Bmw does not build many cars like the BMW 320: a 2-door Sedan (car) / saloon / 2-door Convertible / cabriolet with 1971 cc OHV M78 straight-6, built from 1937 to 1938 when streamlining and independent suspension were arriving together.
How it came about
The BMW 320 was a car manufactured by BMW in Germany from 1937 to 1938, as the successor to the 319-based BMW 329. It was offered in 2-door saloon and convertible versions. Approximately 4,200 cars were made, of which 1,835 were cabriolets.
The car was first presented in July 1937. It showed a very similar resemblance to the 329. The 320 was built on a shortened BMW 326 frame and used a 326 engine with a single carburettor and an output of 45 hp (33 kW). The 320 had a top speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). The suspension, which was carried over from the 329, consisted of an independent front suspension with a high-mounted transverse leaf spring acting as upper control arms and a conventional live axle on semi-elliptic springs at the rear. It had a slightly greater displacement 6-cylinder engine. It was available as a two-door sedan or two-door convertible and stayed until 1938. The BMW 320 was smaller, less expensive, and lighter than its predecessor. It offered easy handling and a balanced power-to-weight ratio. The 320 was replaced by the BMW 321 in 1938.
The hardware
Under the skin sits 1971 cc OHV M78 straight-6. Kerb weight is 1000 kg. The gearbox is a 4-speed manual. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2750 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Where it sits in Bmw's history is not in doubt: the BMW 329 came before it; the BMW 321 followed it; it was built at Eisenach, Germany. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Volkswagen Beetle, the Lincoln Continental, the Chevrolet Suburban. Its Bmw stablemates include the BMW 116 and the BMW 269.
The money
There is no federal ownership record for the BMW 320 — it predates the complaint database or was never sold in the United States — so MotorJury publishes no running-cost figure for it. For a car of this age the price is set by the collector market and the condition of the individual example, not by a formula.