Designed by Albrecht von Goertz, the BMW 507 is considered by many to be the prettiest car ever made—and with only 202 cars still known to exist—one of the rarest. The inspiration for the modern BMW Z8, an example from 1957 has been listed for sale on Bring a Trailer, and the price is already astronomical. At a 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed auction, a 507 sample fetched $5,000,000. As it currently sits with six days still left to bid, this example is already at $1.6 million, and that number is expected to rise.
Beginning production in 1955 at the request of American BMW importer Max Hoffman, the car was originally supposed to fit between lower-end British sports cars and the more expensive Mercedes-Benz roadsters like the 300 SL. Powered by a 150-horsepower, 3.2-liter pushrod V8, the 507 was both the choice of race car drivers like John Surtees and celebrities like Elvis. With a front double-wishbone suspension and a solid axle out back, it was also modern for its day.
Its hand-formed aluminum bodywork meant every 507 was a little different, as were the detachable hardtops that some came with, including this one. This sample is just one of just 15 units said to be delivered in black, and this vehicle has been repainted and refreshed over the years, receiving a new engine—stamped with the original engine’s serial number—early in its life and being imported to the United States in 2000.
Being a “Series II” car, this 507 has a 17.4-gallon fuel tank under the trunk floor, while the earlier “Series I” cars had a massive 29.1-gallon tank located behind the seats. Apparently, the bigger tank made the car smell like gas when the hardtop was on, so it was changed out. That’s reportedly the only difference between the Series I and II cars, so everything else on this vehicle, such as the body-color wheels, could be had on any 507. The wheel’s two-spoke knock-off center caps were replaced in 2018, and apparently, BMW still makes them. They’re probably very reasonably priced—not.
The only transmission option for the 507 was a four-speed manual made by ZF, and the one in this car is original. Apparently, the interior didn’t fare as well as the car’s mechanical parts, though. Much of it has been replaced, including all of the upholstery, a job that was done back in 2000 when the car was imported. The Nardi steering wheel has also been “rebuilt,” and many of the knobs were replaced in 2014.
With 8,500 miles on the odometer, the car’s true mileage is unknown, but considering this 507 is already fetching six figures, it seems unlikely that’s a big issue. In fact, it’s already surpassed the previous record-holder for the most expensive car sold on Bring a Trailer: a 1956 Mercedes 300 SL sold in 2019 for $1,234,567.
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