# BMW 326 > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/BMW_326 > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/BMW_326.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_326 > Source revision: 1349052646 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "BMW 326" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2008) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Motor vehicle BMW 326 Overview Manufacturer BMW Production 1936–1941 (15,936 built)[1] 1945–1946 (16 built)[2] Assembly Germany: Eisenach (1936–1941) East Germany: Eisenach (1945–1946) Designer Engineers: Fritz Fiedler, Alfred Böning Stylist: Peter Szymanowski Body and chassis Class Mid-size Body style 4-door saloon 2 & 4-door cabriolets Layout FR layout Related BMW 327 BMW 328 Powertrain Engine 1971 cc OHV BMW M78 Straight 6 Transmission 4-speed manual[3] Dimensions Wheelbase 2,870 mm (113 in) Length 4,600 mm (180 in) Width 1,600 mm (63 in) Height 1,540 mm (61 in) Curb weight 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) (measurements approximate) Chronology Predecessor BMW 319 Successor BMW/EMW 340 The **BMW 326** is a medium-sized sedan produced by [BMW](/source/BMW) between 1936 and 1941,[3] and again briefly, under Soviet control, after 1945. The 326 was BMW's first four-door sedan.[4] It had an innovative design and sold well despite its relatively high price. It also had an unusually involved afterlife. ## Design and engineering BMW 326 4-door cabriolet BMW 326 cabriolet interior Designed by [Fritz Fiedler](/source/Fritz_Fiedler), the 326 featured a box-section [frame](/source/Frame_(vehicle))[5] that could readily be adapted for derivative models.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Also innovative were the [torsion bar](/source/Torsion_bar) rear suspension, inspired by the [dead axle](/source/Beam_axle) suspension of the [Citroën Traction Avant](/source/Citro%C3%ABn_Traction_Avant), and the [hydraulic braking system](/source/Hydraulic_brake), the first to be used on a BMW car. Styled by Peter Szymanowski, the 326 was offered as a four-door sedan and as a two- or four-door cabriolet. The 326 sedan was the first BMW available with four doors.[5] The [BMW 320](/source/BMW_320), [BMW 321](/source/BMW_321), [BMW 327](/source/BMW_327), and [BMW 335](/source/BMW_335_(1939_-_1941)) were based on the 326.[6] The streamlined form of the body contrasted with previous relatively upright BMWs: [drag](/source/Automobile_drag_coefficients) was presumably reduced further by including a fixed cover over the spare wheel at the back.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] ## Drivetrain The 1971 cc [straight 6](/source/Straight-six_engine) engine was a version of the [319](/source/BMW_319)'s power plant, with the bore increased from 65 mm (2.6 in) to 66 mm (2.6 in),[5] and an unchanged stroke[5] of 96 mm (3.8 in)[3] giving a displacement of 1,971 cc (120.3 cu in).[3][5] In the 326 application, it was fed by twin 26 mm [Solex](/source/Solex_Carburetor) [carburetors](/source/Carburetors) to produce a claimed maximum output of 50 PS (37 kW) at 3750 [rpm](/source/Revolutions_per_minute).[5] The top speed is 115 km/h (71 mph).[3][4] The four-speed gear box was supported by freewheeling on the bottom ratios and synchromesh on the top two.[4] ## Reception The 326 was introduced at the [Berlin Motor Show](/source/Auto_Show) in February 1936,[5] the 326 was offered for sale from May of that year.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The 326 was a success. By the time production was suspended in 1941, the Eisenach plant had produced 15,949 of them.[7] ## Afterlives **East Germany** Main article: [BMW 340](/source/BMW_340) The Eisenach derivative In 1945, [Eisenach](/source/Eisenach) was occupied by [US](/source/United_States) forces. However, the wartime allies had already agreed that [Thuringia](/source/Thuringia) would fall within the [Soviet occupation zone](/source/Soviet_occupation_zone). The plant that BMW had originally acquired in 1929 was not fully destroyed, and it was possible for returning survivors to assemble sixteen postwar 326s. A modernised version, badged initially as the [BMW 340](/source/BMW_340), emerged around 1948. Despite the nomenclature, it was clear that BMW's [Eisenach plant](/source/Automobilwerk_Eisenach) was no longer under the control of BMW: later BMW 340s, still based on the prewar 326, were badged as EMW 340s following a protracted dispute concerning title to the BMW name.[2] It was, perhaps, a tribute to the 326's perceived excellence, together with the skills of the workers who had struggled to revive it, that the Eisenach plant was permitted to produce the BMW design until approximately 1955, long after the [Auto Union](/source/Auto_Union) assembly facilities at nearby [Zwickau](/source/Zwickau) had been dismantled and removed to Russia as part of the war reparations package. **United Kingdom** Main article: [Bristol Cars](/source/Bristol_Cars) The Bristol derivative The Russians were not alone in being impressed by the 326. Detailed plans of the sedan and coupé derivative models were also rescued by the British. In the 1930s [Frazer-Nash](/source/Frazer-Nash) had imported and adapted BMW designs. In 1945 just after [World War II](/source/World_War_II) ended, Frazer-Nash were taken over by the [Bristol Aeroplane Company](/source/Bristol_Aeroplane_Company), who negotiated rights to several BMW designs including the 326 and the six-cylinder engine. This led to a succession of [Bristol Cars](/source/Bristol_Cars) introduced between 1947 and 1953 that were unapologetic developments of the respected BMW design. Almost ten years after the war's end, the [Bristol 403](/source/Bristol_403) produced between 1953 and 1955 still retained a BMW style front grill: under the skin the engine had been extensively upgraded, and the Bristol 403 now offered a claimed output of 100 bhp (75 kW). The engine size, at 1971 cc, was unchanged.[8] ## References Wikimedia Commons has media related to [BMW 326](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:BMW_326). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-Norbye250_1-0)** [Norbye](#Norbye), p. 250 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-InsideBMWFactories58_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-InsideBMWFactories58_2-1) Robson, Graham (2008-11-07). ["Chapter 5: Losing Eisenach, Building Up Munich"](https://books.google.com/books?id=EzBGh9EFUtMC&q=East+German+BMW+production&pg=PA54). [*Inside the BMW Factories: Building the Ultimate Driving Machine*](https://books.google.com/books?id=EzBGh9EFUtMC). Minneapolis, MN US: MBI Publishing. p 58, EMW—Like BMW? The Same, but Different. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-7603-3463-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7603-3463-8). Retrieved 2013-02-16.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*] 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-conceptcarz.com_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-conceptcarz.com_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-conceptcarz.com_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-conceptcarz.com_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-conceptcarz.com_3-4) ["1936 BMW 326"](http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z5931/BMW_326.aspx). *conceptcarz.com*. Retrieved 2008-02-10. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Odin_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Odin_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Odin_4-2) Odin, L.C. *World in Motion 1939 - The whole of the year's automobile production*. Belvedere Publishing, 2015. ASIN: B00ZLN91ZG. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Norbye46_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Norbye46_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Norbye46_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Norbye46_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Norbye46_5-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Norbye46_5-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Norbye46_5-6) Norbye, Jan P. (1984). [*BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines*](https://archive.org/details/bmwbavariasdrivi00norb/page/45). Skokie, IL: Publications International. pp. [45–47](https://archive.org/details/bmwbavariasdrivi00norb/page/45). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-517-42464-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-517-42464-9). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Norbye](#Norbye), pp. 47, 68–70 1. **[^](#cite_ref-motorbase.com_7-0)** ["BMW 326"](http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/-1063593309/). *motorbase.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20080229050805/http://www.motorbase.com/vehicle/by-id/-1063593309/) from the original on 29 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-10. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Bristol, AFN and BMW"](https://ericdymockmotorbooks.co.uk/bristol-afn-and-bmw/). *Eric Dymock Motor Books*. Jun 8, 2020. Retrieved 15 April 2026. v t e BMW cars: 1920s to 1940s — next » Type 1920s 1930s 1940s 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 straight-4 Dixi 3/15/Dixi 3/15 DA/Dixi 3/15 DA1/ 3/15 DA2/ 3/15 DA4 3/20 309 straight-6 303 315, 319 329 320 321 321 326 326 340 327 327 335 sports car DA-3 Wartburg 315/1, 319/1 328 Legend made in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany and East Germany by the Soviet Military Administration in Germany and Avtovelo --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [BMW 326](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_326) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_326?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.