The BMW 303 was a
small family saloon produced by
BMW in 1933 and 1934. It was the first BMW
motor car
A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods.
The year 1886 is regarded as t ...
with a six-cylinder engine and the first BMW motor car with the "kidney grille" associated with the
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
. The
platform
Platform may refer to:
Technology
* Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run
* Platform game, a genre of video games
* Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models
* Weapons platform, a system or ...
developed for the 303 was used for several other BMW cars, including the BMW 309, a four-cylinder version of the 303, the BMW 315, a 1.5-litre version of the 303 which replaced it in 1934 and was built until 1937, the BMW 319, a 1.9-litre version of the 303 produced alongside the 315 from 1935 to 1937, and the BMW 329, a development of the 319 with styling based on the newer, larger
BMW 326
The BMW 326 is a medium-sized sedan produced by BMW between 1936 and 1941, and again briefly, under Soviet control, after 1945. The 326 was BMW's first four-door sedan.Odin, L.C. ''World in Motion 1939 - The whole of the year's automobile produc ...
, that briefly replaced the 319 in 1937.
The 303 platform was also used for the BMW 315/1 and BMW 319/1. These were high-performance versions of the 315 and 319 respectively, with
tuned engines and lightweight
roadster bodywork. The 315/1 and 319/1 were replaced by the
BMW 328
The BMW 328 was a sports car offered by BMW from 1936 to 1940, with the body design credited to Peter Szymanowski, who became BMW chief of design after World War II (although technically the car was designed by Fritz Fiedler).
Specifications
...
in 1936.
Design, engineering, and styling
Chassis and suspension
Upon its introduction in 1933, the 303 was the largest car BMW had made.
The wheelbase of the 303 was ,
an increase of over the
3/20. The track, at the front and at the rear, was also wider than the 3/20's front and rear. Unlike the 3/20's
backbone chassis
Backbone tube chassis is a type of automobile construction chassis that is similar to the body-on-frame design. Instead of a two-dimensional ladder-type structure, it consists of a strong tubular backbone (usually rectangular in cross section) ...
,
the 303 had a
ladder frame
A vehicle frame, also historically known as its ''chassis'', is the main supporting structure of a motor vehicle to which all other components are attached, comparable to the skeleton of an organism.
Until the 1930s, virtually every car had a ...
made from tubular side members and box-section cross members.
The independent front suspension used a transverse mounted
leaf spring
A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Originally called a ''laminated'' or ''carriage spring'', and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring, elliptical spring, or cart spring, it ...
mounted above the wheel centre line. The hubs were located with the spring mounts at the top and
control arm
In automotive suspension, a control arm, also known as an A-arm, is a hinged suspension link between the chassis and the suspension upright or hub that carries the wheel. In simple terms, it governs a wheel's vertical travel, allowing it to mo ...
s at the bottom.
The rear suspension used a
live axle
A beam axle, rigid axle or solid axle is a dependent suspension design in which a set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. Beam axles were once commonly used at the rear wheels of a vehicle, but historically they have als ...
on semi-elliptic leaf springs,
a conventional system neither as advanced nor as troublesome as the 3/20's
swing axle
A swing axle is a simple type of independent (rear wheel) suspension designed and patented by Edmund Rumpler in 1903. This was a revolutionary invention in automotive suspension, allowing driven (powered) wheels to follow uneven road surfaces i ...
s.
The 303 was the first German car in its size and price class to have automatic "one-shot" chassis lubrication. Each wheel had a
drum brake
A drum brake is a brake that uses friction caused by a set of shoes or pads that press outward against a rotating cylinder-shaped part called a brake drum.
The term ''drum brake'' usually means a brake in which shoes press on the inner surfac ...
; all four were operated through the
pedal
A pedal (from the Latin '' pes'' ''pedis'', "foot") is a lever designed to be operated by foot and may refer to:
Computers and other equipment
* Footmouse, a foot-operated computer mouse
* In medical transcription, a pedal is used to control p ...
using rods and levers, while the rear brakes were also operated by cables from the
handbrake lever.
Engine
The 303 was the first BMW car to use a
straight-6
The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bal ...
engine. The
M78 1182 cc six-cylinder engine was developed from the four-cylinder engine used in the 3/20. The engine had the same bore and stroke as the four, but the bore spacing was increased to allow for further increases in bore and to provide for crankshaft bearings between the ends of the crankshaft. The crankshaft ran in four
plain bearing
A plain bearing, or more commonly sliding contact bearing and slide bearing (in railroading sometimes called a solid bearing, journal bearing, or friction bearing), is the simplest type of bearing, comprising just a bearing surface and no rolli ...
s.
Styling
The 303 was the first BMW to use the 'kidney grill',
which has since become a defining feature of the company's models.
Two-door saloon and cabriolet bodies were manufactured, at first by
Daimler-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz Group Aktiengesellschaft, AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It ...
's coachworks in
Sindelfingen
Sindelfingen ( Swabian: ''Sendlfenga'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg in south Germany. It lies near Stuttgart at the headwaters of the Schwippe (a tributary of the river Würm), and is home to a Mercedes-Benz assembly plant.
History
* 1155 †...
, and later by
Ambi-Budd
Ambi-Budd was a German automobile body company founded by Edward Gowen Budd
In Germany, Edward Gowen Budd worked with Arthur Müller and set up a steel pressing plant ''Ambi Budd Presswerke'' (ABP) in the old Rumpler factory and became a successful ...
in Berlin. Ambi-Budd would also offer a two-seat sports cabriolet for the 303.
Reception
At the time it was being made, the 303 was the least expensive six-cylinder car in Germany. However, it was considered underpowered, with a top speed of . The combination of soft spring rates at the front and hard spring rates at the rear caused
understeer
Understeer and oversteer are vehicle dynamics terms used to describe the sensitivity of a vehicle to steering. Oversteer is what occurs when a car turns (steers) by more than the amount commanded by the driver. Conversely, understeer is what occu ...
,
body roll
Body roll is the axial rotation of a Vehicle, vehicle’s Vehicle frame, body towards the outside of a turn. Body roll occurs because the Compliant mechanism, compliance in Car suspension, vehicle suspension allows the vehicle body, which sits upo ...
, and a generally unsettling
pitching movement.
2300 BMW 303s were produced up to 1934,
when the 303 was replaced by the 315.
Models developed from the 303
309
The BMW 309 was a development of the 303. A replacement for the 3/20, the 309 was a 303 with a four-cylinder engine developed from the
M78 six-cylinder engine used in the 303. The 309's engine had the bore increased from to which, with a stroke of , gave a capacity of and maximum power of at 4000 rpm.
In addition to the body styles offered with the 303, the 309 was also available as a
tourer
Touring car and tourer are both terms for open cars (i.e. cars without a fixed roof).
"Touring car" is a style of open car built in the United States which seats four or more people. The style was popular from the early 1900s to the 1930s.
Th ...
.
With the same body as the 303, the 309 offered the same amount of room at a lower cost and a lower tax rating based on its smaller engine.
The 309 was manufactured from 1934 to 1936, with a total of 6,000 made.
Six-cylinder successors: 315, 319, and 329
![01416Kraków](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/01416Krak%C3%B3w.JPG)
The 315 replaced the 303 in 1934.
The 315 differed from the 303 mainly with its larger engine, with increases in both the bore, to from , and the stroke, to from .
The 319 were introduced in 1935. Produced alongside the 315, the 319 differed from it mainly by its new, larger engine with a bore of , and a stroke of , resulting in a displacement of . This resulted in an increase in power to at 3750 rpm.
The kerb weight of the 319 was , and the fuel capacity was .
Upon the introduction of the BMW 326 in 1936, the 315 and 319 were no longer BMW's largest cars.
The 315 and 319 were discontinued in 1937. A total of 9,765 BMW 315s were built, including two-door saloon cars, touring cars, convertibles, sport convertibles, and 315/1 roadsters. A total of 6,646 BMW 319s of all types were built by the end of production in 1937.
The 329 replaced the 319 in early 1937. The 329 was basically a 319 with the front bodywork and fenders from the
BMW 326
The BMW 326 is a medium-sized sedan produced by BMW between 1936 and 1941, and again briefly, under Soviet control, after 1945. The 326 was BMW's first four-door sedan.Odin, L.C. ''World in Motion 1939 - The whole of the year's automobile produc ...
. The 329 was available only as a convertible, with either two or four doors. The 329 was replaced by the 326-based
BMW 320
The BMW 320 was a car manufactured by Bayerische Motoren Werke AG also known as BMW in Germany from 1937 to 1938, the successor to the 319-based BMW 329. It was offered in 2 door saloon and convertible versions. Approximately 4,200 cars were mad ...
later in 1937.
315/1 and 319/1 roadsters
The BMW 315/1 was a
sports car
A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...
based on the 315 saloon. It used the same chassis as the 315 saloon and had an engine of the same displacement. However, with compression ratio increased to 6.8:1
from 5.6:1 in the saloon,
and with the use of three Solex carburetors,
power increased to at 4300 rpm, while the
roadster bodywork reduced kerb weight to .
The BMW 319/1 was a 1.9-litre version of the 315/1 introduced alongside the 319 in 1935. The dimensions of the 319's engine with the performance modification of the 315/1's engine resulted in at 4000 rpm in the 319/1 roadster
Production of the 315/1 and 319/1 roadsters ended in 1936, with 242 of the 315/1 roadsters and 102 of the 319/1s built.
The 315/1 and 319/1 were replaced by the
BMW 328
The BMW 328 was a sports car offered by BMW from 1936 to 1940, with the body design credited to Peter Szymanowski, who became BMW chief of design after World War II (although technically the car was designed by Fritz Fiedler).
Specifications
...
,
which was based on an all-new tubular steel ladder frame, but used the steering gear and suspension of the 319/1.
References
;Citations
;Bibliography
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*Carfolio web pages:
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bmw 303
303
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Year 303 ( CCCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It was known in the Roman Empire as the Year of the Consulship of Diocletian and Maximian (or, less frequently, y ...
Cars introduced in 1933