Sports legend: BMW 507

After World War II, the automotive industry became one of the most hindered industries in the world, because the pre-war research and development was too focused on the development of modern warfare technology-especially aircraft. Especially BMW, which was a successful car company before the 1930s, but Germany's position in the world war was severely shrunk. In fact, the company's move to launch a large high-end car in 1951, only three years after resuming production, surprised everyone.

The new car had a number of advanced technical features at that time which were improved from 1939. These new additions generated a lot of publicity for the car model and BMW as a company in particular. However, despite the fame, the car and its advanced features did not manage to generate sufficient income for the company at that time.

A second model, the 502, with a V8 engine incorporated a more impressive creation and opened the gate for the company’s financial prosperity. There were several versions of the 502 made in the year 1954 but none actually sold well enough to make substantial profits for the company that year. The poor financial performance of the 507 and the 502 models can be attributed to the bubble created by cars such as the Isetta and Germany’s ruins after the second world war. The company used the little profits it got from the 502 to make the larger 507.

Despite the company’s poor financial performance and the poor market for the BMW 507 in the early years of 1950s, BMW maintained its sights and fixed its ambitions firmly. BMW began manufacturing more units of the 507 in 1954 after being prompted by its US importer – it targeted well-to-do clients in the US. This is the reason the company decided to hire designer Albert Goertz, an aristocrat then living in New York because he understood just what the American clients wanted.

The sketches that Albert Goertz prepared for the BMW board of directors in New York were of a sleek and a completely different sports car. They were drawn to be of the 507 model – an exceptional roadster – and bearing in mind the technical aspects of the chassis, it was going to work better than expected. The chassis of the car was essentially of the .2 liter super 507 3 although it was 35.5 cm shorter. The greater compression meant that the engine could be upped from its 140 horsepower to 150 horsepower without making further complex modifications.

The BMW 507 debuted in New York in 1955. The car was beautiful, elegant and sporty, but its popularity did not reach the expected heights in the US market; compared to other roadsters, the BMW 507 did not have enough power under the hood. Production of the model stopped 4 years later in 1959 after only 254 cars had been produced. BMW decided to offer a variety of the models including 3 different rear-axle transmission rations that could offer speeds that range between 190 and 220 kilometers per hour.

Like the BMW 503, the second version of the BMW 507 was launched in 1957. Thanks to the fuel tank cap on the right side of the rear side, this version was immediately recognized. The fuel tank is smaller, can hold 65 liters of fuel instead of the original 110 liters, and is located on the floor of the luggage compartment instead of behind the rear seats. The instrument panel has also been completely redesigned to provide more space for the radio and is considered the most beautiful BMW model since the company was founded. The new variant actually pushed the exotic sports car war to a new level-it is rare and unique, and it still exists today, 60 years later.