Bmw does not build many cars like the BMW 303: a 303, 315, 319: 2-door saloon, 2-door cabriolet / 329: 2-door or 4-door cabriolet with BMW M78 OHV I6, built from 1933 to 1937 when streamlining and independent suspension were arriving together.
Where it came from
The BMW 303 was a small family saloon produced by BMW in 1933 and 1934. It was the first BMW motor car with a six-cylinder engine and the first BMW motor car with the "kidney grille" associated with the brand. The platform developed for the 303 was used for several other BMW cars, including the BMW 309, a four-cylinder version of the 303, the BMW 315, a 1.5-litre version of the 303 which replaced it in 1934 and was built until 1937, the BMW 319, a 1.9-litre version of the 303 produced alongside the 315 from 1935 to 1937, and the BMW 329, a development of the 319 with styling based on the newer, larger BMW 326, that briefly replaced the 319 in 1937.
The 303 platform was also used for the BMW 315/1 and BMW 319/1. These were high-performance versions of the 315 and 319 respectively, with tuned engines and lightweight roadster bodywork. The 315/1 and 319/1 were replaced by the BMW 328 in 1936.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits BMW M78 OHV I6; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 1808 lb. The gearbox is a 4-speed manual, synchromesh on 3rd and 4th. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 2400 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Bmw's history is not in doubt: the BMW 3/20 came before it; the BMW 315 (model) / BMW 320 (series) followed it; it was built at Thuringia, Eisenach, Germany. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Bugatti Type 57, the Chevrolet Suburban, the Delahaye 134. Nearby in the Bmw catalogue sit the BMW 116 and the BMW 269.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the BMW 303 has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.