Photo: BMW
The BMW 507 Roadster was BMW's attempt to get back to its sporty looks and attitude that characterized the Bavarian manufacturer's before the second World War started and took the entire Europe down with it.
Max Hoffman, a car importer from the USA played a major part in creating the 507 Roadster. Because of the dominant position of the Mercedes Benz 300SL on the American market that favored these kind of roadsters at the time, Max wanted a rival for the Benz, one that would give the driver the same feeling but would cost less.
At the moment the only other option on the market was a Triumph or an MG but both of them were cheap and unreliable. After discussing this idea with BMW managers and designers, the board of directors appointed Albrecht Goetz to design the Bimmer, the mechanical parts being borrowed from the 501 and 502.
The car's body was hand crafted from aluminum in order to keep the weight down. That mean that each car was different but also that the curb weight added up to only 1,333 kg.
The engine taken from the 501 and 502 had an aluminum block, a 3.2-liter capacity and 8 cylinders place in a V shape. The power output was of 150 HP and the car reached 100 km/h in 11.1 seconds, which was a decent time for that day and age.
Even though many celebrities (like Elvis Presley) owned this BMW Roadster and the car was way ahead of its time the Bavarian company sold only 252 units because of its high price that was due to the aluminum body. BMW nearly went bankrupt because of the 507 and if it wasn't for the 1500 model we wouldn't have seen all the great cars the Bavarian manufacturer made over time.
However, the 507's legacy can be seen even today. It was the starting point for cars like the Z3, Z4 and Z8. Today's Z4 still carries a resemblance with the iconic car that is being sold today at auctions for sums of around $1,000,000 (€767,000).
At the moment the only other option on the market was a Triumph or an MG but both of them were cheap and unreliable. After discussing this idea with BMW managers and designers, the board of directors appointed Albrecht Goetz to design the Bimmer, the mechanical parts being borrowed from the 501 and 502.
The car's body was hand crafted from aluminum in order to keep the weight down. That mean that each car was different but also that the curb weight added up to only 1,333 kg.
The engine taken from the 501 and 502 had an aluminum block, a 3.2-liter capacity and 8 cylinders place in a V shape. The power output was of 150 HP and the car reached 100 km/h in 11.1 seconds, which was a decent time for that day and age.
Even though many celebrities (like Elvis Presley) owned this BMW Roadster and the car was way ahead of its time the Bavarian company sold only 252 units because of its high price that was due to the aluminum body. BMW nearly went bankrupt because of the 507 and if it wasn't for the 1500 model we wouldn't have seen all the great cars the Bavarian manufacturer made over time.
However, the 507's legacy can be seen even today. It was the starting point for cars like the Z3, Z4 and Z8. Today's Z4 still carries a resemblance with the iconic car that is being sold today at auctions for sums of around $1,000,000 (€767,000).
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