BMW 507 (1955)

The 507's beautiful light alloy bodywork was attached to a strong frame, and the power unit was the then new 150 hp V8 of the 502 3.2-liter super, with an additional 10 hp.
The BMW 507 had its debut at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show, where it was the undisputed star. When the first 507's were eventually delivered to customers in November of 1956, they came with a hefty price tag, which limited sales to only 252 units. Elvis Presley bought one of the cars.

The 507 was produced in two production runs; Series 1 and Series 2. The Series 2 cars had an updated dashboard. Also, the rear bulkhead was moved back slightly to provide more luggage space behind the seats. 42 Series 1 and 210 Series 2 cars were built in the four years the 507 was in production.

Had BMW been able to reduce production costs, there would undoubtedly have been more 507 sales. It has been said that BMW lost money on every 507 made!

Today, the 507 is one of BMW's most sought after collectors cars, as well as the design inspiration for the Z8.

BMW Isetta (1955)

The cars have a one-cylinder BMW motorcycle engine with a 4-speed transmission. The top speed is 53 mph, and it gets 63 miles per gallon.

In 1958 you could buy one for $1,093.

BMW 503 (1956)

The BMW 503 was designed by Count Albrecht von Goertz, the same man who designed the BMW 507.

BMW ads referred to the 503 as "an elegant luxury travel sports car from the stable of the large BMW eight-cylinder cars." The 'large eight-cylinder cars' was a reference to the Baroque Angels, BMW's mainstay at the time.

BMW introduced the 503 at the Geneva Auto Show in 1955. Like the 502 which preceded it, the 503 featured a 3.2 liter V-8, the most modern engine of its day and Germany's first eight since the War. The engine produced 140 hp @4500 rpm, and it powered the 503 to a top speed of 118 mph.

The 503 was the first German automobile to have an electrically-operated power top. Another unique feature of the car was the transmission, which in early models sat under the front seat and was not directly connected to the engine. The body was made of all aluminum.

The price of 30,000 Deutsch marks limited sales. The 503 was available as a 2 door coupe and cabriolet. Only 412 models were produced, with 273 coupes and 129 convertibles.

BMW 502 (1954)

In 1954, BMW introduced the BMW 502 Sedan at the Geneva auto show. The new Sedan featured BMW's new light-metal 2.6 liter V-8, the most modern of its day and Germany's first eight since the War. The 502, although available in sedan, coupe and cabriolet, was never produced in great numbers. The starting price of DM 17,800 (at a time when a teacher could earn DM 200-300 per month) might explain that. Later, the 502 got a new, big bore 3.2 liter V8.

BMW 501 ( 1952)

The first car in the series, the 501, had an updated version of the pre-war 2.0 liter six-cylinder engine. In 1954, this was supplemented by a 2.6 liter V8 with 50% more horsepower.
The 501 V8 remained unchanged, but the six-cylinder 501's were enlarged to 2.1 liters.
The six-cylinder 501's ceased production in 1961.