What was BMW's first production car?

What was BMW’s first production car? It was the BMW Dixi, more precisely the BMW 3/15 PS DA 2, commonly known as the Dixi.

BMW entered automobile manufacturing after acquiring Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach in 1928. The Eisenach factory already built the Dixi 3/15 PS DA 1 under licence from Austin, whose Austin Seven design provided the basis. BMW continued the car’s development and began selling the BMW-badged 3/15 PS DA 2 in 1929.

The first BMW 3/15 PS reportedly left an assembly line in Berlin on 22 March 1929. The small car used a 747–748 cc four-cylinder engine and produced 15 horsepower, figures reflected in the “3/15” designation. It was economical and comparatively affordable for its era.

A common mix-up is calling the first car simply a Dixi or simply a BMW 3/15. “Dixi” was the popular name and earlier marque, while BMW’s first car sold under its own badge was the rebadged and updated 3/15.