Beschreibung:

The acquisition of the Dixi works at Eisenach in 1928 provided BMW, hitherto a manufacturer of aero engines and motorcycles, with a foothold in motor manufacturing. Dixi's built-under-license version of the Austin Seven was gradually developed and improved, ending up with swing-axle suspension and overhead valves, and then in 1933 came the first true BMW - the six-cylinder 303. The latter adopted a twin-tube frame and abandoned the rear swing axles in favour of a conventional live axle, while up front there was a superior transverse-leaf independent suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. These features, along with the four-bearing, overhead-valve engine, would provide the basis for the more powerful and sportingly inclined models to follow. Introduced in 1938, the 327 sports-tourer used the shortened, boxed, ladder-type chassis of the 326 saloon, shared by the 320, but with semi-elliptic rear springing in place of torsion bars. The gearbox was a Hurth four-speed manual unit with freewheel between 1st and 2nd gears, enabling clutch-less gearchanges at low speeds, while there were hydraulic brakes all round. BMW's pushrod six had by now been enlarged to 1,971cc and developed around 55bhp in the 327, which could also be ordered with the 328 sports car's 80bhp unit at extra cost. This Danish-registered example of a rare and highly desirable early BMW sports car was sold new in Stockholm, Sweden on 31st December 1939 and delivered from the factory equipped with indicators and an American heater, while the colours and its overall appearance were as it is today. The car was then 'sold' to a Mr A K Jacobsen of Slagelse, Denmark and registered 'E2931' on 16th June 1947. He 'officially' handed the car to his son, motor dealer Poul Jacobsen (said to be the real owner from the beginning) on 4th November 1954. On 23rd June 1955 the BMW passed to its next owner, accountant J B Jensen of Valby Denmark and was reregistered 'AR 20.839'. Mr Jensen drove the car for three years until an accident diminished his enthusiasm for fast driving. The director of the Ford main dealer Aarhus Motor Company then bought the car for his private use, in November 1958. However, when Ford's general manager heard about this he was ordered to sell the BMW and buy a Ford instead. The BMW was then sold discretely to the well-known Danish motoring journalist and photographer, Bjarne Kornbech of Brønshøj for a nominal sum and reregistered 'KA 32.651' on 24th December 1958. At this time the odometer was showing a total of 123,000 kilometres. The BMW turned out to be the perfect car for Kornbech, who kept it for the next 38 years and used it all year round. Kornbech also toured Europe in the BMW, crossing the Alps on several occasions and sometimes covering as many as 40,000 kilometres annually. The 327 participated in numerous races during the period 1962 to 1967 and by November 1981 the odometer reading had risen to 550,000 kilometres. In June 1997 the reading was 637,000 kilometres and both the car and its owner were beginning to show signs of fatigue. In fact, the 327 was now so tired that it could not pass the roadworthiness inspection and Kornbech reluctantly purchased a newer BMW. The present owner was 'allowed' to buy the 327 in June 1997 having promised to restore the car and not break it for parts. Bjarne Kornbech said he wanted it to live on as 'a memory of the time when the BMW 327 and 328 were some of the kings of the road.' Unfortunately, he passed away before the car was finally complete in June 2009. Late in June 1997 the car was taken to the Yngve Falk workshop in Esrum, Denmark, Yngve having had plenty of experience of owning and working on these pre-war BMWs. Starting in July 1997, the 327, which appeared complete and mainly original, was totally stripped down, a process that took the rest of the year to complete. Recognised specialists entrusted with the initial rebuild, which was undertaken in Germany, were Classic Concepts (Ingo Fabek) of Willish