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Dixi production - Steve kay - 09-02-2019
Early in January, Mike Costigan posted a picture of Dixis. This generated some research, and I am particularly grateful to Mark Garfitt nwho communicated with BMW specialists for further information. Hagen Nyncke, BMW Archivist, and historian Rainer Simons have given a fuller caption to Mike'smoriginal picture, and provided two more.
[attachment=5338]
The first picture originally posted by Mike is part of a PR-photo album, prepared during the second half of 1929 in several (known) editions for BMW top brass or other important people.
The album consists of about 65 photographs of nearly everything interesting to show of the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach (i.e. DIXI - Werke) at that time. That includes buildings, laboratories, workshops, assembling lines (for example for the DA 2 chassis) and several views of the bodyshop (two-seaters only!).
What is interesting with this photograph is the combination of naked chassis on the DIXI-lorry in the background and completed DA 2 saloons in the foreground.! The lorry with loaded chassis is obviously bound for Eisenach central station, from where the chassis would be send by rail to Berlin Johannisthal. There, in a rented production shop, the chassis received their steel bodies from AMBI BUDD. This system was retained for about one year, before final assembly returned to Eisenach and AMBI BUDD had to send their finished (and painted!) bodies by rail to Eisenach!
The completed saloons in the foreground therefore had nothing to do at that time with the factory in Eisenach, even the BMW dealers had to collect their customers cars in Berlin! So the photo was probably some sort of a promotion shot, for reason not obvious.
help, how do I reduce the size of the other two pictures so that the file is acceptable for the forum?
RE: Dixi production - Mike Costigan - 10-02-2019
Steve, I have no experience of Apple technology, but if you are running Microsoft, right-click and open the file in Microsoft Office, and you will have the opportunity to edit it; in this case select resize and adjust to something like 1000 pixel width. I suggest you then save the file as a new one and then 'don't save' the old file, that way you retain the larger image for other purposes. Alternatively send me the files by email and I'll do it for you - you can use the editor@a7ca.org address.
Edit: or another alternative, post the too-large files into the Gallery, and I can adjust them from there.
RE: Dixi production - Steve kay - 10-02-2019
Stand by, patient readers. A pigeon has been despatched to Mike, carrying German whole plate negatives. Soon he will have everything sorted and readable. Thanks in advance for your help, Mike.
RE: Dixi production - Mike Costigan - 10-02-2019
Here we are:
"This is a view from North-West of the Fahrzeugfabrik to show the situation of the "Lagerhalle" - by the way a two storey building of wood. In the background the so called "Burschenschafts-Denkmal", South-East of Eisenach."
"Finally a view into the final assembling hall for the BMW DA 2 saloons at AMBI BUDD in Berlin Johannisthal."
captions supplied by Hagen Nyncke and Rainer Simons.
RE: Dixi production - David.H - 10-02-2019
Is the hill in the background the #Wartburge# ? When cars were made in Eisenach in the time of the DDR that was the marque & the badge featured the castle. Anyone know?
RE: Dixi production - Mike Costigan - 10-02-2019
The 'dome' on the far hilltop is the Burschenschafts Denkmal monument; I believe the rectangular building just in front of it on the top of the nearer hillside is Wartburg Castle.
RE: Dixi production - David.H - 11-02-2019
(10-02-2019, 11:15 PM)Mike Costigan Wrote: The 'dome' on the far hilltop is the Burschenschafts Denkmal monument; I believe the rectangular building just in front of it on the top of the nearer hillside is Wartburg Castle.
Well spotted!
RE: Dixi production - Geoff Harrison - 11-02-2019
Steve
Find a copy of 'The Development History of BMW Automobiles 1918 - 1932' by Rainer Simons and Walter Zeichner.
Published by BMW Tradition in 2004 .
All is revealed within its 440 pages , half dealing with the Austin 7 - Dixi - BMW relationship including the personalities
involved , the various types and models , technical changes , sporting activities etc.,