BMW Dixi

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The BMW Dixi was the first car made by BMW.

Dixi had been making cars since 1904 but in the difficult times of the 1920's was finding it hard to sell its 6/24 and 9/40 models so looked to enter the small car market and in 1927 agreed a licence with the Austin Motor Company to build the Austin 7. A production level of 2000 cars a year was agreed with Austin being paid a royalty on each one made.

The first 100 cars were supplied as kits but by December 1927 the first of the real Dixis, the DA-1 3/25PS were coming off the production line. DA stood for Deutsche Ausfuhrung meaning German Version and 3/15 indicated the taxation and actual horse power ratings. Apart from being left-hand drive and using metric threaded fasteners, the car was nearly identical to the Austin. Body styles available were coupé, roadster, tourer and sedan with a few chassis going to external coachbuilders. Most cars left the factory as tourers.

Looking to move into car manufacture, BMW bought the Automobilwerk Eisenach in 1928 and with it the rights to build the Dixi car. At first the cars were badged as BMW Dixi but the Dixi name was dropped in 1929 when the DA-1 was replaced by a slightly updated version, the BMW 3/15 DA-2.