1931 (maybe) BMW Ihle Sports, anyone?

[Tony Griffiths]

Helmut sent me the following about the car:

“Yes, this is an Ihle, VIN 24486. was sold from Coburg (Bavaria) to the USA. There offered for a very high amount, after the car was restored there (http://www.oldtimer-tv.com/oldtimer/DE/n...p?Seite=50). Sorry, only in German language.”

Google translation: (well, at least it's not $600,000...)
When it comes to culture, Europeans are regarded in the eyes of some Americans as blase and conceited. To reinforce the impression when it comes to the passion for automobiles. "And imagine," wrote "The Capital Times" in Madison, Wisconsin in the July 31, 2008 issue "how aggrieved the car fools were over the big pot over there when they realized that a rare 1931 BMW Ihle 600 sports car and the fact that an American bought it. "The article, in its kind, triggered a rarely intense discussion on the Internet. It was preceded by a report on the occasion of the presentation of the vehicle.
On the first weekend of August, Tom Griffith, a vintage car collector from Verona, Wisconsin, introduced his precious new acquisition to the public at the 13th Vintage Celebration on Bothams Vineyard.
 About a year ago, Griffith had found the car in an ad on a European website - and immediately bought it. The American is silent about the purchase price, but says: "Within two days, I had 72 emails from prospective buyers." Also BMW should have been among the interested parties. Manfred Grunert, Press Officer BMW History: "It's an achievement that Mr. Griffith has dedicated himself to such an extraordinary restoration - after all, there are hardly any documents left from such rare vehicles, and we were able to confirm that the base of his Ihle buildup is an original one the sedan is. "
During the past year, Tom Griffith restored the BMW Ihle 600 to Keith van Egdom of Dodgeville. "It looks like new." According to "Capital Times" Tom Griffith has invested around $ 100,000 in the restoration: "The history makes the car so special." Rob W. an international classic car dealer says during the Internet discussion "The value of the car should be up to six times higher than what Tom Griffith has invested." Gerhard Schwarz 1st Chairman of the Dixi IG has his reservations: "The price for the repair seems to me too high, because one Buy very good copies under circumstances from 18,000 to 24,000 euros. I know the vehicle, it was in a relatively good condition at the time of sale, to my knowledge the paint and upholstery has been worked up and the car has been supplemented in some parts. "
During the Second World War, the much discussed vehicle had been stored in a warehouse. The bombardment of the Allies not only damaged the hall, but also the car. For fifty years, the valuable vehicle was pounding away, "until it was repaired and disarmed for a disproportionate amount of money in the 1980s, as it had fenders like those of the Ihle 800" (information from Gerhard Schwarze, Dixie IG). After the death of the then owner, the granddaughter sold the BMW Ihle 600 to the Amsterdam car dealers and to the international market.
To make sure it was an original vehicle, Griffith sent the number engraved in the engine block to BMW and the handwritten entry in the papers from the day the car was built. BMW, writes the Capital Times, supported the vintage car enthusiast in the restoration and provided him with the parts he needed, such as fan blades, V-belts, side mirrors, hood straps, spark plugs, wiper blades and BMW logo. "The people of BMW said," says Tom Griffith, "-When the car is restored, we want it to be done correctly. It's a car of ours. That's how BMW helped me tremendously to get the vehicle up to date. "Dixie IG Chairman Gerhard Schwarze comments:" It must be a mistake, because all the parts come from me, or the dixi interest group, the 1st International Brand Club for Dixie 3/15, BMW 3/15 and special models. This IG also belongs to Tom Griffith. The vehicle of Tom Griffith is a former BMW 3/15 DA2 from 1931, which was family owned since the 50s. So one can assume that the body is also a "real" Ihle body, because at this time no one took the trouble to recreate such a part. "
With driving, Tom Griffith has his problems: "I'm almost too big to drive the car - and I'm 170 tall. But," he adds, "he drives like a go-kart."
"Your desire to own an elegant and sleek sports car was our task, which we have mastered with a recognized full success," was the slogan of the brothers Ihle from Bruchsal, Baden.
Technical specifications
Engine: Four-cylinder 743 cc BMW Dixi,
3/15 hp, ground, light alloy piston, battery ignition, electric. Light and starter system, dry single-disc clutch, toothed thrust gearbox, 3 forward gears, 1 reverse gear,
Steering left,
Vehicle dimensions:
Length: 3050 mm, width 1200 mm, seat width 880 mm;
Weight: 400 kg
Consumption: approx. 6 liters per 100 km
Construction: Ihle - special - all-steel sports body, speed approx. 90 km; Front tires new, rear protected or well preserved.
The Ihle 600 was available for 1050 Reichsmark ex works Bruchsal.
Typical feature of all Ihle vehicles:
the still common with BMW double kidney
The Capital Times Madison on the Internet:
www.madison.com
In Germany, the BMW Ihle 600 can be seen:
In the car museum Busch in Wolfegg (building 2)
www.automuseum-busch.de
Auto- and Technikmuseum Sinsheim
www.technik-museum.de[url=http://www.technik-museum.de][/url]