BMW 335 Classic Cars for Sale

The BMW 335 was a premium car that was manufactured by the German company from 1939 until 1941. It was sold as a sports/sedan and had an incredibly powerful six –cylinder engine. The BMW 335 could be bought in two different body styles. As a four-door saloon or a two/ four door cabriolet. The gearbox was a four-speed manual (synchromesh)

The history of the BMW 335

Even though this vehicle was being manufactured against the backdrop of the Second World War, BMW was a company that has an eye for commercial success. The encouraging sales of the earlier BMW 326 encouraged the company to make the decision to move 'upmarket.' Up until this time, that sector had, in the main, been dominated by the powerful Mercedes-Benz company. The BMW 335 was to challenge and eat into that dominance.

BMW has its main factory in Eisenach. The BMW 335 took its inspiration from the 326, but with a larger chassis and wheelbase that was needed to accommodate the six-cylinder engine. The power output of the BMW 335 was 90 bhp. This was lower than the Jaguar, which was sold in the same upmarket sector. The BMW 335 could reach a speed of 90 mph.

Because the engine was so large, the BMW 335 was a very heavy car and needed bigger brake drums and wheels than the 326. This vehicle was one of the reasons why the German company had a growing reputation in the industry for innovation, especially when the BMW 335 became the inaugural car to offer synchromesh on all of the ratios of its four-speed transmission.

The BMW 335 launch and demise

The BMW 334 prototype was revealed to the world in London in 1938 under the Frazer Nash (UK) branding. Up until then, there had always been a good relationship between BMW and England. The German company became well established in the small car market with its version of the Austin 7. Frazer Nash had been importing BMW vehicles into England since 1934. The brain behind the development and design of the BMW 335, Fritz Fiedler would work in London, for a number of years, for Frazer Nash the production version of the BMW 335 was in the German showrooms from 1939

Sadly, the invasion by German troops of Poland and the start of the war marked the beginning of the end for this vehicle. When production eventually finished in 1941, just over 400 had been made