A rare BMW, created without BMW's participation, has gone on sale (23 photos)
The online auction site Bring a Trailer is currently bidding for a very rare EMW 327 Sport convertible, produced in 1955. This was actually one of BMW's most popular models at the time, but it was produced independently at a factory in East Germany. According to some estimates, only 505 of these cars were ever assembled. The asking price for this rarity is $40,250, but the auction still has two days left. 
BMW introduced the 327 model in 1937, and it was produced at its Eisenach plant until 1941. After World War II, the plant resumed production, but under the control of East German authorities. Initially, the cars continued to roll off the assembly line under the BMW brand, but in 1952 they received the new designation Eisenacher Motorenwerk (EMW) and a corresponding logo—red and white instead of white and blue (although the latter was not completely abandoned).
Based on its year of production, this convertible was one of the last to roll off the Eisenach assembly line. In 2000, it underwent a major restoration, including a major engine overhaul. However, the EMW 327 was apparently stored in poor conditions in subsequent years, as its bodywork has a number of defects.
This rarity is equipped with a 2.0-liter inline-six engine with two Solex carburetors, producing approximately 55 hp, paired with a four-speed manual transmission. The convertible has 21,500 kilometers on the odometer, but the seller does not specify when this mileage is measured. 
