BMW 325 model

From the very outset, when automobile production in Eisenach came under BMW management in 1928, not only private persons and companies were amongst the customers but also the military. The BMW 3/15 PS was already being used by the Imperial Army (Reichswehr) as a machine-gun carrier. Bodies for a reconnaissance vehicle ("Kübelwagen", literally bucket car) were also provided for numerous subsequent models (BMW 309, 315 or 319). During the mid-1930s, an all-terrain standard chassis was developed for the Army Procurement Office (Heereswaffenamt): The "light standard passenger car" ("leichte Einheits-Pkw"). This chassis was equipped with engines and bodies from several manufacturers, including Hanomag, Stoewer and BMW.