1938 | BMW 328

• Built in March 1938 and supplied new to Portugal

• Extensively restored by TT Workshops from 2009-2011

• Eligible for prestigious events such as the Mille Miglia

• One of only 461 to be built

The lightweight, six-cylinder BMW 328 proved to be a formidable force in international motor racing during the late 1930s, and has since become a highly coveted choice of pre-war sports car. 

The 328 being offered for sale here was built by BMW in March 1938 and dispatched on 5 April to the Portuguese importer – Stand Batalha, Antonio Marques da Fonseca, which was based in Porto. The car was later owned by the Automuseum Deventer in the Netherlandsbefore returning to Portugal.

After being acquired specifically to take part in the Mille Miglia, the BMW was brought over to the UK, where it was treated to a painstaking, no-expense-spared restoration. The work was carried out by leading specialist TT Workshops in Wiltshire, and took place between 2009 and 2011. 

Every part of the project is faithfully recorded in the car’s huge history file via a comprehensive set of photographs and a wealth of invoices. It included sympathetically restoring the ash frame and lightweight bodywork, while the bottom end of the six-cylinder engine was rebuilt to original specification and the cylinder head was upgraded to later Bristol spec. 

The triple-carburettor straight-six is mated to the correct Hurth four-speed gearbox, which was one of two options that BMW provided to owners – the other being a ZF five-speed ’box.  

Since the restoration was completed, the BMW has been owned by noted enthusiasts who revel in driving their cars and enjoying them to the full. One recent custodian is a veteran ofrallies and events such as the Mille Miglia, for which the 328 would make the perfect choice. 

From its recessed spare wheel to a split windscreen that can be folded flat, its sporting pedigree is clear, and it drives beautifully thanks to its strong, crisp engine and lightweight construction. On the road, it’s certainly a very different proposition to the many pre-war models that rely on brute force to deliver their performance. 

As one of only 461 examples to be built between 1936 and 1940, this BMW 328 is a rare and highly sought-after car that would be welcome – and extremely competitive – in the world’s most prestigious events.