# Fritz Fiedler > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fritz_Fiedler > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Fritz_Fiedler.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Fiedler > Source revision: 1296104072 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Fiedler led the engineering team that designed the legendary [BMW 328](/source/BMW_328) sports car introduced in 1936...[1] **Fritz Fiedler** (born [Potsdam](/source/Potsdam) 9 January 1899: died [Schliersee](/source/Schliersee) 8 July 1972), was an automotive engineer. His projects included the [BMW 328](/source/BMW_328) sports car, the ex-BMW Bristol straight-six engine, and the [BMW New Class](/source/BMW_New_Class) sedan. ## Career to 1945 Fiedler began his career in [engineering](/source/Engineering) at [Stoewer](/source/Stoewer) and moved to [Horch](/source/Horch) in 1924, where he eventually became chief engineer.[2] He designed 8-cylinder and 12-cylinder cars at Horch.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] He left in 1932 when Horch became part of [Auto Union](/source/Auto_Union). He then went to [BMW](/source/BMW) on the recommendation of his former assistant [Rudolf Schleicher](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rudolf_Schleicher&action=edit&redlink=1), who had joined Horch from BMW in 1927 and returned to BMW in 1931. Fiedler became chief engineer at the age of 32 over former chief engineer Alfred Böning who became head of the automotive drawing office.[2] In 1933 Fiedler was given the project to design the [M78](/source/BMW_M78) six-cylinder engine for the [BMW 303](/source/BMW_303).[2] The first car that Fiedler was fully responsible for was the [BMW 326](/source/BMW_326) saloon that was shown at the [International Automobile Ausstellung](/source/International_Automobile_Ausstellung) in [Berlin](/source/Berlin) in 1936. While Schleicher was at [Munich](/source/Munich) on motorcycle development and the competition side of BMW motor car activity, Fiedler was at [Eisenach](/source/Eisenach) in overall command of the car side of BMW, specialising in [chassis](/source/Chassis), [suspension](/source/Suspension_(vehicle)) and [aerodynamic design](/source/Aerodynamics) and development. His last automotive design from Eisenach was the 3.5-litre 6 [cylinder](/source/Cylinder_(engine)) [BMW 335](/source/BMW_335_(1939_-_1941)) saloon, a fine 90 mph car for the German [autobahns](/source/Autobahn). During the war he was occupied with [military vehicle](/source/Military_vehicle) design and development and finished up at Munich, so that after the war he was in the American zone. During the war he was a Director of BMW, but left the board in 1945. ## In England In 1947 Fiedler joined AFN Ltd at the persuasion of H.J. Aldington. Although he was [lent](/source/Loan) to [Bristol](/source/Bristol_(car)) as a consultant on their Type 400 project, he did most of his work in [England](/source/England) at [Isleworth](/source/Isleworth), where he was always known as Dr Fiedler, although he did not have that title in Germany. He was very popular with the workforce at AFN, most people describing him as a kindly and charming man, and everyone admired his engineering qualities. He took charge of the development of the post-war [Frazer Nash](/source/Frazer_Nash), dealing with chassis, [suspension](/source/Automotive_suspension_design), [body design](/source/Automotive_design) and [construction](/source/Construction) and development of the FNS Bristol [engine](/source/Engine). On the Isleworth [dynamometer](/source/Dynamometer) he got over 100 [bhp](/source/Horsepower#Brake_horsepower) from the Bristol engine before the Bristol men did. ## Return to Germany and BMW ...and the one that designed the [New Class](/source/BMW_New_Class) sedan introduced in 1961, [3] from which the modern BMW has evolved. After three years with AFN Ltd, Fiedler returned to Germany. He returned to BMW as chief engineer in 1952 after working at [Opel](/source/Opel) for a short time.[4] He took over responsibility for the ongoing [V8 engine](/source/V8_engine) project and was responsible for the [BMW 503](/source/BMW_503) and [BMW 507](/source/BMW_507).[5] He was [chairman](/source/Chairman) of BMW AG from 1955 to 1956 and he finally retired in 1966, after a long and active life devoted to BMW, but he attended the firm each day as a consultant for a further two years and died in 1972. ## Notes 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorbye198447_1-0)** [Norbye 1984](#CITEREFNorbye1984), p. 47. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorbye198433_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorbye198433_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorbye198433_2-2) [Norbye 1984](#CITEREFNorbye1984), p. 33. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorbye1984136_3-0)** [Norbye 1984](#CITEREFNorbye1984), p. 136. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorbye198490_4-0)** [Norbye 1984](#CITEREFNorbye1984), p. 90. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENorbye198490,_96_5-0)** [Norbye 1984](#CITEREFNorbye1984), pp. 90, 96. ## References - “From Chain Drive to Turbocharger- The AFN Story”, Denis Jenkinson, 1984. - Norbye, Jan P. (1984). [*BMW - Bavaria's Driving Machines*](https://archive.org/details/bmwbavariasdrivi00norb). Skokie, IL, USA: Publications International. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-517-42464-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-517-42464-9). ## External links - [*BMW Designers*](https://web.archive.org/web/20121018184007/http://www.bmwism.com/bmws_designers.htm) *Fritz Fiedler among the BMW automotive designers*. v t e BMW Current brands BMW BMW i BMW M BMW Motorrad Mini Rolls-Royce Previous brands Rapp Motorenwerke Alpina Automobilwerk Eisenach BMW Marine Dixi Glas Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik Husqvarna Motorcycles Rover Group Standard Riley (inactive) Triumph (inactive) Zinoro Divisions and subsidiaries BMW Bank BMW M Motorsport BMW in the United States BMW Mexico BMW South Africa BMW Thailand BMW India Designworks Joint ventures BMW Brilliance (75%) Zinoro Spotlight Automotive (50%) Here Share Now Vehicles List of BMW vehicles List of Rolls-Royce motor cars Technologies BMW Assist ConnectedDrive iDrive Valvetronic VANOS xDrive Motorsport Alpina BMW in motorsport BMW in Formula One BMW M1 Procar Championship Kumho BMW Championship Team RMG Team Schnitzer Team RBM Team MTEK Team RLL Team Schubert Turner Motorsport Buildings BMW Headquarters BMW Museum BMW Welt BMW Group Plant Dingolfing BMW Central Building BMW FIZ Other History of BMW History of BMW motorcycles BMW Art Car Category Authority control databases VIAF GND WorldCat --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Fritz Fiedler](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Fiedler) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritz_Fiedler?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.