BMW Dixi
Encyclopedia
The Dixi was the first car made by BMW
.
Dixi was car brand of Eisenach car factory
made from 1904; however, in the difficult climate of the 1920s the company found it hard to sell its 6/24 and 9/40 models. The manufacturer looked to enter the small car market, and in 1927 agreed to a licensing agreement with the Austin Motor Company
to build a variant of the Austin 7
. A production level of 2000 cars a year was agreed upon, and Dixi paid Austin a royalty on each vehicle produced.
The first 100 cars were supplied as kits, but by December 1927 the first of the official Dixi-manufactured vehicles, the DA-1 3/25PS were coming off the production line. The DA designation stood for Deutsche Ausführung, meaning German Version; 3/15 indicated the taxation and actual horsepower ratings. Apart from being left-hand drive and using metric 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 automobile manufacturing, 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.
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
.
Dixi was car brand of Eisenach car factory
Automobilwerk Eisenach
The Automobilwerk Eisenach was an automobile manufacturer in Eisenach, Germany.-Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach:Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach in Eisenach on 3 December 1896 as a stock company...
made from 1904; however, in the difficult climate of the 1920s the company found it hard to sell its 6/24 and 9/40 models. The manufacturer looked to enter the small car market, and in 1927 agreed to a licensing agreement with the Austin Motor Company
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
to build a variant of the Austin 7
Austin 7
The Austin 7 was a car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", it was one of the most popular cars ever produced for the British market, and sold well abroad...
. A production level of 2000 cars a year was agreed upon, and Dixi paid Austin a royalty on each vehicle produced.
The first 100 cars were supplied as kits, but by December 1927 the first of the official Dixi-manufactured vehicles, the DA-1 3/25PS were coming off the production line. The DA designation stood for Deutsche Ausführung, meaning German Version; 3/15 indicated the taxation and actual horsepower ratings. Apart from being left-hand drive and using metric 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 automobile manufacturing, BMW bought the Automobilwerk Eisenach
Automobilwerk Eisenach
The Automobilwerk Eisenach was an automobile manufacturer in Eisenach, Germany.-Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach:Heinrich Ehrhardt founded the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach in Eisenach on 3 December 1896 as a stock company...
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
BMW 3/15
The BMW 3/15 was BMW's first car, produced in four versions from December 1927 to early 1932. 18,976 BMW 3/15s were manufactured between 1929 and 1932.- 3/15 DA-1 :...
DA-2.
- Dixi DA 1 4 cyl, 15 hp, 1927–1929