BMW introduced the highly-successful 326 model at the 1936 Berlin Motor Show. Designed by Fritz Fiedler as a medium-size saloon, the new 326 was the first model produced by the German manufacturer to benefit from a 4-door body style. Some of the car's novelties included a hydraulic braking system and a torsion bar rear suspension. The spare wheel was fitted with a fixed cover to improve the car's aerodynamics while its 2-liter 6-cylinder inline engine was able to deliver up to 50PS . BMW later built some high-performance lightweight versions of the 326 - 327 and 328 - each benefiting from improved power ratings and different body styles. The car's immense success was proven by its high demand on the market, almost 16,000 units being sold by BMW until its discontinuance in 1941. This model was 'reincarnated' into a more modern BMW 340 after WWII.
|