1958 BMW 503

One of BMW's major plants – the old Dixi works at Eisenach in Saxony - was behind the 'Iron Curtain' after World War II and was within the Russian Zone. Shortly after hostilities ceased, manufacture of what would later be called 'EMW' cars recommenced at Eisenach under Russian control.

BMW's Munich facility had been bombed by the Allies during the war and was badly damaged, and when production was restarted, it produced household utensils, agricultural machinery, bicycles, and railway brake sets. By 1948 they were building motorcycles and four years later, the first true BMW car of the post-war era emerged.

BMW recommenced car production in 1952 with the introduction of the 501 luxury saloon. Announced in 1951, it arrived with a development of the company's pre-war six-cylinder engine before gaining a performance boost, with the 2.6-liter V8 in 1954. A 3.2-liter version was introduced near the close of 1955, and the saloon's model designation changed to '502.' Count Albrecht von Goertz was commissioned by BMW to produce two different designs, with the more conservative of the two - dubbed the 503 - retaining the 502 saloon's 2,834mm wheelbase chassis, suspension and centrally mounted, column-change gearbox. The other design rested on a shorter wheelbase and was called the 507. Its shortened platform necessitated attaching the gearbox directly to the engine. The Series II version of the 503 was introduced in 1957 and employed the 507-type engine/transmission arrangement complete with floor-mounted change.

Both the 403 and 507 were debuted in prototype form at the Frankfurt Auto SHow towards the end of 1955.

BMW's high-performance, V8-engined cars of the 1950s were expensive and exclusive, attracting a small but discerning list of clientele. Perhaps an ill-advised choice considering the impoverished country was still recovering from the devastation caused by the war. A total of 206 examples 503 were built as 2+2 closed coupes and 138 of the convertible from 1956 until 1959. All 503 models were built with left-hand drive configuration except for 3 Coupes and 3 Cabriolets handbuilt for the United Kingdom. The 503 was developed alongside the 507 roadster and both cost approximately double their projected price.

The 503 and 507 were built as sports cars to compliment the company's line of 501 and 502 luxury sedans. Engineer Fritz Fiedler designed two versions of a new ladder frame, using design inspiration and components from the existing 502 sedan. The wheelbase measured 111.6-inches, a length of 187-inches, a width of 67-inches, and a height of 57-inches.

Both the 503 and 507 used the steering system and a variant of the front suspension system of the 502, with the 503 also using the 502's rear suspension. Both had drum brakes with vacuum assist, and from 1957 forward, all 503s received discs on the front. An aluminum alloy, 3.2-liter version of the 502's V8 engine, designed by Alfred Böning, provided power for the 503 and 507, and was a development of the engine powering the 3.2 sedan. Modifications included two carburetors, an improved lubrication system with a chain-driven oil pump, a compression ratio of 7.5:1, and an output of 140 bhp at 4,800 RPM. The 507 engines delivered 150 horsepower, and a few UK-destined 503s received this configuration, either by BMW or, before delivery, by AFN Ltd, the BMW Concessionaires for the UK.

The transmission was a four-speed manual with a standard final drive ratio of 3.90:1 or an optional 3.42:1 arrangement.

The successor to the BMW 503 was the BMW 3200 CS, built between January of 1962 and September of 1965, with a total of 603 examples built during that time. It wore a design created by Bertone and was the final variant of the company's postwar luxury platform that began with the 501. Its wheelbase measured 111.8-inches and its 3,168cc twin-carburetor, overhead valve V8 engine produced 160 horsepower. It used a four-speed manual gearbox, a live rear axle, and front-wheel disc brakes.

The BMW Isetta
BMW's line of luxury models, which included the 503, was intended to revive the company's legacy of building luxurious, grand touring, sporty automobiles. With a fragile economy and oil shortages in Europe, BMW's path to success came in the form of a minimalistic vehicle named the Isetta. The Isetta was an Italian-designed microcar, built under license by several different countries and manufacturers, and was the top-selling single-cylinder automobile in the world at the time. Initially manufactured by the Italian firm Iso SpA, BMW's version was built from April of 1955 to May of 1962 with over 161,000 examples built during that time. Its powerplant was a redesigned version of the company's one-cylinder, four-stroke, 247cc motorcycle engine.

The Isetta had two seats on a tubular chassis and a singular front-opening door. They became known as das rollende Ei, or the rolling egg, and quickly gained popularity with Europeans living in dense urban areas. It measured just seven feet nine inches long and only four and one-half feet wide. It provided comfortable transportation for two people on short trips, and finding a parking spot once one had reached his or her destination was rarely a problem.

Both BMW's early post-War models were important to the company's survival, with the 501, 503, and 507 restoring the company's image as a builder of high-performance grand tourers, while the Isetta restored the company's financial stability.

by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2022