BMW 507 1956 - 1959 - Model history

BMW 507

In the rich world of classic cars, some models have stood out and become famous for their great commercial success. Ford Model T or Volkswagen Beetle are the most obvious examples. On the other hand, there are cars with virtually no impact on the market, but with so much specialty, style and innumerable qualities, which in the beginning have become classics and gained a high place in the automotive hierarchy. Unfortunately, the latter group also includes the BMW 507, one of the best models of the famous Munich factory and one of its biggest market disappointments, which is a great pity knowing the many virtues of this car.

Born to a glorious time of real sports machines, raised with the highest pedigree and made to the highest standards, this model has completely disappointed its creators. To make this model better, we have to go back to the period immediately after World War II when Germany was in ruins.

In the same, if not worse, condition was its auto industry, and especially BMW. The plants in Munich were completely disabled, and the only thing that could work was a motorcycle factory. In addition, a large part of the plant was left from the Iron Curtain, ie in East Germany. Little by little, BMW recovered and introduced its first post-war model in 1951, and when serious production began, progress was lightning-fast. In fact, too fast. BMW immediately began producing strong and luxurious models, such as the famous 501 Baroque Angel, named for its beautiful body lines and 502 and 503, which were also prestigious models. The European market at the time needed models such as the Beetle or Spacek, not large V8 sedans. In tandem with these premieres, the BMW Isetta was also introduced, a semi-car, semi-motorcycle that was nothing like other products and only further confused customers.

BMW 507

Independent marketers found BMW's production philosophy to be catastrophically wrong, and they realized at the factory that if they wanted to stay in the "game" they had to affirm themselves in the rich American market. As none of the existing models was responsible for this task, it was decided to create a luxury and fast sports convertible that would fit alongside Ferrari, Maserati and Jaguar, thus presenting the brand in the best way. One of the initiators is the famous Max Hofman, an American dealer of exclusive European cars, who gave the BMW leadership a chance. At the factory, they thought their plan would go easy. Namely, all the assemblies planned for installation were already there, so the ingenuity and skill of the constructor can come to the fore. The design was entrusted to the famous stylist today, Count Alberht Graf Groetz, who is one of the greatest living automotive designers (from the age of 90).

BMW 507

He would later become famous for the design of the Studebaker Avanti, the Datsun Z240, and was involved in the creation of the Porsche 911. The body shape he created is one of the most beautiful in the automotive world and captivates with incredible elegance and style. In the designer's opinion, beautiful body lines must also be accompanied by state-of-the-art technical solutions, so the mechanical concept was at a high level, according to some, and too advanced to succeed. Specifically, the heart of the BMW 507 was an all-aluminum 8 cc V3169 engine. Perhaps this volume was too small to take full advantage of the V8 concept, but with an initial 150 horsepower (later up to 195 hp), this unit was one of the technical marvels of the era. On the other hand, the chassis was tubular with a box section of passenger space, ie a civilian derivative of the racing structure.

BMW 507

The front axle had independent suspension while the rear was rigid with torsion springs. These mid-fifties advanced solutions were covered by a handmade body, also made of aluminum, which further reduced the weight of the car. Officially, the BMW 507 Roadster was unveiled at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show. In a mass of legendary machines and famous names, this model stood out in both design and mechanics, making it the most beautiful car of the event. Still, production was almost a year late as construction problems delayed the start of sales. When the car finally found itself in showrooms, the next unpleasant surprise for customers was the price. In Europe, the BMW 507 cost over $ 5000, and its fiercest competitors, the Mercedes 300SL Roadster, the Jaguar XK140, and even one Ferrari and Maserati, could greatly buy for that money.

BMW 507

On the other side of the ocean, in America, the primary market for this model, the situation was even worse, because after all import duties, the price of this BMW was as much as $ 9000, and for that amount two Cadillacs or two Corvettes could be bought. However, excellent driving performance, high speed, comfort and feel have attracted the global automotive public, but in the minds of the wealthy snobs, a category favored by BMW, this brand did not yet have the power it has today. Therefore, the sale was symbolic, totally disproportionate to the qualities and beauty of this convertible. In addition, production was accompanied by various difficulties that slowed delivery of the car. Namely, only 254 copies of this model were produced by 1959 when production was discontinued. Whether because of the extremely small number of cars or because of its fantastic design and style or because of its advanced and unique technical solutions or because of all this, the BMW 507 has quickly become extremely sought after in the classic car market.

Its price is constantly rising and today the examples of this model "change hands" for about 250000 - 300000 euros, which is an extremely large amount. An interesting thing about BMW is that the spirit of this model has never left the Bavarian factory even though it has not had such luxury convertibles in production for decades after the BMW 507 Roadster. During the 8s, the Z507 was introduced, a model that faithfully and completely followed the philosophy of the old BMW 5700, both mechanically and design-wise. Unfortunately, this exceptional car was also hit, an approximately identical fate, it was withdrawn from sale after only 507 copies. Thus, modern classics were created on the basis of the old, and both models, especially the BMW XNUMX, represent the pinnacle of thinking and technology of their time and deserve a high place in the nomenclature of classic models or cars with style, beauty, exceptional values, reputation and soul.

Author: 426 Hemi
Source: www.brzabrzina.com

Mladen

Hi there, I am Mladen and I am an auto enthusiast. I started this blog years ago to help like minded people share information about latest cars, car servicing ideas, used car info, exotic cars, and auto technology. You will find helpful articles and videos on a wide variety of cars - Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, Porsche, Volvo, BMW and much more. Ping us if you have anything cool to share on latest cars or on how to make older cars more efficient, or just want to say hi!