Which prewar BMW sports car won the 1940 Mille Miglia?

The BMW 328 was the prewar BMW sports car associated with the 1940 Mille Miglia victory.

The winning machine was a specially streamlined BMW 328-based Touring Coupé, driven by Huschke von Hanstein and Walter Bäumer. The 1940 event was unusual: because of the political and wartime situation, the traditional long road course was replaced by a short 100-kilometre triangular circuit near Brescia, Cremona and Mantua, completed nine times.

Despite facing mainly Italian manufacturers, the aerodynamic BMW averaged about 166 km/h and won outright. The result gave BMW one of the most important sporting achievements in its early history. The car was based on the 328’s mechanical package but used a purpose-built closed body, so references may call it the “BMW 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé” or “BMW 328 Berlinetta Touring.”

That distinction can cause confusion in a quiz. The road-going model was the BMW 328, while the specific 1940 winner was its streamlined competition derivative. The 328 itself had already established a reputation through class victories, including an earlier Mille Miglia class win in 1938. Only 464 standard 328s were produced between 1936 and 1940.