In 1955 Denis Jenkinson wrote of the EMW sports racers: “By comparison, the well-known 300 SLR Mercedes-Benz sports cars have a poor air-flow over the bodywork with their numerous louvers, scoops and bulges.” Praise indeed!
The prototype BMW 340-1 Sportswagen was produced in 1949 and intended for series production. For a variety of reasons it remained a one-off but was raced in 1952 and then became the personal property of Paul Thiel, who is seen here at the wheel.
The EMW R3 was probably the most aerodynamically efficient 1.5-liter sports racer of its day and the most powerful. One set speed records at 156 mph, but it has remained largely unknown because it was East German. The team was due to race in Britain in 1955, but to get there they would have had to cross France…and the French would not let them.
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