1938 BMW 328 Special Competition Roadster
- Engine
- 2.0L inline-six BMW 328-derived, triple-camshaft setup (twin-cam head designed by Loof plus block cam), ~140 hp
Chassis 85335 is one of three 'Special Competition' BMW 328 Roadsters ordered by the German NSKK national racing team in November 1938 and delivered in February 1939. Equipped with a works high-compression engine, lightweight bodywork, and period racing equipment, it competed in the 1939 Litoranea Libica (2nd in class), the Le Mans 24 Hours (7th overall, 2nd in class), and the Belgrade Grand Prix (2nd overall). After decades in single-family ownership in the United States, the car was meticulously restored to its 1939 as-raced specification by D.L. George Historic Motorcars, and subsequently awarded 3rd in the Early Le Mans class at the 2022 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
Ownership
- 2024-05-05Auction saleEstimate US$1,500,000 – US$2,000,000
- 1939-02-02 →Factory deliveryNSKK German national racing teamfull documentation
Chassis ordered from BMW in November 1938 and delivered to NSKK headquarters in Munich in early February 1939. Raced competitively throughout 1939 season before being retired after the Belgrade event and disappearing from record.
- 1963-05-01 → 1966-08-01Acquisition unknownCarl Reitzelpartial documentation
Based in Newark, New Jersey. The car had been modified to resemble a standard road-going 328, though original competition components were retained.
- 1966-08-01 →Private saleJames P. McAllisterpartial documentation
Ferrari dealer and collector based in Port Jefferson, New York. Kept the car along with its removed competition spares.
- → 2017-10-01InheritanceJeffrey McAllisterpartial documentation
Member of the McAllister family who took custodianship during the 1980s, commissioning a restoration for vintage competition use. Occasionally entered the car in regional concours and historic races over the following two decades.
- 2017-10-01 →Private saleCurrent owner since 2017full documentation
Commissioned a comprehensive restoration by D.L. George Historic Motorcars to return the car to its original 1939 as-raced specification, with documented invoices from 2018 to 2022 on file.
Competition
- 1939-03-261939 Litoranea LibicaDriver: Prince Max Schaumburg-Lippe5th overall, 2nd in class
Co-driven by Ralph Roese. The event ran along the Libyan coast between Tobruk and Tripoli, serving as the official replacement for the suspended Italian Mille Miglia. Car ran as entry number 62.
- 1939-06-171939 Le Mans 24 HoursDriver: Ralph Roese7th overall, 2nd in class
Co-driven by Paul Heinemann; car ran as number 27. The crew climbed to 10th overall by early morning and ultimately reached 7th, finishing nine laps behind the overall winner and completing a BMW sweep of the 2.0-liter category podium.
- 1939-09-011939 Belgrade Grand PrixDriver: Ralph Roese2nd overall
Held at the Kalemegdan Park road circuit. Car ran as number 44. The event attracted minimal press attention due to the concurrent German invasion of Poland.
- 20222022 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance3rd in Early Le Mans class
Entered following the restoration by D.L. George Historic Motorcars to as-raced 1939 configuration.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2018RestorationD.L. George Historic Motorcars
Comprehensive restoration targeting the car's precise 1939 as-raced configuration, including reinstatement of original competition specification. Documented by invoices spanning 2018 to 2022. The restorer had previously worked on sister chassis 85337.
Commissioned by the post-2017 owner; workshop located in Cochranville, Pennsylvania. Supporting invoices on file.
- —Modification
The car was altered at some point to resemble a standard production 328, with various race-specific components removed or concealed. The removed parts were retained by the custodians.
Timing unclear; appears to have occurred between the car's post-war disappearance and its appearance in New Jersey by May 1963.
- —Restoration
The car was refurbished to enable vintage racing participation, returning it to running condition during the McAllister family's ownership.
Carried out during the 1980s under the care of Jeffrey McAllister.
- —InspectionBMW Classic
Formal verification by Klaus Kutscher, BMW's in-house 328 specialist at the time, confirming the chassis identity, competition provenance, and survival of key original components.
Undertaken in cooperation with BMW and independent marque experts during the McAllister ownership period, prior to the 2017 sale.
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