The 1959 BMW 507 Roadster Series III
A Very Rare Classic By BMW
Hello viewers. Today I'll be writing about another classic car. This one comes from Germany's BMW and is called the 1959 BMW 507 Roadster Series III. Let's learn more.
The 1959 BMW 507 Roadster Series III is a classic German sports car equipped with a 3.2 liter naturally aspirated V-8 that delivered 145 hp, and later 160 hp. The car's top speed was an estimated 124 mph. Naught to sixty took 6 seconds which is not far off from the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale I wrote about earlier. The V-8 engine was coupled to a 4-speed manual with a stick. 
Now for a little history lesson. If it weren't for a man named Max Hoffman we wouldn't have had BMW export the 507 and earlier models to the United States. His actions caused the first of the 507 models to be born in 1956. Unfortunately for Hoffman BMW couldn't keep the cost of these incredible cars down to keep them competitive. Because of this no more that 251 examples were made.
Now on to the build of the 507 Roadster Series III. The body was made of aluminum, (aluminium for my British viewers), and was also hand built. One problem with the 507 was that the hardtops were all unique and would only fit that one car you owned.
As for the styling of the car, that was done by a German who migrated to the United States prior to WWII named Albrecht Von Goertz. Through his work he was able to make a masterpiece that would be imitated for years by BMW and other car companies.
Not surprisingly the 507 was created and priced to compete against the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. 
The price back then was meant to be $5,000 or $2,500 less than the 300SL. Unfortunately the car's price rose from $9,000 to $10,500 when it reached the United States. Today an old used 507 can cost up to $1 million, and those in pristine condition would likely cost up to $2.4 million. I honestly think that given the cars looks and troubled history that the price is worth it.
The price back then was meant to be $5,000 or $2,500 less than the 300SL. Unfortunately the car's price rose from $9,000 to $10,500 when it reached the United States. Today an old used 507 can cost up to $1 million, and those in pristine condition would likely cost up to $2.4 million. I honestly think that given the cars looks and troubled history that the price is worth it.
