BMW From Prewar 326 to Postwar 501

A while ago I wrote about BMW's first postwar design, Type 501 (Wikipedia entry here).  501s were in production 1952-1962, and variations using the same body design were made as late as 1963.

Post- World War 2 military occupation policies along with the shattered German economy delayed serious production of cars for all manufacturers.  But BMW was especially affected because prewar, its carmaking facilities were in Eisenach in a part of central Germany that fell under Soviet control under terms of  the occupation zone agreement.  The Munich BMW essentially had to start from scratch, while Eisenach could build available prewar designs.

Stylistically, the 501s bear some superficial resemblance to two prewar models.  The main predecessor was the (1936-1941) Typ 326.  It was supplemented (1939-1943) by Typ 335, that had a longer wheelbase and a more powerful motor.

One likely reason for a slight similarity of the prewar and postwar designs was that they were styled by the same man, Peter Schimanowski.

Gallery

1936 BMW 326 Limousine - Swiss Auction Co. photos
Germans used the term "Limousine" to refer to what Americans call sedans and the British call saloons.  Schimanowski's design has an airier-looking passenger compartment greenhouse than contemporary American sedans.  That's because American cars were "all-steel" construction that at the time required heavier B- and C-pillars and more rounded window profiles.  As best I can tell, 326 bodies used earlier technology.  The hood houses an inline six cylinder motor, yet is fairly short and a trifle delicate compared to the rest of the design.

1958 BMW 502 Limousine - Gallery Aaldering photos
BMW 501s and 502s looked nearly identical, and I'm using this photo set because it's better than any of my 501 sets.  The difference between the designs is that early 501s lacked the chrome strip running below the beltline.

The main stylistic carryover from the 326 is the side window profile, especially the window abaft of the C-pillar.  The 501/502 cars look noticeably longer that the 326s, but their wheelbase is shorter: 111.6 inches (2835 mm) compared to 113 inches (2870 mm).  They're less tall,  60 inches (1530 mm) versus 61 inches (1540 mm), which adds a little visual length.  However, due to greater overhang, the 501/502s are indeed a little longer than the 326s - 186 inches (4730 mm) compared to 180 inches (4600 mm).  That greater overhang allowed a longer hood that added some visual length to 501/502s.

Some of the sculpting related to the rear fender area is in the same spirit.  But aside from the side window treatment, the designs are clearly of different eras.

Peter Schimanowski layout drawing for BMW 326 Limousine - image via BMW
Like the pioneering 1934 Chrysler Airflow, rear seating is forward of the aft axle, resulting in greater ride comfort.

BMW 501 Limousine publicity photo for a Scandinavia market (cropped)
That's a SAS DC-6 in the background.  The 501/502 BMWs seem large when pictured alone, but the people in this image give scale revealing that the cars weren't big at all.