Photo: ClassicDriver
What you might notice immediately about the BMW 503 we’re going to show you is that it seems to be missing some trademark features, right? Right. This car doesn’t sport the kidney grilles that were already being applied to Bavarian cars back then.
As it turns out, this BMW was modified by its owner to look like the Maserati 3500 GT Vignale. It’s interesting to note that back then, coachworkers were still around and they used to actually make car bodies by hand. This is one such model.
The 503 was initially purchased by a Swiss BMW dealer called Motag, in Zurich. From there on, it went to its second owner, a Mr. Roland Hirt and he was the one that sent it over to Swiss coachmaker Ghia-Aigle to make it look like a Maserati.
Was he right in doing so? It depends on your taste. If you’re to ask me, the original 503 should’ve been kept in its intended shape but there’s no denying that the coachmakers did a wonderful job at integrating a new face on it. Furthermore, this made it a special car nonetheless.
After it was done, back in 1964, the owner decided to part ways with his unique project and he sold it, in turn, 12 years later in 1976. All the other owners are well documented down the line and the 503 was even fully restored over the last years.
If the engine is still stock (as the ad doesn’t specify anything about it) it should be a 3.2-liter V8 with two carburetors and good for around 140 HP. Unfortunately, the cost of developing the 503 and its brother, the 507 were huge and nearly drove BMW into the ground.
Only 412 units of the 503 were ever built so this car is not only rare, it’s downright unique. It has a matching price tag too though, at €185,000 you can hardly call it cheap. However, given the fact that the body was made to look like a Maserati by the master crafters from Ghia-Aigle, it might just be worth the effort for a rich collector.
The 503 was initially purchased by a Swiss BMW dealer called Motag, in Zurich. From there on, it went to its second owner, a Mr. Roland Hirt and he was the one that sent it over to Swiss coachmaker Ghia-Aigle to make it look like a Maserati.
Was he right in doing so? It depends on your taste. If you’re to ask me, the original 503 should’ve been kept in its intended shape but there’s no denying that the coachmakers did a wonderful job at integrating a new face on it. Furthermore, this made it a special car nonetheless.
After it was done, back in 1964, the owner decided to part ways with his unique project and he sold it, in turn, 12 years later in 1976. All the other owners are well documented down the line and the 503 was even fully restored over the last years.
If the engine is still stock (as the ad doesn’t specify anything about it) it should be a 3.2-liter V8 with two carburetors and good for around 140 HP. Unfortunately, the cost of developing the 503 and its brother, the 507 were huge and nearly drove BMW into the ground.
Only 412 units of the 503 were ever built so this car is not only rare, it’s downright unique. It has a matching price tag too though, at €185,000 you can hardly call it cheap. However, given the fact that the body was made to look like a Maserati by the master crafters from Ghia-Aigle, it might just be worth the effort for a rich collector.
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