The popularity of the BMW 507 has seen a rise in the last few weeks, thanks to the restoration of Elvis Presley’s own 507 Roadster. Back in 50s and 60s, owners of the 507 also included actors Alain Delon and Ursula Andress, and Olympic gold medalist Toni Sailer, as well as being the car of choice for royalty including car nut Prince Rainier of Monaco; the new Aga Khan; and the kings of Greece and Morocco.
Seeing this red 507 on the lawn at Legends Of The Autobahn reinforced our thoughts on the iconic roadster: The BMW 507 is not only one of BMW’s best looking car of all time, but one of the best overall looking cars of all time. It’s simply gorgeous and timeless.
The BMW 507 Roadster was designed by Count Albrecht Goertz, a young German designer then living in New York and later responsible for another beautiful car, the Datsun 240 Z-series. A production-ready 507 was also unveiled at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel in 1955 and its design has impressed everyone in the attendance.
Under the hood it featured a new 3.2 liter V8 engine with Zenith dual-barrel carburetors, producing 148 horsepower. A four speed transmission would send power to the rear wheels. The 0 to 60 mph sprint was recorded at around 10 seconds while the top speed was limited to 136 mph. An impressive automobile for the 50s.
Today the BMW 507 Roadster commands the adoration of BMW fans everywhere, not to mention well heeled collectors. The last 507 sold for $2.4 million, not a bad investment even considering the inflation.
