1958 BMW 507 Series II
SerialNo.550000758
Body color: Blue
Interior: Red
Mileage: 519
Value: $550,000
Engine: Aluminum Alloy BMW OHV V8/ Production: 1955-59/ Number: 252/ Wheelbase: 111.6 in (2835 mm)/ In Track Front: 56.7 in/ In Track Rear: 56.3 in/ Length: 172.6 in (4835 mm)/ Width: 97.6 in (2479mm)/ Height: 49.5 in (1257 mm)/ Transmission: Four-speed manual transmission with various rear-end ratios optional/ Suspension: Front suspension was parallel double wishbones, with torsion bar springs and an anti-roll bar. Rear suspension had a live axle, also sprung by torsion bars, and located by a Panhard rod and a central, transverse A-arm to control acceleration and braking forces./ Brakes: Caliper brakes in the front and Alfin drum brakes of 284.5 mm (11.2 in) diameter in the back/ Torque: 173 lb/ft @ 4000 RPM/ Top Speed: 141 MPH/ Bore/Stroke: 3.23 in/ 2.95 in/ Horsepower: 150 bhp @ 5000 RPM/ Displacement: 3169 cc/ Fuel Capacity: 29.1 US gallons/ Performance: 125 MPH and 0-60 MPH in 10.5 seconds
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The BMW 507 TS, or "Touring Sport," was the brainchild of BMW importer Max Hoffman, who in 1954 persuaded the BMW management to produce a roadster version of the BMW 501 and BMW 502 saloons that could compete with Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz sports cars. Hoffman pushed for designer Albrecht "Zeppo" Goertz, who also designed the contemporary BMW 503, as the designer, over existing designs by Ernst Loof, whose sketches Hoffman felt were not commercially viable. Goertz was hired by BMW in November 1954. BMW engineer Fritz Friedler was assigned to design the mechanical package, using existing components wherever possible.
The 507 made its debut at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York in the summer of 1955. Elvis Presley was the most noteworthy purchaser. While on duty with the US Army in Germany in 1959 he bought a white 507 for US$3,500, a fortune at the time. He gave the car to one of his most famous co-stars, the Swiss-born actress Ursula Andress, in 1963. She kept it for some 20 years and, in 1997, it sold at an auction for US $350,000.
This dark blue 507 with red interior is completely original, save for the new paint job. The car has its original hard top, has never been hit, and was a participant in the 2002 Mille Miglia in Brescia, Italy. 202 of the 252 BMW 507s produced are known to survive today, a tribute to the car's appeal. Formula One President and CEO Bernie Ecclestone's 507 was sold for $904,000 at an auction in London in October 2007.
source: Wikipedia
