BMW 507 Roadster

BMW 507 Roadster

The BMW 507 is one of those rare automobiles that transcends mere transportation to become a work of art. Designed by Albrecht von Goertz — a German count who had trained under Raymond Loewy in America — the 507 was intended to fill the gap between the affordable MG and the exotic Mercedes-Benz 300SL in the American sports car market. Instead, its staggering beauty and equally staggering production costs nearly destroyed BMW, while creating one of the most valuable and desirable automobiles in history.

The design was breathtaking. Von Goertz created a body of extraordinary elegance, with sweeping fenders, a long hood, and proportions that achieved a perfect balance of athleticism and grace. The V-shaped chrome grille — unmistakably BMW — anchored a front end that flowed seamlessly into the curvaceous body sides. The removable hardtop transformed the car from a rakish roadster into a sleek coupe, with both configurations possessing an aesthetic purity that few cars have achieved before or since.

Mechanically, the 507 was built around BMW's all-aluminum 3.2-liter V8 engine, a sophisticated unit producing 150 horsepower through dual Zenith carburetors. While not a powerhouse by American standards, the engine's refinement and the car's relatively light weight provided spirited performance — a top speed of 220 km/h was remarkable for a naturally aspirated 3.2-liter engine in the 1950s. The four-speed manual gearbox and torsion-bar suspension provided a driving experience that was sporting yet civilized.

The 507's downfall was economic, not engineering. BMW had planned to sell the car for approximately $5,000 — competitive with the Thunderbird and cheaper than the 300SL. But the handcrafted aluminum body, made by Baur in Stuttgart, proved far more expensive to produce than anticipated. The final retail price of approximately $9,000 (equivalent to roughly $95,000 today) priced it beyond the reach of most buyers while positioning it against the Mercedes-Benz 300SL, which offered more performance and greater prestige.

Only 252 examples were completed between 1956 and 1959, and the financial losses from the 507 program contributed to a crisis that nearly saw BMW absorbed by Daimler-Benz. The company was saved at the eleventh hour by the Quandt family's investment, which set BMW on the path to becoming the global premium brand it is today.

Famous 507 owners included Elvis Presley (who acquired one while stationed in Germany with the US Army), John Surtees, and King Constantine II of Greece. Elvis's car, which was later discovered in San Francisco in deteriorated condition, was restored by BMW Classic and is now displayed in the BMW Museum in Munich.

Today, the 507 is universally recognized as one of the most beautiful cars ever created. Values reflect this status — when examples appear at auction, they routinely exceed $2 million, with exceptional cars approaching $3 million. The 507 stands as a testament to the power of design to create objects of enduring beauty and value.