) and changed the blue sections of its badge to red. As its name suggests, the EMW 327 was a continuation of the pre-war BMW 327 coupé and cabriolet and was virtually identical to its ancestor apart from having front-hinged doors. Production continued until 1956, when the company, now known as VEB Automobilwerk Eisenach, dropped its old BMW-based models and began manufacturing the new Wartburg.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

Wearing a striking Yellow paint on Tan interior, this superb BMW 327 is most likely the only one carrying such a distinctive look, so much so, that its uniqueness even brought it to be the cover of the BMW Car Club of America magazine – Roundel – in July 1994.

Back in the 1990s, the car belonged to BMW dealership owner and avid collector, Ralph Day of Concord, CA, who had found the car abandoned under a collapsing wooden carport in an Atlanta, GA backyard. Wearing its original green paint, the dust, elements, and simply time had deteriorated the entire car from paint to engine, and obviously didn't spare the mechanical components.

From there, Mr. Day undertook a long and thorough restoration through Stewart Laidlaw's restoration shop in Angel's Camp, CA, which took a total of three years from start to finish. This staggering nut-and-bolt restoration coupled to the audacious choice of this non-original Yellow paint got Mr. Day invited to show his car at the 1993 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Being the only BMW present that year, the car did not win any awards but apparently got a lot of success in front of visitors.

Not a lot is known about 73330's history prior to Mr. Day's ownership; but the car's remarkable presence at Pebble Beach in 1993 emulated interest from enthusiasts from around the world, and the car was finally purchased by a Japanese collector. Enjoyed and preserved by its owner, the car was sporadically used and taken to local events, precisely in the Ibaraki region, around Tsukuba.

As BMW 327s are scarcely offered, this car carries the right pedigree and represents a rare opportunity to acquire one of BMW's most important models and design, which was the basis of many iconic racing victories for the Bavarian manufacturer.