FROM SCRATCH
When the ban on the production of motorcycles was lifted in Allied-controlled West Germany, BMW had to start from scratch. There were no plans, blueprints or schematic drawings. Company engineers had to use surviving pre-war motorcycles to create new plans. The first post-war BMW motorcycle in West Germany, a 250cc, was produced in 1948. The R24 was based on the pre-war R23 and was the only post-war BMW with no rear suspension. In 1949, BMW produced 9,200 units and, by 1950, production had surpassed 17,000 units. The 250cc configuration offered high economies, plenty of torque from sidecar activity and great reliability, which ensured its popularity for years to come. This particular example arrived in Australia in the early 1960s with a German immigrant and his two sons. It was sold a decade later to help raise a deposit for a home. The period-correct sidecar is a S350 which was designed specifically for small-capacity machines.