BMW

507

The BMW 507 was born from an idea by the influential U.S. importer Max Hoffman, who in 1954 persuaded BMW management to build an elegant roadster to slot between the expensive Mercedes-Benz 300SL and the cheaper, underpowered British sports cars. BMW engineer Fritz Fiedler designed the rolling chassis using existing 501 and 502 saloon components, while early body proposals by Ernst Loof were rejected. The shape that finally defined the BMW 507 came from Count Albrecht von Goertz, whose flowing, low-slung two-seater body with its wide kidney grilles and gently scalloped flanks is still regarded as one of the most beautiful designs in automotive history. Beneath that aluminium skin sat a 3.2-litre all-alloy V8 producing around 150 horsepower, giving the BMW 507 a top speed of up to 220 km/h. But the car was a commercial disaster: hand-building each BMW 507 cost so much that BMW lost money on every example and the project nearly bankrupted the company, with only 252 cars built before production ended in 1959. The BMW 507 found cult fame through its glamorous owners, most famously Elvis Presley, who bought one while stationed in Germany, as well as John Surtees, Bernie Ecclestone and Ursula Andress. Once a near-fatal mistake, the rare BMW 507 is today one of the most valuable and coveted BMWs ever made.