1957 BMW 507 Roadster

The BMW 328 would set a standard and would help to make Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or BMW, a mark to have all throughout Europe. The success would also carry knowledge of the automaker across most of the world. The 507 series would be conceived with the same purpose—to bring BMW to greater notoriety in the United States.

For every Enzo Ferrari, there needs to be a Luigi Chinetti that can help to make the most of any opportunity. Austrian-born Max Hoffman would be that individual for BMW. Though not to be confused with the fine German military strategist Max Hoffmann that would die in 1927, Max Hoffman of Austria would be something of a strategist in his own right.

Hoffman was an importer of foreign automobiles in the United States. He would have a desire to see BMW to offer a roadster that could be marketable to the affluent in America. The notion of the project was a striking roadster that was cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. Using looks and a cheaper price tag, Hoffman could bring BMW to prominence within the American market much the same way Chinetti would help Ferrari conceive of their now famous California.

BMW would recognize Hoffman's point and would build exactly what he was looking for. The 507 would be simple, elegant, but also very aggressive in its lines. Utilizing a 3.2-liter V8 engine producing around 145bhp, the car would also have the power to make those defined elegant lines appear even more feral. But just such a car could not become common. And it would not with just 251 examples being built over about two-and-a-half years.

Influenced by Al Mitchell, an airline pilot with his own 507, Malcolm S. Pray, Jr. would be so moved by the 507 that he just needed to own one. This would set Mr. Pray on a quest to find an example for himself.

Alan Friedland was a racing enthusiast who would take part in a number of SCCA events. Friedland would take part in these events with a number of different types of automobiles. For a period of time he would race a McKee-Ford, and then an Elva Mk VIII. However, one of the other cars in which he would take part in events with would be a 1957 BMW 507 Series II Roadster, chassis number 70156. Friedland's 507 would be a particularly special edition of the 507 Roadster as it would not only leave the factory with a Becker radio, but it would also have the highly-desirable Rudge wheels and a removable hardtop. This was certainly the 507 Roadster was Pray was looking for. He just needed to find it.

Friedland would use the car in all kinds of events, even hillclimbs, all throughout the early 1960s. Pray would utilize the help of Al Mitchell to help find the ideal 507 for his fellow Greenwich resident. In the early 1970s, Mitchell would come across Friedland's 507 in Pennsylvania. That was it. Mr. Pray would move in.

In August of 1972, Pray would have his coveted 507 Roadster. About the only thing Pray's new 507 would be missing would be its original engine. Otherwise, it was just perfect to Pray. Mr. Pray would so fall in love with the roadster that it would never leave his ownership until his death in August of 2013. Pray's affection for the roadster meant the car would not be neglected throughout its lifetime. In the '80s, the car would receive some updates to the interior, which included red Connolly leather and Wilton wool carpeting. Beyond this, the car would receive a number of new panels and the wood would be either repaired or replaced. Even greater work would be conducted by Pray's own shop in 1997. Even after all of the work, the car would not be prepared for sale. Instead, it would head home to remain a part of Pray's personal collection.

Even after more than 30 years with Pray, the 507 would continue to receive attention. In 2006, the car's body would be stripped of its finish and all dents would be repaired. Some time later, the car's original engine was offered to Pray. He would jump at the opportunity and would immediately have the engine rebuilt, tuned and refitted to its original chassis. After more than 30 years, the car was now whole, and though the long shadows were building in his own life, Mr. Pray would have more than a few years of enjoying riding off into the sunset.

Offered at the RM Auctions Amelia Island event in 2014, the 1958 BMW 507 Series II Roadster would garner pre-auction estimates ranging from between $1,400,000 and $1,800,000.

Sources:
'Lot No. 152: 1958 BMW 507 Series II Roadster', (http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1064952). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1064952. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

'1957 BMW 507 News, Pictures, Specifications and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z2542/BMW-507.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z2542/BMW-507.aspx. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

'Articles: The Legendary Roadster', (http://web.archive.org/web/20100103093806/http://www.bmwccn.no/eng/chapter2/articles/roadster2.htm). BMW CCN. http://web.archive.org/web/20100103093806/http://www.bmwccn.no/eng/chapter2/articles/roadster2.htm. Retrieved 6 February 2014.

By Jeremy McMullen