1958 507  |
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1957 BMW 507 news, pictures, and information | ||
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 |  |  | Roadster Designer: Al Goertz |
Prior to World War II, BMW operated in Bayerische, Germany, and produced mostly motorcycles. The was forced their relocation to Munich, and by 1950, their first postwar car debuted at the Frankauto show in Frankfurt. This was the 501, sporting a 2.0 liter six-cylinder engine. By 1954, its stablemate arrived, the 502, with a 2.6-liter V8 producing 100 horsepower.
In 1955, BMW added new models, the 503 and the spectacular 507. A car which 'looks like its doing 100, sitting still.' The 507 was BMW's first sports car offering since the 328. Styled by Albrecht Goertz, the 507 offered a sleek, svelte, beautiful two-seater to a lucky few. Only 253 were produced between 1956 and 1959. The 150 horsepower V8 used dual Zenith carburetors, wore aluminum cylinder heads, had dual exhaust and a four-speed gearbox. A 507 sprints to 60 mph in nine seconds and tops out over 120 mph.
New, a 507 cost $10,000, and reportedly BMW lost $1,000 for each car sold. Thankfully, the accountants weren't in charge at BMW.
In 1955, BMW added new models, the 503 and the spectacular 507. A car which 'looks like its doing 100, sitting still.' The 507 was BMW's first sports car offering since the 328. Styled by Albrecht Goertz, the 507 offered a sleek, svelte, beautiful two-seater to a lucky few. Only 253 were produced between 1956 and 1959. The 150 horsepower V8 used dual Zenith carburetors, wore aluminum cylinder heads, had dual exhaust and a four-speed gearbox. A 507 sprints to 60 mph in nine seconds and tops out over 120 mph.
New, a 507 cost $10,000, and reportedly BMW lost $1,000 for each car sold. Thankfully, the accountants weren't in charge at BMW.
BMW introduced the high performance V8 '507' at the Frankfurt Auto show in 1955, a svelte and beautiful two-seater roadster styled by Count Albrecht Goertz. Only 253 were produced between 1956 and 1959.
The twin carburetor V8 engine produced 150 horsepower and a maximum speed of 124 MPH. It had drum brakes all around, with optional front disc, hidden by distinctive and attractive pressed steel wheels.
It had dual Zenith downdraft carburetors, a dual exhaust system and aluminum heads. There were a great deal of aluminum used in the engine, with the crankcase, manifolds, valve covers, side plates, sump, water pump and other castings all being made of the lightweight alloy.
The 507's strongest appeal was its beauty. No other car had such animal grace and more justified the old expression 'it looks like its going a hundred when it's standing still.'
The twin carburetor V8 engine produced 150 horsepower and a maximum speed of 124 MPH. It had drum brakes all around, with optional front disc, hidden by distinctive and attractive pressed steel wheels.
It had dual Zenith downdraft carburetors, a dual exhaust system and aluminum heads. There were a great deal of aluminum used in the engine, with the crankcase, manifolds, valve covers, side plates, sump, water pump and other castings all being made of the lightweight alloy.
The 507's strongest appeal was its beauty. No other car had such animal grace and more justified the old expression 'it looks like its going a hundred when it's standing still.'
 |  |  | Roadster Designer: Al Goertz Chassis Num: 70038 Engine Num: 40037 |
| Sold for $1,002,500 at 2011 Bonhams. | |||
Austrian-born entrepreneur Max Hoffman was the US importer of various European makes during the early 1950s. He convinced BMW that they should create a sportscar that could go toe-to-toe with Mercedes-Benz's 300SL.
Count Albrecht von Goertz, an independent industrial designer who had worked for Raymond Loewy, was tasked with styling the car. This was his first assignment for designing an entire car. The car was given a robust chassis countered by aluminum bodywork, and a 150 horsepower engine. Top speed was achieved at 125 mph with zero-to-sixty taking just 11 seconds.
Hoffman had suggested a $5,000 price target, but the 507 sold for much more, at $9,000. This was more than double the cost of a Ford Thunderbird or Chevrolet Corvette. Even the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL was cheaper. This made the BMW 507 an exclusive automobile, and total production would reflect this fact, with just 252 examples being produced.
Chassis 70038 was sold new in Germany in May of 1957 to agent Auto-Fels of Mannheim. The car was delivered in Ivory white paint and was equipped with a Becker Mexico radio and manual antenna, as well as a hard top.
Dr. Jack Frasher of Greenville, SC purchased the car in the early 1980s from Dr. K.W. Ballentine of Fayetteville, NC. In 1986, ownership of the car passed from Frasher back across the Atlantic into the ownership of Ulrich Sauer. In 1999 it was sold during the Techno Classica and shortly after this returned to the United States. A short time later it was presented by Brooks/Bonhams at a Florida auction. At the time it still wore its Ivory paint scheme, red leather interior, and was in need of a restoration. It soon was treated to a professional restoration. It was given reproduction Rudge 'knock-off' wheels, metallic blue paint scheme, and gray leather interior. It was completed in time for the Gauthier Classic in 2003, followed by the Colorado Grand in 2004.
Around 2004 or 2005, it was sold to Stephen Block of Moraga, CA. In 2006, it was acquired by its present owner.
In 2011, the car was offered for sale at the Quail Lodge presented by Bonhams auction. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $1,002,500 inclusive of buyer's premium.
By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2011
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.
By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2006
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.
By Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2006
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 1957
BMW
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| BMW 503 |
| BMW Isetta |
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 | 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL |
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| 1958 507 |
