The BMW 326 was developed in 1936 in order to appeal to customers with increased demands for comfort and prestigious appearance. This marked the company's entry into the middle range. Various body styles were available from sedans to four-door convertibles. A number of very exciting one-of-one custom automobiles were created at specialist coachbuilders. The BMW 326 became the most successful BMW model built prior to the Second World War with a total of 15,873 units manufactured and this transitioned BMW to a large-scale manufacturer. Production came to an end in April 1941 owing to the requirements of the war effort.