Background
BMW Dixi 3/15 PS DA2 Express Delivery Van “Deutsche Reichspost” belongs to the very earliest period of BMW automobile history and clearly shows that the technical basis of BMW’s first small car was used for more than passenger cars alone. The Dixi 3/15, which originated from the Austin Seven, and its further-developed BMW 3/15 PS DA2 proved versatile enough to serve as the basis for light commercial vehicles as well. In BMW’s official historical archive, the model is referred to as the BMW 3/15 PS DA2 Eil-Lieferwagen, or express delivery van. Its purpose was to offer shopkeepers and service businesses a fast, inexpensive and economical alternative at a time when much local delivery work was still carried out by bicycle, handcart or small three-wheeled motor vehicles. The Eil-Lieferwagen demonstrated from the very beginning of BMW automobile production that the same compact technical platform could be adapted to a wide variety of practical needs.
Design and purpose
The body of the Eil-Lieferwagen was designed primarily with practicality in mind. Behind the passenger compartment was a relatively large enclosed cargo area, while larger items could also be carried on roof rails. For such a small vehicle, its 265 kg payload was considerable. The large side surfaces of the body also provided useful space for company names, logos or advertising graphics, a feature BMW itself highlighted in period marketing. The small van therefore served not only as a means of transport, but also as a mobile advertising surface. In the red livery of the Deutsche Reichspost, the vehicle was particularly distinctive and well suited to carrying mail and small parcels in towns and on shorter regional routes.
Technology
Technically, the Eil-Lieferwagen was based on the simple and well-proven construction of the BMW 3/15 PS DA2. The vehicle used a 748.75 cm³ four-cylinder in-line engine producing 15 hp at 3,000 rpm. Power was transmitted to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox, and top speed was approximately 75 km/h. As with the other DA2 models, the vehicle had brakes on all four wheels, one of the most important improvements introduced by BMW compared with the earlier Dixi DA1. The small engine did not provide high performance, but for a commercial vehicle, low operating costs, simple maintenance and the ability to move through urban traffic more quickly than traditional delivery methods were more important.
Deutsche Reichspost and production
According to BMW Group Classic, the BMW 3/15 PS DA2 Eil-Lieferwagen was produced from May 1929 until February 1932. The vehicle cost 2,400 Reichsmarks when new and was aimed primarily at shopkeepers, craftsmen and service businesses that needed a small and economical delivery vehicle. The Eil-Lieferwagen was also used by Germany’s national postal service: BMW’s historical archive specifically notes that the Deutsche Reichspost operated an entire fleet of these small vans. This gives the Reichspost version a direct historical basis and means that its livery is not simply a decorative scheme created later for a model car. BMW’s official model history does not provide a separate production figure for the Eil-Lieferwagen, so it is more accurate not to apply the overall 3/15 production total to this specific commercial version.
Significance in BMW history
The BMW 3/15 PS DA2 Eil-Lieferwagen is particularly interesting because it demonstrates the broader role of BMW’s first automobile model family. The 3/15 was not merely a small family car, but a technical basis for a whole range of different body styles and uses. The Eil-Lieferwagen was effectively one of BMW’s earliest commercial vehicles and gave the company experience beyond the conventional passenger-car market. The vehicles used by the Reichspost also show that the small BMW was already suitable for professional everyday service work during the company’s first years as an automobile manufacturer. Today, the Eil-Lieferwagen therefore represents an interesting side branch of early BMW history – a practical working vehicle based on the same modest 3/15 platform from which BMW automobile production itself began.
Model in the collection
The model in my collection was produced by Premium ClassiXXs and represents the BMW Dixi Eil-Lieferwagen “Deutsche Reichspost” version.
Technical data in brief
Production period: 05/1929–02/1932
Model designation: BMW 3/15 PS DA2 Eil-Lieferwagen
Body style: light enclosed delivery van / express delivery van
Engine: 748.75 cm³ four-cylinder in-line engine
Power: 15 hp @ 3,000 rpm
Drivetrain: rear-wheel drive
Gearbox: 3-speed manual
Top speed: approximately 75 km/h
Payload: 265 kg
Price when new: 2,400 Reichsmarks
Production number: not separately stated in BMW’s official model history
Special feature: a light commercial version of BMW’s first automobile model family, also operated in fleet service by the Deutsche Reichspost