The BMW 328 Hommage celebrated, commemorated, and modernized the iconic 328, marking the car’s 75th anniversary in outrageous fashion. Considered by some to be the best sports car of the 1930s — and a huge success for BMW — the original 328 arguably set the bar for all BMWs that came after. Futuristic steps for the time, like utilization of lightweight metals and new suspension technology, contributed to the 328’s exceptional performance and in-period accolades. It’s only fitting that BMW’s successor to one of the greatest was assembled with unparalleled attention to detail. Here’s how it happened.
Design Origins: How the BMW 328 Hommage Was Born
The 328 Hommage was birthed by Karl Baumer, president of BMW’s classic car division, back in 2008. At the time, Baumer originally envisioned an M1 reference piece. While that never materialized, the same idea came Adrian van Hooydonk’s in 2011. Now, Adrian had actually driven an original 328, and the car had left an impression on him. Core BMW philosophies shined bright with this pre-war gem, as evidenced by his words to Steve Saxty in his book BMW by Design.
“Its light weight, six-cylinder engine, and rear-wheel drive really impressed me,” he says. With Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este around the corner and the once-budding concept cars category now a very popular attraction, BMW spun off the existing ConnectedDrive concept into what we know today as the 328 Hommage.
“Around the corner” might have been burying the lead a bit, though. The Hommage became a defined goal in January 2011, just four months before Villa d’Este. Designer Christopher Weil took first crack at the 328 Hommage. Though the ConnectedDrive concept had only just taken form, Weil borrowed generously and in just the right places. “I thought people might not realize it was the same car if I changed its character by tweaking the right ingredients,” he says in Saxty’s book.
He claims that he revised the main body line and changed the rocker panel below where the door would be. Of course, another difference was the lack of doors entirely — “no budget,” Weil explains. Further tweaks included an obviously redone grille with different-styled lights.
Building the 328 Hommage: Z4 Roots, Carbon Fiber Shell, and Vintage Soul
After design gets sorted, BMW sets to work building the wild concept. Carbon fiber body panels, fiberglass (made to look like carbon fiber) trim pieces, and alloy wheels styled after the 328’s original holed-wheel style gave the car the perfect blend of contemporary and vintage. Gross vehicle weight was just 780 kg — around 1720 pounds. Saddle leather upholstery was chosen for its uniquely “aged” properties. When time came to breathe life into the car, BMW chose to work with California-based coachbuilders Metalworks.
Underpinning the 328 Hommage, appropriately, is BMW’s roadster of the day. A Z4 test car pulled from the automaker’s own Oxnard, California emissions test facility with 63,000 kilometers already on the clock. Stripped and lengthened, the chassis proves to be the perfect fit for additional reinforcements and the carbon fiber tub lying underneath the sheet metal — erm, sheet carbon fiber — of the Hommage. Of course, this kind of resourcefulness didn’t really contribute to much cost savings. The 328 Hommage was still a multi-million dollar project. Consider the bespoke alloy wheels, CFRP construction and — most importantly — custom glass, which concept cars nearly never get because it’s simply so expensive to manufacture.
Legacy of the 328 Hommage: A Preview of BMW’s Design Future?
Finally, in May 2011, the 328 Hommage landed at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, complete with other concept car neatness like leather straps flanking the exterior and a display comprising dual iPhones. How far we’ve come! Regardless, it stands today as an awesome reference to a car that arguably made BMW what it is today and has been for decades. And, hopefully, a taste of what’s to come for the original 328’s 100th anniversary. Want to learn more about the 328 Hommage? We recommend checking out Steve Saxty’s excellent book, BMW by Design. Or, check out the rest of his BMW books — they’re all worthwhile.
