This 1959 BMW 507 is one of approximately 250 examples built during three years of production and was completed on October 6, 1958, before being delivered new on October 31, 1958, to Autohaus H. Bäte KG in Hannover, Germany. Chassis 70185 is said to have undergone a refurbishment circa 2012 that included a color change to its current shade of red before being acquired in 2022 by German specialists Arthur Bechtel Classic Motors, who performed a refresh that included a re-trim of its interior in beige leather. Power is provided by a 3,168cc V8 that features an aluminum block and cylinder heads and is topped by twin Zenith carburetors. Additional equipment includes an ivory-color hardtop, a four-speed manual transmission, 16” Rudge wheels, front disc brakes, a beige convertible top, and a Becker Mexico radio. This 507 was purchased from a collection by its current owner in January 2025 and is now offered on dealer consignment in St. Louis, Missouri, with photos from the refurbishment, a matching set of luggage, a scale model of the car, and a clean Montana title.
Development of the 507 was inspired by US importer Max Hoffman’s suggestion that BMW design a sports car aimed at the mid-price market in North America. Featuring hand-built aluminum bodywork styled by Albrecht von Goertz, the model debuted in 1955 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City before entering production in late 1956. Production shifted in 1957 to a second series of the 507 featuring a smaller fuel tank relocated from behind the seats to inside the trunk to prevent the intrusion of gas fumes into the cabin. Hardtops were optional equipment for the 507 and were hand-built to fit each car’s bodywork.
This example left the factory finished in Feather White and was stripped to bare metal before a repaint in Coral Red during the refurbishment that is said to have been performed in 2012. The hardtop was refinished in ivory during the project. Features include a fender-mounted driver-side mirror, pop-out door handles, a lockable fuel-filler door, dual exhaust outlets, and a beige convertible top with a matching boot.
Body-color Rudge wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in 6.00-16 Michelin Pilote X tires, as is a matching spare housed in the trunk. Stopping is handled by Dunlop front discs and rear drums.
The cabin is trimmed in tan leather over the seats, door panels, and upper dashboard. Additional features include beige square-weave carpeting, roll-up windows, dual pockets on each door, a grab handle on the passenger side of the dashboard fascia, an offset shifter with an ivory-color knob, an ashtray mounted between the seats, and a Becker Mexico radio.
The ivory-color four-spoke steering wheel sits ahead of a body-color dashboard housing VDO instrumentation including a 240-km/h speedometer with an inset oil pressure gauge, a clock, and a 6k-rpm tachometer with inset gauges monitoring coolant temperature and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 33k kilometers (~21k miles), approximately 25 of which have been added by the selling dealer.
The 3,168cc V8 features an aluminum block, aluminum cylinder heads with wedge-shaped combustion chambers, a chain-driven oil pump, and pushrod-operated overhead valves. Induction is through a pair of Zenith carburetors.
Power is sent to the rear wheels via a ZF four-speed manual transmission and a solid rear axle equipped with a Panhard rod. Independent front suspension incorporates double wishbones and an anti-roll bar, while torsion bars and tubular shock absorbers are utilized all around.
Images from the refurbishment performed in the 2010s can be viewed in the photo gallery below.
The BMW Group Classic Birth Certificate lists the original color and pertinent dates as well as the optional hardtop.
The title identifies the car as a 1957 model.
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