The 507 was hand-built at a price that eventually reached over $11,000, which was a towering sum for any car at the time, and it was discontinued after only two-and-a-half years and 252 examples. The basic lines of the 507 went on to inspire one of the greatest modern BMW designs, including the Z8, which became its spiritual successor in the carriage houses of the wealthy and stylish.
The 507 would utilize the best of Bavaria, with mechanical components sourced from the 502 and 503 series, including a 3.2-liter, overhead-valve aluminum block V-8, which had been improved with twin carburetors in order to produce some 150-plus hp. Like most great automobiles, however, it would not have become a legend if not for its flowing, downright sensuous curves. It was Max Hoffman who had final approval of the design, so he requested the services of Count Albrecht von Goertz, a protégé of famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, whose futuristic themes for Studebaker in the early ’50s had caught Hoffman’s discerning eye. For Hoffman and BMW, Goertz imagined some of the most beautiful lines ever folded into metal.
Story by RM Sotheby’s
