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 |  | View more photos 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.'
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.
1957 BMW 507 |
|
| Year | 1957 |
| Make | BMW |
| Model | 507 |
| Engine Location | Front |
| Drive Type | Rear Wheel |
| Production Years for Series | 1956 - 1959 |
| Body Designer | Al Goertz |
| Price | $8,988.00 |
| Weight | 2935 lbs | 1331.3 kg |
| Combined MPG | 0.00 |
| 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 BHP (114.1 KW) @ 5000.00 RPM |
| Torque | 175.00 Ft-Lbs (237.3 NM) @ 4000.00 RPM |
| HP to Weight Ratio | 18.9 LB / HP (Vehicles with similar ratio) |
| HP / Liter | 48.4 BHP / Liter |
| Compression Ratio | 7.8:1 |
| Main Bearings | 5 |
| Fuel Feed | Carburetor |
| 2 Zenith 32 NDIX | |
| Block | Aluminum |
| Head | Aluminum |
| Vehicles with similar horsepower and weight | |
| Transmission Information | |
| Gears | 4 |
| Transmission | Manual |
| Final Drive | 3.70:1 |
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Replies: 6 Monday, January 01, 2001 |
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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