1957 BMW 503 Coupe

The BMW 502, based on the company's first postwar automobile model - the 'Baroque Angel' 501 - debuted BMW's new V-8 engine for 1954, providing the base for Count Albrecht Goertz to create two new V-8 designs. The 503 retained the 502's chassis, suspension, and centrally mounted gearbox, while the open 507 rode on a shorter wheelbase.

The BMW 503 was updated for 1957 with displacement and output increasing to 3.2 liters and 140 horsepower. Top speed was in the neighborhood of 120 mph. The BMW 507-type engine and transmission arrangement was now utilized with a floor-mounted gear change. A few of the transition cars still had a column-mounted gear lever. Production was low, reaching just 413 examples which included 273 coupes and 139 cabriolets.

This 1957 BMW 503 Coupe was built during January of 1957 and is powered by a 3.2-liter V-8 engine. It has the steering column-mounted shift lever for the four-speed manual gearbox. It was equipped from the factory with special options, including a sideways-mounted jump seat at the rear. This is one of only two known BMW 503 models equipped with this rear-seat configuration. The interior is believed to remain factory-original, the factory-assigned body-number stamping remains on the hood, and the vehicle's wheels are date-coded '11/56.'

This 503 Coupe accompanied a German international student who was enrolled at Northwestern University to the outskirts of Chicago. When the student returned to Germany, the car remained in the United States. It was later acquired by Frederick Reese of Woodstock, Illinois. Mr. Reese refurbished the car himself while retaining the majority of its factory-original components. Following his retirement during the late 1980s, Mr. Reese offered the 503 for sale. The subsequent owner, a Colorado resident, became the vehicle's next owner.

The car remains in excellent condition. Power is from a 3168cc overhead valve aluminum V-8 engine breathing through dual Zenith carburetors. There is a 4-speed gearbox, disc brakes in the front, and drum hydraulic brakes.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2014