At the Berlin Motor Show in 1934, BMW presented its first roadster – the six-cylinder 315/1 - which went on to become one of the serious contenders in the sports car market of its time and the forbearer of the modern Z4 Roadster. With the public falling in love with the car, BMW decided to build the 315/1 in a small series, catering also to motorsport enthusiasts. Only 230 units were completed by mid 1935, with many used successfully in motorsport.
BMW works driver Ralph Roese, for example, used his own race-modified BMW 315/1 Special, weighing in at a very lithe 380kg, to claim a debut victory at Nürburgring by a staggering 17km.
A more powerful version of the BMW Roadster – the 319/1 – arrived in late 1934, featuring a 1.9-litre six-cylinder engine.
In the mid-'30s, production roadsters and competition cars were very similar in technical terms so motorsport was an ideal place to prove the performance and reliability of production cars.
Looking for ways to increase performance without increasing engine size, BMW engineers developed the M328 engine, which powered the legendary BMW 328 sports car of 1936.
Right from the start, in its debut at Nürburgring on 14 June 1936, BMW’s new roadster literally pulverised even the most powerful supercharged competitors. Its success was thanks to a well-balanced mix of engine power, low weight and cutting-edge suspension technology.
The BMW 328 remains rare to this day with only 464 units built, right through to 1940.
While the 328 paved the way for BMW’s sporting activities, the company’s next two-seater sports car set new standards in design and elegance. In the mid-'50s BMW introduced the 507. Its debut at the 1955 New York motor show left both journalists and the public with jaws agape.
The BMW 507 introduced a vertical, as opposed to horizontal, kidney grille, and aluminium V8, acknowledged to this day as the first light-alloy V8 built in series production. Exactly 251 proud owners took delivery of this exclusive car between 1956 and 1959.
It took 29 years before the next roadster bearing the famous white-and-blue logo entered the market. This was the BMW Z1 launched – ahead of its time in technical terms – in 1988.
The Z1 featured a steel monocoque body with plastic floor bonded into place. The outer skin was plastic and the doors could retract into the high side-sills even when driving.
Thrilling to drive thanks to its stiffness, low centre of gravity and stability in bends, the Z1 was delivered to 8000 customers between 1989 and 1991.
In response to the interest shown in the Z1, BMW launched the Z3 in 1995. With the Z3 proving to be a huge success, BMW was able to offer a whole range of different engines, right up to the tyre-shredding M Roadster.
Entering the new millennium, BMW presented a modern interpretation of the former 507 in the form of the Z8. It featured sleek proportions, classic lines and soft folding roof, as well as monocoque aluminium spaceframe chassis and high-performance 5.0-litre V8.
The latest Z4 roadster, was presented for the first time at the Paris motor show in 2002. A new hardtop-folding version continuing its classic roadster proportions went on sale in Australia last month.
With the roof down, the modern Z4 provides a refreshing experience of the sun shining in and the wind rushing by, not dissimilar to the BMW roadsters that started it all.