The BMW 507 was arguably one of the most beautiful cars
of the 1950's. Built to add a glamour car to increase
American sales as well as well as boost their flagging
post war image, BMW used Albrecht Goertz to design their
new sportscar.
The result was an elegant, slim roadster
complete with long bonnet, pert tail and impeccable detail.
It produced 150 bhp from its high compression 4-speed
V8 engine and could handle 0 - 96 km/h in around 9 seconds.
Torsion bar suspension in both front and rear gave
a supple and confident ride and its good-looking
factory hardtop made this car snug and roomy.
Meticulously
built in alloy, the 507 of 1955 was aimed directly
at the
Mercedes 300SL market and like the 300SL it
was very expensive.
But its saloon-derived steering was perceived as
not its best feature which probably accounted for
a short and unimpressive competition history. It
also took an inordinate amount of time to assemble
as most was done manually.
Amongst the positives
of this car were its power - 160 bhp and its lateral
front disc brakes. But production stopped in 1959
after only 253 cars were built.
Today it is still seen as probably the most collectable of all post-war BMW's.