In 1938, the 327 sports-tourer was introduced, utilizing the shortened, boxed, ladder-type chassis found in the 326 Saloon and shared by the 320 model. However, it featured semi-elliptic rear springing instead of torsion bars.
The car was equipped with a Hurth four-speed manual gearbox, which included a freewheel mechanism between 1st and 2nd gears. This innovative feature allowed for clutch-less gear changes at low speeds. The 327 also boasted hydraulic brakes on all wheels and centralized chassis lubrication.
Under the hood, BMW had enlarged their pushrod six-cylinder engine to 1,971cc. In Type 55 form, as installed in the 327, it generated approximately 55bhp. Customers could also opt for the more powerful ‘hemi-head’ unit from the 328 sports car, which produced 80bhp, for an additional cost.
When equipped with the standard engine, the 327 was referred to as the ‘Fast Tourer’, while with the 328 unit, it was known as the ‘Sport Cabriolet’. Production of the BMW 327 convertibles continued until 1941, during which a total of 1,124 units were built.
Source: Bonhams
