The pre-war era of automotive manufacturing had the likes of Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, and Mercedes-Benz typify the age with powerful-yet-complex performance machines.

By contrast, the BMW 328 emerged in 1936 as a well-engineered, light, well balanced, and surprisingly driver-friendly racer at a time when such qualities were rarely found in cars intended for the track.

Entering production in April 1936, the 328 was widely campaigned by BMW’s Works team in contemporary motorsport events.

The very first car, chassis number 85001, was driven by Ernst Henne to 1st overall at the Eifelrennen Nürburgring.

Just 12 months after entering production, the first customer cars were delivered, leading to a number of privateer entries running alongside factory-backed machines.

Both camps scored notable victories in the late-1930s at the Grand Prix des Frontières, Bucharest Grand Prix, and Eläintarhanajo in Finland.

Starting in 1938, the 328 claimed victory at some 125 events, including 1-2-...