BMW 507: The Golden Boy or The Black Sheep?
They say you’ve got to spend money to make money. But in post-war 1950’s Germany — at the time, still trying to get back on its feet — that was no easy task. Which is why the story of the BMW 507 is all the more profound.
In the early 1950’s, Max Hoffman, the US’ renowned BMW importer, called upon the firm to develop a new sports car, one tailored specifically with American buyers in mind. Hoffman enlisted designer Albrecht Goertz to make his vision come to life on the canvas; BMW allegedly liked it quite a lot and commissioned him to craft the 507 roadster alongside a 503 four-seater.
After a year and a half of prototyping, a finalized 507 was ready-to-roll, debuting at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel in 1995. The striking roadster boasted the marque’s ubiquitous twin-kidney front grille, a powerful stance, and a seemingly endless hood; and, crucially, a new engine. The 507 introduced a sporting alloy 3.2-liter V8, which sucked air through a pair of Zenith dual-barrel speed manual transmission, 507’s would sprint from 0 to 60mph in around 10 seconds and were pegged on the Autobahn topping out at 136 mph. Certainly not a slow car by 50’s standards.
Where the tire met the pavement, 145 bhp, 3,168 cc OHV all-alloy V8 engine with dual carburetors, four-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with dual A-arms and torsion bars, live rear axle with torsion bars, hydraulic front disc, rear drum brakes,a and wheelbase at 97.6 inches — definitely a mouthful.
However, performance would become the least of BMW’s worries with the 507. Development costs of the roadster grew to astronomical proportions for the post-war Bimmer with the new V8 engine and the hand-built aluminum body, equating to a $6,300 asking price for US models; thousands more than the equally sporting Jaguar XK140 or the hard-charging Chevrolet Corvette. BMW would shelf-out it’s very own loosing money on every single one that left the factory.
By the end of the decade, BMW called it quits on the vaunted roadster after producing just 251 units. Elvis Presley and the legendary racer John Surtees still owns one, amongst various other famous celebrities of the day. Estimates range on the 507 roadsters still in existence, with multiple sources suggesting only 200 or so left, we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a barn somewhere that’s hiding one or two more. Or at least we hope…
Many enthusiasts today argue that the 507 would have put BMW out of business had it not been successful selling microcars and motorcycles to offset the car’s extreme cost. However, at the same time, the BMW 507 undoubtedly helped to rekindle the company’s sporting reputation in that regard, the 507 set BMW on a course which undoubtedly helped to steer it towards its current reputation today of building quality, performance-oriented luxury automobiles. Without it, BMW would certainly be a very different company than the company we know and love today.
Its character and patina show the result of decades of adoration and careful use. Finding an example that is this well-preserved and retains its original engine is virtually unheard of. An ideal warm-weather driver or ideal candidate for a concours restoration, this 507 gifts its owner with not only an exceptional automobile, but a world of possibilities with how it can be enjoyed.
To answer the question, it is The Golden Boy masked as the Black Sheep of Bimmers by impatient enthusiasts. Like any valuable and rare artwork, one needs an eye for beauty. One needs an eye to recognize greatness. Its elegance and badboy sleekness are the most sought-after personalities up to this day; and I think the punch that it gave the industry will definitely leave a mark.
