Austin historyFrank CarrollApril 06, 2019Austin 7

Austin 7s made in Germany from 1927 to 1931

Austin historyFrank CarrollApril 06, 2019Austin 7

After the post-WW I ban on German warplane manufacturing, it was no surprise that the German economy was in trouble. Prospects were very dim for the Eisenach factory (in East Germany) of BMW (founded 1917) by the mid-1920’s.

In 1927, one Jacob Schapiro, who had a significant financial interest at stake, negotiated with Sir Herbert Austin, securing a licence to produce 9,000 versions of the two-seat Austin 7 over 2 years, badged as Dixi 3/15’s, Type Da 1, ‘dixi’ meaning “I have spoken”.

From 1929 onwards, the licenced production continued at Eisenach, though the Dixi badge disappeared from the 3/15 models, and Britain’s transplanted AUSTIN SEVEN became the first BMW family car, the “BMW 3/15 Type Da 2”, where the Da meant Deutsche Ausfuhrug or ‘German version’.

During 1929, over 5,300 of these BMW 3/15’s were made, and nearly 6,800 the following year, very encouraging for Germany’s motor industry.

By 1929, the 3/15 took on a new radiator shape and larger doors, while the two-seater was made without running boards, called the Da 2, with four-wheel brakes.

The Da 2 was produced until early 1932, with a parallel sports model from 1930 to 1931 – some 150 of these Da 3 series were sold and, like the British Austin 7, its toughness was soon proven in a variety of motoring performance events, including first class awards in the 1931 Monte Carlo rally and racing success amid the grandeur of the 22klm Nurburgring. BMW spent a lot of money on racing to refine the car.

From March 1932, BMW struck out on its own, prematurely withdrawing from the Austin licence agreement on only one month’s notice, as it experimented with front suspension changes and tried to design larger cars. While the company struggled for a year or so, it soon forged other partnerships and became very successful, including ownership of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars.

With that window into history, I can safely say that BMW would not exist today, if it had not produced the Austin 7 from 1927 to early 1931, making over 25,000 of these for sale in Germany. That amazing total included military purchases by the Reichswehr, which, at the time, from buying heavy military vehicles, so it adapted these for manoeuvres.

Schapiro’s action was very wise, as other German companies had considered doing the same, but failed to see the cars potential.

At around the same time, other markets prospered from the fabulous Austin 7 design:

In 1932, 150 Datsun Type 11 cars, in various body styles, were made without licence, but identical to the Austin 7. Sir Herbert Austin went to the trouble of buying one to examine it, but could not be bothered taking legal action.
The American Austin Car Company was formed in 1929 and produced about 20,000 Austin 7 cars under licence from 1930 trough 1934, when it filed for bankruptcy. Styling resembled small Chevrolets, with Stutz and Marmon-style horizontal hood louvres, made by the Hayes Body Company of Detroit.
In 1923, Automobiles L. Rosengart in France purchased a licence to build the Austin 7, though production did not start till 1927 and the first Rosengart LR2 appeared on the market in 1928, the same year as its cousin, the Dixi 3/15 was appearing in Germany. Though not certain, its thought that over 10,000 were produced.

Therefore, with 30, 316 made in England for local and Australian markets, plus 25,000 in Germany, another 20,000 in USA and over 10,000 in France and Japan, there were over 75,000 units produced to this design around the world from 1922 to 1939.

See the wonderful photos at pages 6-7, 13-17, 22-27 and 87 (in 1929 three BMW 3/15’s won the Alpine Trials with an average speed of 25mph, 42kph) of Don Slater’s great book “BMW – the Book of the Car”, 1983 Ebury Press, London.

See also “Great Marques – BMW”, by Jeremy Walton, 1983, at pages 10-12 and photo at page 46.

I acknowledge the Wikipedia as a very helpful resource in motoring history.