1935 BMW 315/1 Roadster

51763/199roadGermany

Engine: Uprated 1.9L straight-six (319/1 unit), with three side-draft carburettors; spare period-correct engine and gearbox also included
Colour: Green

One of just 242 built, this 1935 BMW 315/1 Roadster is among the rarest variants of the 315 series, combining the 1.5-litre straight-six with three side-draft carburettors in a lightweight open body. Delivered new on 14 April 1935 to a buyer in Augsburg, Bavaria, the car later entered Swiss ownership from 1960 through three successive custodians before undergoing a comprehensive restoration by specialist René Große of Wusterwitz, completed between 2015 and 2024 at a cost exceeding €550,000. It is currently fitted with a period 319/1 engine and comes with a spare non-matching but era-correct engine and gearbox.

Ownership

—Auction sale
Sold €230,000 (≈ $253K)
RM Sotheby's catalogue lot →
1935-04-14 →Factory delivery
First owner in Augsburg, Bavaria
full documentation
Delivery confirmed by BMW birth certificate; car finished in green with grey upholstery. Subsequent history prior to 1960 is unrecorded.
1960 →
First Swiss owner
partial documentation
Car first registered in Switzerland in 1960; one of three successive Swiss custodians before the consignor acquired it.
→ 2014Acquisition unknown
Third Swiss owner
partial documentation
Final owner prior to the consignor; car remained in Switzerland throughout this period.
2014 →Private sale
Current consignor
full documentation
Commissioned a comprehensive restoration by specialist René Große of Wusterwitz, completed between 2015 and 2024 at a total cost exceeding €550,000.
Date unknownAcquisition unknown
Second Swiss owner
partial documentation
Second of three owners during the car's Swiss period.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

2015Restoration
René Große
Complete restoration commissioned by the consignor and carried out by marque specialist René Große; work spanned roughly a decade with total expenditure exceeding €550,000, bringing the car to a high-quality finished condition.
Supporting invoices covering the full scope of work are included in the car's documentation. Workshop located in Wusterwitz, Brandenburg.
—
Modification
Engine replaced with an uprated unit sourced from a BMW 319/1; a spare period-correct but non-matching engine and gearbox also accompany the car.
It is unclear at what point the 319/1 motor was fitted; the modification may have been carried out during the restoration.

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