Only 464 BMW 328s were made and fewer than 200 are said to be left
Tubular chassis, independent front suspension, six-cylinder 2.l SOC
Subject of total restoration
Previous Car & Classic record belongs to a 1966 Iso Grifo, sold by auction for just over £300k in April this year
Car & Classic, the biggest online classic vehicle marketplace in Europe, clocks up its highest auction sale price to date, with this 1938 BMW 328 which was the subject of fierce bidding between two keen buyers before reaching €410k last month. Like Car & Classic’s previous record sale, a 1966 Iso Grifo Series 1 Targa based in the Netherlands, the BMW 328 was also residing abroad, in Czechia.
Apart from the model’s rarity (fewer than 200 BMW 328s remain in existence today) and its well-known motor racing exploits, which included victories in the Le Mans 24-Hours and Mille Miglia, owning what is arguably the most modern sportscar of the ‘30s must hold a strong appeal: the tubular, strong chassis and streamlined styling combined with a two-litre naturally aspirated engine made it light enough to be unrivalled in its racing class and well ahead of its time.
Today, the new owner may find their German ‘racing silver’ BMW 328 eligible for Mille Miglia, Le Mans Classic, Goodwood Festival of Speed and Britain’s Tourist Trophy among other events, should they wish to continue exploiting its racing pedigree.
After several decades residing in the Czech Republic, and sixteen years spent in a classic car collection, the BMW has been the subject of a thorough eight-year restoration programme, including a full rebuild of the 80hp engine. With only 30km on the clock since the work was carried out, the winning bidder has secured a car as close to its original new car status as possible.
“Car & Classic’s reach keeps widening, as the latest important sales by auction show,” says Car & Classic CEO Tom Wood. “The digital platform was only launched in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, with the main aspiration to revolutionise the concept of classic vehicle buying by overcoming physical and transactional barriers. Two of the highest auction prices have been achieved in the last two months, and both vehicles were abroad. For this new Car & Classic record, a British company has facilitated the sale of a German classic sportscar based in Czechia, to a French buyer: you can’t get more international than that.”
