Istorie
The Dixi was the first car made by BMW, but it wasn't originally a BMW nameplate. Dixi was a german brand used for the cars produced by Automobilwerk Eisenach (Eisenach car factory) starting in 1904. However, after the First World War, the company had serious financial problems and subsequently, BMW bought the the Dixi brand in October 1928.
Full description
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (Bavarian Motor Works), commonly known as BMW, was established as a business entity following a restructuring of the Rapp Motorenwerke aircraft manufacturing firm in 1917. After the end of World War I in 1918, BMW was forced to cease aircraft-engine production by the terms of the Versailles Armistice Treaty. The company consequently shifted to motorcycle production in 1923, once the restrictions of the treaty started to be lifted, followed by automobiles in 1928–1929.
The Dixi was the first car made by BMW, but it wasn't originally a BMW nameplate. Dixi was a german brand used for the cars produced by Automobilwerk Eisenach (Eisenach car factory) starting in 1904. However, after the First World War, the company had serious financial problems and subsequently, BMW bought the the Dixi brand in October 1928.
Automobilwerk Eisenach decided to enter the small car market after the war and in 1927 they signed a licensing agreement with the Austin Motor Company to build a variant of the Austin 7. A production level of 2000 cars a year was agreed upon, and Dixi paid Austin a royalty on each vehicle produced. The first fifty Eisenach-built Sevens were right-hand-drive cars assembled in September 1927 from parts provided by Austin's factory in Longbridge. By December 1927, Dixi had begun building their version of the Seven: the left-hand-drive Dixi 3/15 PS DA-1, built from parts made inernally in Eisenach. The 3/15 designation was derived from a taxable horsepower rating of 3 PS with an actual power output of approximately 15 PS (11 kW; 15 hp) The DA-1 designation stood for Erste Deutsche Ausfuehrung (First German Version).
After BMW bought Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach in 1928, the Dixi 3/15 PS DA-1 became the BMW Dixi 3/15 DA-2 or, increasingly, simply as the BMW 3/15 DA-2.
The side-valve engine of the Dixi had 15 hp and 76 Km/h top speed. It was composed of an aluminium crankcase, cast iron cylinder block and cast iron cylinder head. Cooling was by thermo siphon, without a water pump,.
This particular car has been equipped with a special “Ihle” body. The brothers Rudolf and Fritz Ihle were the motor vehicle coachbuilders, from Bruchsal, Germany. The customer could get a kit for self-assembly or can rebuild his car in Bruchsal.
This car has covered 18,656 km.
