Following the collapse of its aero engine business after WWI, BMW turned to other areas of manufacture, motorcycles among them. Its first two models, marketed as the Frink and Helios respectively, were failures but a successful proprietary engine was supplied to other manufacturers, such as Victoria. Designed by Chief Engineer Max Friz and launched in 1923, the first motorcycle to be sold as a BMW - the R32 - featured a 493cc, twin-cylinder, sidevalve engine having horizontally opposed cylinders, and this 'flat twin' layout would forever be associated with the marque. BMW's M2B15 proprietary engine was a 'flat twin' but one designed for installation fore-and-aft, a layout that made for a lengthy wheelbase. Turning the engine across the frame, as seen in the Granville Bradshaw-designed ABC, seemed like a better arrangement, and with the crankshaft now inline, the adoption of shaft drive was the logical choice. Setting a pattern that endures to this day, BMW's first motorcycle was relatively expensive but superbly engineered and constructed, while the quality of finish was of the highest order. It was an immediate success - some 1,500 leaving the Munich factory in 1924 - and the R32 would continue in production, updated with an internally expanding front brake, until 1926. This superb example of BMW's historic first motorcycle was delivered new to Schenker & Co in Berlin. The machine is fitted with the optional Bosch lighting set and horn, and a Glashutter 120km/h speedometer. There are no documents with this Lot. Diese hervorragende Exemplar des historisch gesehen ersten Modells eines BMW-Motorrades, die R32, wurde 1924 als Neufahrzeug an die Firma Schenker & Co. in Berlin ausgeliefert. Die Maschine ist mit dem optionalen Beleuchtungssatz und Hupe von Bosch ausgestattet und verfügt über einen 120 km/h Tachometer von Glasshütte. Es existieren keinerlei Dokumente zu diesem Los.
Following the collapse of its aero engine business after WWI, BMW turned to other areas of manufacture, motorcycles among them. Its first two models, marketed as the Frink and Helios respectively, were failures but a successful proprietary engine was supplied to other manufacturers, such as Victoria. Designed by Chief Engineer Max Friz and launched in 1923, the first motorcycle to be sold as a BMW - the R32 - featured a 493cc, twin-cylinder, sidevalve engine having horizontally opposed cylinders, and this 'flat twin' layout would forever be associated with the marque. BMW's M2B15 proprietary engine was a 'flat twin' but one designed for installation fore-and-aft, a layout that made for a lengthy wheelbase. Turning the engine across the frame, as seen in the Granville Bradshaw-designed ABC, seemed like a better arrangement, and with the crankshaft now inline, the adoption of shaft drive was the logical choice. Setting a pattern that endures to this day, BMW's first motorcycle was relatively expensive but superbly engineered and constructed, while the quality of finish was of the highest order. It was an immediate success - some 1,500 leaving the Munich factory in 1924 - and the R32 would continue in production, updated with an internally expanding front brake, until 1926. This superb example of BMW's historic first motorcycle was delivered new to Schenker & Co in Berlin. The machine is fitted with the optional Bosch lighting set and horn, and a Glashutter 120km/h speedometer. There are no documents with this Lot. Diese hervorragende Exemplar des historisch gesehen ersten Modells eines BMW-Motorrades, die R32, wurde 1924 als Neufahrzeug an die Firma Schenker & Co. in Berlin ausgeliefert. Die Maschine ist mit dem optionalen Beleuchtungssatz und Hupe von Bosch ausgestattet und verfügt über einen 120 km/h Tachometer von Glasshütte. Es existieren keinerlei Dokumente zu diesem Los.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
