1938 BMW 327 Coupe 2.0 4MT (81 HP)

Vehicle Overview

A less-known version for the 1938 BMW 327 Cabriolet was the coupe, that was launched in 1938. It shared the same bodywork, but with some special modifications.

The 327 remained one of the last gems made by BMW before WWII. It was designed and produced as a sporty vehicle, in its both versions as a coupe and convertible. The coupe had rear-hinged doors and the windscreen wipers were mounted at the base of the windshield. But it had the same beautiful long hood and curved front fenders. The big, tall “kidneys” had a chromed rim and a black interior mesh. It worth saying that the car was mostly hand-built and all the body panels were protected from rust with a thin, hand-applied, tin layer.

The 327 Coupe featured a body-on-frame bodywork, with a revised front suspension from the previous BMW 326 and a rear live-axle that was also used for the 328 roadsters. The coupe was only RM 50 cheaper than the convertible and most of the buyers chose the open-top variant.

The straight-six engine was a masterpiece of its time with an aluminum-alloy engine and a die-cast cylinder head. The base engine featured a downdraught carburetor and produced 55 hp. There was another version with two carburetors and, for special orders, an engine with a different intake manifold and three, BMW 328 carburetors. The total output for that was 88 hp.

The 327 coupes were fitted with hydraulic brakes, which was an unusual feature for that era. The four-speed manual gearbox had a single-dry clutch.