• Year of manufacture 
    1935
  • Chassis number 
    64072
  • Engine number 
    64072
  • Drive 
    LHD
  • Condition 
    Used
  • Number of seats 
    2
  • Location
    United Kingdom
  • Exterior colour 
    Other
  • Drivetrain 
    2wd
  • Fuel type 
    Petrol

Description

1935 BMW 'Veritas' Two-Seater Sports
Registration no. 918 YUP
Chassis no. 64072
Engine no. 64072

'Although the slab-sided Veritas was no beauty, its functional design was worthy of the German 'Silver Arrow' tradition, and the combination of a 125bhp engine and a light, torsionally stiff body enabled the Veritas RS to reach 135mph.' – Eric Dymock, 'BMW: A Celebration'. An intriguing fusion of pre-war mechanical components and post-war style, the BMW Veritas dates from the late 1940s, a period when the scarcity of readily available competition cars led to the creation of numerous interesting 'specials'. BMW's 328 had been the outstanding sports car of the late 1930s, and its powerful 2.0-litre six-cylinder engine was the power plant of choice for many an independent constructor. Veritas was founded in West Germany by Ernst Loof, Georg Meier and Lorenz Dietrich, who had met in Paris during the war. They discussed plans to develop a new competition car as soon as hostilities ceased and built their first in 1947 using components supplied by a customer. Two of them, at least, had considerable competition experience, Meier having won the 1939 Isle of Man TT for BMW while Loof had managed the factory's Mille Miglia effort in 1940. Loof owned one of the works 1940 Mille Miglia cars – the Dr Wunibald Kamm inspired aerodynamic coupé – and so was well acquainted with the latest in sports car racing technology. However, the occupying Allies forbade German manufactures from building engines larger than 1,000cc, hence Veritas had no option but to use rebuilt pre-war units. However, BMW objected to the use of their name on the cars and after only a handful had been completed the name was changed to simply 'Veritas'. Right from the start the Veritas Rennsport was competitive, winning the German 2-Litre sports car championship three years on the trot from 1947 to 1949. There was also a single-seater spin-off, which Loos entered in Formula 2 events. When the restriction limiting German drivers to domestic races was lifted for 1950, the Veritas began winning abroad. Good though it was, the BMW 328 engine was getting long in the tooth and Loos knew that to stay competitive he would need something more modern. A new single-overhead-camshaft power unit was commissioned from Heinkel but development of this potentially more powerful engine was hampered by insufficient funding. Veritas production soon petered out and today this short-lived marque rates as little more than footnote in the history of BMW. It is estimated that no more than 50 Veritas competition cars were built. This Veritas re-creation has only recently been finished following a four-year build by Simon Isles. Simon has taught traditional coachbuilding techniques for more than 10 years and has been a coachbuilder of Vintage and classic cars for more than 30 years. While in Germany he taught the staff at Replicar of Dusseldorf where he was involved in the restoration of original Veritas cars and took patterns from an original Veritas. While in Germany Simon also built an AFM on BMW 328 as well as a Porsche 550 and another Veritas. The car's BMW 328 engine was built by Mike Robinson who is recognised worldwide as an authority on BMW engines. (He was originally involved with Werner Oswald who created the Frazer Nash Le Mans Replicas.) The chassis is that of a 1935 BMW 309, which is essentially the same type of chassis as used in the 319 and 328. All these chassis types were used in building the original Veritas cars. All running gear, wheels, axles, steering, engine and hubs are original BMW from chassis number '64072', manufactured in March 1935. The cylinder head is a new BMW item that has been modified to eliminate an inherent weakness in the original design. The engine bottom end was balanced during the rebuild and the cylinder head gas flowed by Rick Wood Racing. Many original Veritas parts have been incorporated in the build including wheels, spinners, instruments, switch gear, quick-release steering wheel, etc all helping contribute to the creation this perfect replica of the original. The Veritas comes complete with old-style logbook, current MoT/tax, Swansea V5 document and the all-important FIA/HTP papers, making it eligible for many of the most prestigious events worldwide. This immaculate car is extremely competitive in its class and ready to race or rally.

Bonhams 1793
101 New Bond Street
London
W1S 1SR
United Kingdom
Contact Person Kontaktperson
First name 
Bonhams Collectors’ Car department

Phone 
+44-2074685801
Fax 
+44-2074477401