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At the insistence of Max Hoffman, a USA importer, BMW agreed to build the 507. The 507 was designed by Albrecht Goetz. Because the 507 was each hand built it could not be produced at a prize to make it competitive. Only 253 BMW 507's were manufactured.
The 507 is powered by a 150 horsepower 3168cc straight six.
The BMW 507 was produced from 1956 through 1959 with only 254 examples being produced. The styling was inspired by Max Hoffmann, America's largest import car dealer, and designed by Albrecht von Goertz. Goertz was born in Germany and later migrated to America as Graf Albrecht von Goertz. His portfolio included marques such as Studebaker and Datsun. He was also responsible for designing the BMW 503.
The 507 was a combination of power, exquisite styling, and a lightweight body. The exterior was constructed of light-weight alloy and attached to a metal frame and pressed-steel wheels. Under the hood was a 90-degree eight-cylinder engine that produced 150 horsepower. Top speed was achieved at 125 mph.
The official debut was at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show where it was the star. The car was shown in incomplete form with objects being place in the engine bay to fill the void of the engine that was still under construction. A working prototype was shown in September at the Paris Show. Customers took delivery the following year in November. One of the more famous customers was Elvis Presley. There were two production runs of the 507, the Series 1 and Series 2. The Series 2 were very similar to the first Series, but include minor updates such as a modified dashboard and revised bulkhead to accommodate extra luggage. With 210 Series 2 cars, they were produced in greater numbers than the 42 created Series 1. A heavy price tag was responsible for theses low production numbers. The cost to produce these was steep, so their price tag followed in similar fashion.
What had set out to be a lightweight, inexpensive, sports car with an estimated 200+ horsepower actually evolved into a heavy, money-pit, that had a poor power-to-weight ratio. The tools to produce the vehicle were expensive resulting in slow sales and BMW inching towards bankruptcy. BMW added performance options such as disc brakes and a five-speed transaxle but this did little to encourage customers.
The two-seater 507 sports cars based on the 503 were built to exceptional quality and engineering but unfortunately not well enough. In modern times, these are highly sought after cars because of their low production figures and the history of the marque.
The 507 was a combination of power, exquisite styling, and a lightweight body. The exterior was constructed of light-weight alloy and attached to a metal frame and pressed-steel wheels. Under the hood was a 90-degree eight-cylinder engine that produced 150 horsepower. Top speed was achieved at 125 mph.
The official debut was at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show where it was the star. The car was shown in incomplete form with objects being place in the engine bay to fill the void of the engine that was still under construction. A working prototype was shown in September at the Paris Show. Customers took delivery the following year in November. One of the more famous customers was Elvis Presley. There were two production runs of the 507, the Series 1 and Series 2. The Series 2 were very similar to the first Series, but include minor updates such as a modified dashboard and revised bulkhead to accommodate extra luggage. With 210 Series 2 cars, they were produced in greater numbers than the 42 created Series 1. A heavy price tag was responsible for theses low production numbers. The cost to produce these was steep, so their price tag followed in similar fashion.
What had set out to be a lightweight, inexpensive, sports car with an estimated 200+ horsepower actually evolved into a heavy, money-pit, that had a poor power-to-weight ratio. The tools to produce the vehicle were expensive resulting in slow sales and BMW inching towards bankruptcy. BMW added performance options such as disc brakes and a five-speed transaxle but this did little to encourage customers.
The two-seater 507 sports cars based on the 503 were built to exceptional quality and engineering but unfortunately not well enough. In modern times, these are highly sought after cars because of their low production figures and the history of the marque.
| Photos grouped by event | |
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31st Annual Ault Park Concours d'Elegance |
 2006 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance |
1959 BMW 507 |
|
| Year | 1959 |
| Make | BMW |
| Model | 507 |
| Body Style | Roadster |
| Engine Location | Front |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Body / Chassis | Aluminum body on tubular steel frame |
| Production Years for Series | 1956 - 1959 |
| Body Designer | Al Goertz |
| Price | $10,500.00 |
| Weight | 2935 lbs | 1331.3 kg |
| Combined MPG | 24.00 |
| Performance | |
| 0-60 mph | 8.8 seconds. |
| Top Speed | 125 mph | 201.1 km/h Similar top speeds |
| Engine | |
| Engine Configuration | V |
| 90-degree | |
| Cylinders | 8 |
| Aspiration/Induction | Normal |
| Displacement | 3168.00 cc | 193.3 cu in. | 3.2 L. |
| Valvetrain | OHV |
| Horsepower | 155.00 @ 5000.00 RPM |
| Torque | 174.00 Ft-Lbs (235.9 NM) @ 4000.00 RPM |
| Compression Ratio | 7.8:1 |
| Main Bearings | 5 |
| Fuel Type | Gasoline - Petrol |
| Fuel Feed | Carburetor |
| 36 NDIX 2-barrel carburetors | |
| Block | Aluminum |
| Head | Aluminum |
| Standard Transmission | |
| Gears | 4 |
| Transmission | Manual |
| Floor lever | |
| Final Drive | 3.70:1 |
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Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com
Automobile information, history, and statistics from concept to production. | © 1998-2008 Conceptcarz.com