BMW 326 Roadster Special

The vehicle is located near Sint-Truiden (Belgium).

Presentation / History of the vehicle

Delivered to its dealer in August 1936 in Hamburg, this 326 is one of the earlier cars of the series, attested by the chassis number and engine number 75663. In the early fifties, this car belonged to a gifted mechanic and tuner, Dutchman Jacobus Van Der Tuyn, who rebuilt 2 BMWs 328 with his company COTURA (stands for Coos van der Tuyn Racing Automobiles). The 328s that were used to make Coturas were so popular, so he started to focus on the chassis of the 326. The sturdy chassis was shortened from the front, creating a wheelbase of 256 cm. This idea was later considered by BMW for the new 328 which was going to be the 318. However, the idea was rejected as being too expensive.
In 1949 Frazer Nash came with its Le Mans replica, a man for whom Van Der Tuyn had enormous respect for. So he found the same design in the 326 as in the Frazer Nash, notable the rear torsion bar suspension and independent suspension up front. This 326 was the last project of Coos Van Der Tuyn before his death in 1954. The project was left behind unfinished and remained in rolling chassis form.

Herman Roosdorp, a Belgian with Dutch roots who raced against the Coturas in his Ferrari 166, bought the project after Van Der Tuyn’s death. He brought the project to Antwerp where he had a thriving garage of Standard-Vanguard cars. He was also a racing car addict but gave up racing in 1955 and somehow lost interest in the BMW project which remained hidden in his garage. After his death in 1965 the BMW project, in rolling chassis form, was bought by another garage keeper in the Antwerp region, Frans Thijs (last owner).

The car comes with Belgian paperwork.

General condition

Under the hood you will find the original 2L 6 cylinders engine that produces 50 hp.
The chassis had been stored properly so it was in good condition. All mechanical parts were almost as new. After a body frame was made in Superleggera style, the car was entrusted to Pieter van Hoek who had a restoration business near Eindhoven, specialized in BMW. For the body he used the Superleggera method, made of light steel which gave more structural stiffness than aluminum. The fenders were made in aluminum. Total weight is 820 kg so still a bit less then the 328, although with a much stiffer body. The engine valve train was completely reworked. New bronze guides were fitted and the cylinder head shaved. The engine block was cleaned like new and checked for cracks. After checking crankshaft and bearings, no further work was needed.


After the car was finished and was in use by the last owner, the following work was carried out:
- A 12 volt dynamo was fitted for better starting and better lights
- The 4 speed original gearbox was changed for a close ratio 5 speed gearbox T9, without any alterations on the original rear axle.
- A new original brake pump was fitted, also a larger 3 core radiators made to order. Cooling is now with an electric water pump.

Work to be done / Defects to be reported

Main equipment and options

Brookland Windshield
Leather seats
Spare tire