The Alfa Romeo P3 achieved the “Best of Show” on the Concorso d’Elanza Villa d’Este at the weekend. However, it was another car that won the hearts of the public: a 1957 BMW 507 Roadster. One of the early examples of the Grand Tourer took home the title “Coppa d’Oro Villa d’Este” after receiving most votes from the assembled audience.
This luxurious Grand Tourer with a removable hardtop was not the only 507 exhibited. Over the weekend we had the opportunity to photograph the only example that was painted from the yellow factory. These are exceptionally rare cars with only 251 units between 1956 and 1959.
BMW designed the Bavarian GT to compete with the Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing and Roadster, especially to the North American market. However, the company forced the high production costs to set a much higher price than originally projected, which made the 507 unaffordable expensive. The original goal was to produce 5,000 units annually, but only 5% were built over four years.
The American automotive importer Max Hoffman convinced BMW to develop the roadster and believed that he would be successful in the United States. But the car that should cost the 5,000 US dollar almost doubled at the start and later exceeded it in its production run. In comparison, the 300 SL was much more successful with 1,400 coupés and another 1,858 streets.
If you wonder how much a 507 is worth today, well, a lot. A series II of 1958 achieved 1,750,000 euros at Broad Arrows auction at the Concorso d’Elanza Villa d’Este at the weekend. The 507 is essentially the most expensive BMW money that you can buy. Even the company’s most expensive new car, the 3.0 CSL, seems to be compared to a bargain. The company’s most powerful inline-Six production model was available for 750,000 euros.
In view of its rarity and beauty, we cannot imagine that 507 values will soon drop. It was perhaps a commercial flop that made BMW almost bankrupt, but that does not reduce his attraction among the collectors.
