East German BMW / EMW 340

Following Germany's 1945 World War 2 surrender, the country's boundaries were redrawn and the resulting area was subdivided into occupation zones. The Russian zone became the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) or East Germany, as it was often called, in 1949.

BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke) automobile production facilities in Eisenach, DDR, were separated from the parent company, becoming a separate firm.  In 1952, following legal proceedings, it was named Eisenacher Motorenwerk and built cars with the EMW label for a few years before further name changes were made.  A brief Wikipedia entry in English is here, and from there one can link to a more detailed entry in German.

The first new East German BMW was the 340, marketed 1949-1955.   As the link mentions, mechinically it was a development of the prewar BMW 326.  The body design was new, however.

The BMW 340 became the EMW 340 in 1952.  Images from unidentified sources and model years follow.

Gallery

I don't know if the Eisenach crew was thinking in the late 1940s that they would have to abandon the BMW name.  But for that reason or for marketing purposes, the traditional BMW "nostril" grille theme was abandoned for the 340.

Another view of the grille.

The new body design strikes me as being a prewar-postwar hybrid, the postwar part being the front end.

The attractive, long hood housed an inline six cylinder motor -- rather fancy for a socialist country, I think.

From the rear, the 340 reveals late-1930s styling features.  That said, the overall design is attractive aside from the uninspired grille.