BMW 309 Classic Cars for Sale

The BMW 309 was built in Germany in 1934 as a succession to the popular BMW 303. This small family friendly car retained the body and chassis of the 303 but was more economical to run and maintain. It did however offer the same amount of space as its predecessor. Production of the BMW 309 ended in 1936.

The history of the BMW 309

The BMW 309 was created from the successful BMW 303 model and replaced the 3/20. Many improvements were made that included a replacement 4 cylinder engine, instead of the M78 six cylinder engine, and the car was made available as a tourer. Although it was still the same size as the BMW 303, it was more affordable due to its smaller engine size and lower tx bracket. This was one of the many reasons that the BMW 309 was such a popular car. A total of 6,000 models were made between 1934 to 1936. Ultimately the BMW 309 was a low cost car that was comfortable to drive.

The BMW 309 engine

The BMW 309 has a four cylinder engine, that the company named as a 'floating engine'. This simply referred to the fact of the motor's elastic suspension. The four speed transmission had a floor shift and featured rear wheel drive, as well as rear wheel breaks. The BMW 309 could reach a top speed of 50 miles per hour. The fuel capacity was that of 35 litres. The BMW 309 engine also had an increased bore of 2.3 inches which enabled a more powerful engine, that created 4000 rpm.

The BMW 309 chassis and suspension

The BMW 309 had the same wheelbase as the BMW 303 and was the largest car that BMW had made at that point in time. Its backbone chassis had an innovative light ladder frame. The front suspension used a revolutionary transverse mounted spring mechanism that was located above the centre of the wheel. Rear suspension was operated via semi elliptic springs. The suspension was superior to that of the BMW 303. The chassis of the BMW 309 was rather low framed, but at the same time incredibly lightweight.