1959 BMW 507 Roadster

At the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show, BWM introduced the 503 and the 507. Both models were influenced by New York car dealer Max Hoffman and wore styling by Count Albrecht von Goertz.

The V-8 powered 507 roadster had the classic kidney grille, side vents, aggressive rear haunches, sweeping lines, and lightweight alloy bodywork. It had a rigid box frame, a synchromesh gearbox, large Al-fin drum brakes, and an upgraded suspension. The nimble roadster was capable of reaching 125 mph - 135 mph, depending on the gear ratio selected.

The BMW 507 Roadster was designed for the road, although its mechanical prowess meant several examples were entered in major racing events, including the Tour de France Automobile and the Mille Miglia.

Production of the 507 began in November of 1956 and continued until 1959, with just 252 examples built. With a US price tag of nearly $9,000 (26,500 marks in Germany), the BMW 507 was one of the most expensive cars of its day.

This particular example is a late-production 507 which is finished in white with a black leather interior. The car was completed on November 4th of 1959, and by November 13th had been delivered to Glöckler BMW in Frankfurt. The earliest ownership history is not known. It spent a long period of time in the Hans Durst collection in Davos, Switzerland. It was sold in July of 1997 to German collector and racer Peter Groh, who put just 2,000 miles on the car during his ownership. In 1999, the car was purchased by Michael Quinn of Montecito, California. Around 2003, he had approximately $50,000 worth of work performed on the car.

The current caretaker purchased the car in 2009, who also had extensive servicing performed on the car.

It appears that the engine in this car is from a later model 160PS unit, possibly from a 3200 that had been stamped with the correct engine number. The current owner acquired a factory hardtop for the car.

By Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2015