BMW Classic commissions remanufacture of orginal BMW 328 gearbox

Munich. BMW Classic has commissioned the remanufacture of gear-wheel kits for the original Hurth gearbox installed in the BMW 328. This is a further indication of BMW Classic’s commitment to maintaining the brand heritage and reaffirms its objective that original parts can be used in BMW classics and indeed that this should be the case. At the moment, fully synchronised gearboxes or gearboxes that have been continually modified over the years are installed in the BMW 328. The first and second gears in the original Hurth gearbox from the 1930s were not synchronised while the third and fourth gears were synchronised.

BMW Classic has commissioned automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG – a proven gearbox specialist – to solve this tricky task. Specialists from the archive and the restoration workshop of BMW Classic as well as external specialists in the field of the BMW 328 have joined forces with the gearbox development engineers from Friedrichshafen to work on getting closer to the original status from the 1930s. The biggest challenge was establishing the actual status of the original because after more than 70 years, all the existing gearboxes have been subject to modifications and optimisations. The resources required are such that ZF Friedrichshafen AG has given the project a similar status to that of a prototype construction for modern gearboxes.

The first prototypes have already been installed in the works vehicles of BMW Group Classic. During the course of the year, they will undergo endurance testing at a variety of driving events. BMW Classic is anticipating deliveries to customers at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

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