BMW Dixi (3/15) – the company's firstborn of 1928

Dixi is an automobile brand that traces its history back to the early 1904th century. It first became famous in XNUMX with the appearance of the model of the same name. At that time, it was produced under the banner of the Automobilwerk Eisenach company.


The start was quite good, but almost immediately the manufacturer faced difficult economic conditions. They manifested themselves in the fact that the available models 6/24 and 9/40 sold very poorly, predicting the financial collapse of the company.


In the circumstances, there was nothing left to do but seek outside help. Therefore, in 1927, a licensing agreement with the Austin Motor Company appeared. According to this document, the seventh Austin model was to be put on the conveyor of the unfortunate plant.

Licensing successes and further acquisitions

The estimated annual production volume was 2 units. For the use of someone else's intellectual work, Automobilwerk was obliged to pay the patent owners the agreed royalty for each unit assembled.

They started with "screwdriver assembly", but by the end of 1927 they had reached the level of full-scale production. At that time, the first examples of self-assembled vehicles Dixi (DA-1 3/15PS) rolled off the factory conveyor.


The letter designations indicated that these cars were the German version of the British-origin technology. But the numbers indicated taxation and horsepower (3/15). But there were a number of differences from the original:

✅ left hand drive
✅ use of metric fasteners
✅ some chassis were sent to third-party body builders

In other respects, the German copies were almost entirely consistent with the British Austins, which had already flooded the Foggy Albion by that time. Most of the cars produced at German facilities had a "tourer" body, but there were other options:

✅ coupe
✅ roadster
✅ sedan

The company's systematic advancement led to the fact that one dynamically developing fellow countryman became interested in it. We are talking about Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. Having decided to also engage in the production of automotive equipment and having sufficient financial reserves, the latter simply bought Automobilwerk Eisenach in 1928.



But in this form, which was also called DA-1, the car existed only for about a year. Already in 1929, the DA-2 version, which received a number of updates, entered the conveyor. Selling the car in a modified form, the company abolished the old name, introducing a new one - BMW Dixi 3/15.

This is how the birth and development of the world-famous German brand took place. At the end of the 20s, it was simply looking for a new production program for its enterprise in Eisenach. Therefore, the firstborn of the legendary brand, presented almost a hundred years ago, was based on a completely different concept than that which has been familiar to BMW fans for many decades.


It was initially assembled not in Bavaria, but at the Ambi-Budd plant, leased by the manufacturer. The company's facilities at that time were located in the area of ​​Berlin's Johannisthal Airport. Here are the main milestones of its development:

✅ 1927 – Acquisition of the Austin Seven license
✅ 1928 – The first prototypes of the BMW Dixi appear
✅ September 21, 1928 – official presentation at the Leipzig Fair
✅ November 1, 1928 – The first BMW Dixi models roll off the production line in Eisenach

Already in the first year of mass production of the Dixi, about 9300 units were assembled. At the same time, the range was expanded. In 1929, customers were offered 3/15 cars in convertible bodies and a two-seater sports roadster.

By the beginning of the next decade, the total sales level of the BMW Dixi 3/15 exceeds 10 thousand units. This serves as the best confirmation of the success of the choice and popularity or demand for the model in the markets of that period. This classic car for its time is still valued today for:

✅ universal design
✅ reliability
✅ excellent characteristics for a respectable age

And it’s not just the British forefathers who deserve credit for this. Even in its formative years, German company BMW demonstrated its commitment to superior engineering and innovative design. Gradually, these resulted in thoughtful modifications and new models that ensured the brand’s rise to the top and worldwide popularity.

Exterior and interior design of the car

The model had classic shapes with smooth side panels, protruding wings and a flat radiator grille. The design used a smooth chassis profile. The coupe with a lightweight steel body and an open roof had an elegant and quite sporty look. We will also mention the dimensions of the BMW Dixi 3/15:

✅ length - 2,65 m
✅ width - 1,2 m
✅ height - 1,63 m
✅ wheelbase - 1600 mm
✅ ground clearance - 200 mm

If the first impression of the car could already attract attention, then the look from the inside only noticeably confirmed it. There we will see a spacious interior with a cozy and comfortable bucket seat. This could impress even a sophisticated gourmet of the early 30s of the last century.


The car's dashboard offered the owner a speedometer, fuel gauge and other important sensors. All of this was supplemented by manual or automatic air damper control. Which, of course, made it easier to operate the equipment in various climatic conditions.

BMW Dixi 3/15 power unit and its performance

The 1928 BMW Dixi was equipped with a four-speed manual transmission. Its good adjustment ensured smooth shifting and optimal control of the car. It also had a conventional clutch and drum brakes on all four wheels.

The Dixi 3/15 suspension was a semi-elliptical leaf spring. This design could provide the car with a fairly smooth ride even on less than level terrain. But the powertrain's performance figures deserve a separate listing:

✅ four-cylinder
✅ working volume - 749 cubic meters. cm
✅ power – 15 (in some modifications – up to 18) hp
✅ torque – up to 3500 rpm

The cylinder block and its head were made of cast iron. The engine was cooled with water, using a thermosiphon system. A well-thought-out design allowed it to demonstrate good agility for those years - more than 80 km/h.

As a launch pad for further take-off

The model, produced under a British license, became an important milestone in the formation and development of the BMW industrial line. It was with it that the era of successful assembly of passenger cars of this brand began. Including the classic two-section radiator grille or the G-shaped arrangement of the rear lights.

It seems that already during the period of refining the design of the BMW Dixi 3/15, the Bavarian specialists got a taste for it and realized that they could create automobile fashion themselves. Which was perfectly confirmed by their long-term history of unambiguous success.


Returning to the model in question, we note that its development was quite short. The production of Dixi 3/15 was completely stopped in 1932. After assembling 16 thousand licensed cars, BMW decided: it was time to move on to producing larger and more luxurious cars.