ORIGINAL MASTERPIECE WRITTEN OFF IN 1950'S CRASH

+ Click to Enlarge SHEER ARTISTRY: BMW's Classic division recreated this 1940 Mille Miglia 328 Kamm coupé from old photographs. Photo: Minesh Bhagaloo

July 30, 2010
By Minesh Bhagaloo

On April 28, 1940, five BMW racing cars made history when they crossed the finish line of the first Gran Premio Brescia delle Mille Miglia, taking first, third, fifth and sixth overall as well as the team prize.

Recently, on a visit to BMW's museum, I was privileged to sit in a re-creation by BMW's Classic division of one of these five cars, the BMW 328 Kamm coupé. Admittedly, it's not the original car but this is far more than just a replica.

But first a bit of history.

After the Mille Miglia victory the fleet of five silver racers was moved to a rural hideaway to save them from harm during the Second World War.

Post-war upheaval saw the cars scattered, with the three of the Mille Miglia roadsters resurfacing in Russia, England and America (BMW says Allied soldiers were scouring Germany for rare racing cars at the time).

The Touring coupé was also seized by the Americans but was soon after in the care of a BMW employee - only to find its way across the Atlantic when the owner emigrated.

Only the Kamm coupé (named after German aerodynamics pioneer Wunibald Kamm) remained in Germany in the hands of a former BMW racing director. He sold it in the early 1950's and it was scrapped after an accident, making it the only one of the five not to have been recovered and restored by BMW.

When BMW founded its Mobile Tradition (now called BMW Classic) division in the mid-1990's plans were put in place for a reproduction of the Kamm coupé, despite the lack of design drawings or pictures. Luckily a German private collector had pictures, including some of the tubular frame construction.

Thousands of man-hours, 3D computer geometry (using known sizes such wheel rim and headlight diameters from photographs) and a model made from compacted foam were just some of the efforts needed to create the resurrection you see here - we were told two days were spent just getting the number-plate brackets perfect!

The space frame - way ahead of its time - was made from an aluminium alloy called elektron and weighed only 30kg. An exact copy was made in aluminium, closely matching that original weight. The foam model was then used as the basis for a mould that resulted in aluminium body panels for the outer skin.

Other challenges included the technical differences that set the Kamm coupé apart from its series-produced siblings, such as the set-back radiator, engine and transmission, and modified rear axle.

Nevertheless, the car I was sitting was virtually the same 1940 Mille Miglia 328 Kamm coupé with an identical, 100kW, 1971cc, six-cylinder engine, god for 230km/h thanks to its kerb weight of only 760kg. This, in fact, was the same car that was entered in the 2010 Mille Miglia and finished the 1600km journey through Italy unscathed.

CLAIMED TOP SPEED BELIEVABLE

My brief ride in the passenger seat of the Kamm coupé left me astounded by the sheer craftsmanship and attention to detail lavished on this one-of-a-kind project. For such a light structure, the body seemed tight and solid and even at 2000rpm the engine sounded raw and angry, manna from the petrol gods.

There's certainly enough power to make the claimed top speed believable and the gear changes on the 4-speed box looked and sounded smooth. The car still had some of the modern equipment from the Mille Miglia installed but, aside from that, I'd happily challenge the best restorer to prove it's not the original.

On a lighter note, I think I'm also the only non-BMW staff member or racing driver to have pushed the Kamm coupé with my bare hands. The fuel gauge went a little wonky on the Mille Miglia and the 328's tank ran dry on our test run. And, before you ask, it takes unleaded.