Werner Chomton
BMW R 42 with Royal sidecar S49
“The most elegant and reliable German sidecar motorcycle”, advertised here is a BMW R 42, the successor model to the first BMW motorcycle, the R 32. The sidecar S 49 was produced by the Munich company Royal, which could be described as BMW’s in-house supplier. Today, sidecar motorcycles – also referred to as motorcycle combinations – have virtually disappeared from public roads, but were very widespread in the 1920s. They were so popular that they formed a separate motorcycle racing class, which was dominated by BMW until into the 1960s. However, here the focus is not on sportiness, but on elegance and reliability. A lady wearing a black coat and a red hat takes centre stage. Especially as she is standing with her back turned towards the beholder, her elegant posture exudes an air of sophistication. The artist Werner Chomton does not degrade the woman to a decorative additional feature. On the contrary, she is the one that ultimately bestows elegance on the motorcycle. As a student of the famous Bauhaus, Chomton put this theme into a perfect setting. The depiction of a modern woman of the Weimar Republic was a first step towards women becoming self-confident customers. The BMW 3/15 PS, BMW’s first automobile, became the “car for the lady”.
