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eBay Find of the Day: 1957 BMW 507 is a black beauty

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:35:00 EST

1957 BMW 507 - Click above for high-res image gallery

The BMW 507 is arguably the most beautiful and certainly among the rarest production models ever to emerge from Munich, with only 253 produced between 1956 and 1959. The 507 was the first BMW built with a V8 engine and remained the only model to use one until the 740i debuted in 1992. The 3.2-liter pushrod V8 under the 507's bonnet was rated at either 150 or 160 horsepower.

Unfortunately, as attractive as the 507 was, its $10,000 price tag made it a bigger commercial failure than the more recent Z8. Following the 507's demise, BMW didn't build another roadster until the 1989 Z1.

This particular example appears to be in very good condition aside from its slightly foggy rear window. It spent a good part of its life at the Imperial Palace in Las Vegas, where it was purported to be one of two owned by Elvis Presley. As this is written, the $400,000 top bid has not cleared the reserve price, so you still have a chance to remortgage the house and get in on this action.

Gallery: eBay Find of the Day: 1957 BMW 507

[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1957 BMW 507 is a black beauty originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW celebrates 75 years of building roadsters

Drew Phillips — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:58:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, BMW

BMW Roadsters - Click above for a high-res image gallery

We generally think of BMW as the maker of some of the world's best sports sedans, but its put out some impressive roadsters over the years. Seventy-five years to be exact. The Bavarian auto manufacturer has been producing two-door open-seaters for three quarters of a century now, starting with 315/1 Sports model that was unveiled at the 1934 Berlin Motor Show followed by the more powerful 319/1. Two legendary roadsters came next, starting with the 328 Roadster in 1936 that was bred on the Nurburgring, and the classically-styled 507 in the late 1950's that inspired the next half century of BMW two-door ragtops.

It was nearly 30 years before BMW produced another roadster, and it came in the form of the Z1 that launched in 1988. The quirky roadster featured plastic body panels that bolted onto the steel monocoque body and doors that could retract into the side of the car. In 1995 BMW brought the roadster to the masses with the Z3, followed by the modern day Z4 that's just begun its second generation. Then, of course, there is the elegant Z8. Perhaps our favorite of all BMW's roadsters, it offered everything we would ever want from a sporty two-door convertible: a 400 horsepower V8, six-speed manual transmission, and a design that will never go out of style.

BMW has provided a wonderful gallery of photos highlighting each car, all available in high resolution. More details on each roadster can also be found in the press release after the jump.

Gallery: 75 Years of BMW Roadsters

Continue reading BMW celebrates 75 years of building roadsters

BMW celebrates 75 years of building roadsters originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 May 2009 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Albrecht Graf von Goertz, BMW 507 designer, dies at 92

Alex Nunez — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Convertible, Etc.

Classical Drive reported last week on the passing of Albrecht Graf von Goertz earlier in the month. He was the designer behind the singularly beautiful BMW 507. Goertz emigrated to the United States in 1936, and in 1938 opened a shop in California where he specialized in modifying Model A and B Fords. It was in that shop that Goertz created his "Paragon" coupe, a custom car that would be the catalyst for what can only be described as a remarkable career.

Goertz saw his Paragon displayed at the1939 World Exhibition in San Francisco, and in 1940 he closed up shop to join the Army. Five years later,he returned, got the Paragon out and drove it to New York, where a chance encounter in the parking lot of the Waldorf-Astoria changed everything. Goertz had gotten out of the Paragon to inspect the car in front of him. Likewise, the passenger of that car noticed the Paragon and had similarly gotten out to have a look. The man in the other car was industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who then met with Goertz and ultimately got him a job at the Studebaker design studio.

By 1953, Goertz has established his own business and befriended Max Hoffman, BMW's US importer. Goertz learned through Hoffman that BMW was planning a new sports car. He got into the mix and won the bid to design the car, the spectacular BMW 507. While at BMW, Goertz also designed the 503. After working at BMW, Goertz spent time with Porsche, where he was part of the team behind the 911, Toyota, where he influenced he 2000GT, and Datsun, where his fingerprints were left on the 240Z. Every vehicle on that list is iconic in its own right.

On November 2, Albrecht Graf von Goertz died at the age of 92, leaving behind an automotive legacy that will live forever.

(BMW bio, add'l photos after the jump)

[Sources: Classical Drive, BMW]

Continue reading Albrecht Graf von Goertz, BMW 507 designer, dies at 92

Albrecht Graf von Goertz, BMW 507 designer, dies at 92 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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