Elvis Presley purchased his first 507, a 1957 model (chassis #70079 and painted feather white), while serving in Germany with the US Army. This car had been raced by Hans Stuck, served as a press demonstrator for BMW, and made an appearance in the German musical comedy Hula-Hopp, Conny (released in March 1959). Presley had the car painted red after numerous fans, mostly while it was parked outside of his Bad Nauheim residence at 14 Goethestrasse, placed lipstick stains on it. It was imported into the country in 1960, and Tommy Charles, a disc jockey from Alabama, purchased it. Tommy Charles had it heavily modified, including having a Chevrolet V8 engine installed. Presley’s car would go on exhibit at the BMW Museum in Munich for a brief period before being fully repaired by the Classic department, the BMW Group announced in July 2014. Previously on exhibit in the recently refurbished BMW Zentrum museum at their US production facility in Greer, South Carolina, this fully restored automobile has now been returned to its original white color and is now on show at the BMW Museum in Munich.
According to rumors, Presley bought and gave Ursula Andress a 1958 model (chassis #70192) in 1963, the same year they co-starred in Fun in Acapulco.
[note 2] John Derek, Andress’s husband, had the 507 that Elvis gifted his wife professionally altered. This included altering its paint from white to light blue and having a Ford 289 V8 engine installed. John Derek had previously owned another 507 and had just sold it to performer Fred Astaire. George Barris purchased the vehicle from Andress in 1997 for $30,000 USD. A subsequent owner then restored the automobile once more with the proper drivetrain. The car had been repainted black when it arrived at McDougall’s Carrera Automotive. The original engine was lost to deterioration over time, but two 503 V8s and an intake with dual carburetors from a 507 were found. Both engines were converted into working ones, and BMW AG spent $25,000 to produce a new engine gasket kit that included head gaskets. It was also painted back to its original white color before being sold at auction for US$350,000 and again for US$1,072,500 in 2011.
In October 2007, a London auction brought in PS430,238 (US$904,000) for Bernie Ecclestone’s 507 race car. A 507 fetched $2.4 million at auction in March 2014 at the Amelia Island Concours.
Count Agusta awarded John Surtees with a 507 for riding an MV Agusta to victory in the 1956 500cc World Motorcycle Championship. In order to create disc brakes for the 507’s front wheels, Surtees collaborated with Dunlop; eventually, his 507 had disc brakes on all four wheels. The 507 belonged to Surtees until his passing. The Surtees car quickly sold for PS3,809,500 plus commission, which is equal to US$5 million, making that price the highest ever paid for a 507 before it was sold in July 2018. Albrecht von Goertz, the creator of the BMW 507 and 503, sold a 507 on December 1 for PS2,367,000 with commission, also at Bonhams.
In This Article...
What kind of engine was in the BMW 507?
Hoffman recognized that Americans who enjoy driving sports cars are passionate about strong engines. A four-speed ZF transmission and 3.2-liter V-8 engine with 150 horsepower were installed in the 507 vehicle. The 507’s performance tuning for the overhead-valve V-8 engine, which was BMW’s first V-8 engine, comprised polished combustion-chamber surfaces, a compression ratio of 7.8:1, high-lift camshafts, and an improved ignition-advance curve.
The bulk of 507s had soft convertible tops, but 11 of them came with an optional detachable hardtop for the fortunate few. The 507’s suspension had a front anti-roll bar, double wishbones, front and back torsion bars, and Alfin drum brakes. It was put together by the greatest BMW mechanics in Bavaria (later replaced by Girling brakes).
How much is a BMW 507 worth?
One of the most expensive and rarest BMWs ever produced is the 507 Roadster. Due to a starting price of $9,000 in the late 1950s being too expensive for the majority of consumers, just 253 vehicles were sold. It is anticipated that this sample would get between $1.9 million and $2.3 million when it is auctioned off soon.
How many BMW 507 are still around?
The BMW 507, created by Albrecht von Goertz, is among the rarest automobiles and is regarded by many as the most beautiful vehicle ever built. Only 202 of these cars are believed to still be in existence. A 1957 example that served as the model for the current BMW Z8 has been put up for sale on Bring a Trailer, and the asking price is already absurd. An auction held during the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed saw a 507 sample sell for $5,000,000. This example is presently sitting at $1.6 million with six days left to bid, and that amount is anticipated to increase.
The automobile, which began production in 1955 at the request of American BMW importer Max Hoffman, was initially designed to bridge the gap between more affordable Mercedes-Benz roadsters like the 300 SL and lower-end British sports cars. The 507 was a popular choice for both celebrities like Elvis Presley and race car drivers like John Surtees thanks to its 150 horsepower, 3.2-liter pushrod V8 engine. It was also advanced for its day, including a solid axle in the back and a double-wishbone suspension up front.
Every 507’s hand-formed aluminum bodywork made it unique, and some even came with detachable hardtops, like this one. The car has been painted and updated over the years, obtaining a new engine early in its existence that is stamped with the serial number of the original engine, and was brought to the United States in 2000. This example is simply one of only 15 units that are allegedly supplied in black.
The fuel tank on this 507 is 17.4 gallons because it is a “Series II” vehicle as opposed to the older “Series I” vehicles, which featured a gigantic 29.1 gallons beneath the seats. The larger tank was apparently replaced because it caused the car to smell like gas when the hardtop was up. According to reports, that’s the sole distinction between Series I and II cars; everything else on this car, such the body-color wheels, could be ordered on any 507 The fake center caps for the two-spoke wheel were changed in 2018, yet it appears that BMW still manufactures them. They definitely cost a lot, but maybe not.
The ZF four-speed manual transmission was the sole available transmission for the 507, and the one in this vehicle is an original. However, it appears that the car’s interior did not fare as well as its mechanical components. Since the car was imported in 2000, much of it has been replaced, including all of the upholstery. Additionally “rebuilt,” many of the knobs on the Nardi steering wheel were changed in 2014.
The car’s actual mileage is unclear with only 8,500 miles on the odometer, but given that this 507 is already selling for six figures, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. In fact, it has already exceeded the 1956 Mercedes 300 SL was sold for $1,234,567 in 2019 as the priciest vehicle ever sold on Bring a Trailer.
What model BMW convertible debuted first?
The BMW Z1 is the first model in BMW’s Z series of roadster (two-seater convertible) vehicles, and it was made in small quantities between 1989 and 1991.
Plastic body panels and doors that slide vertically into the door sills give the Z1 a distinctive look. One of the first BMWs to utilize a multi-link rear suspension is this one. The 2.5-liter straight-six engine and 5-speed manual transmission from the E30 325i are the only drivetrain options.
Elvis Presley had a BMW 507, right?
Presley’s German sports automobile has been completely restored in Munich after spending years gathering dust in an American farm. After enlisting in the military, Elvis purchased a secondhand BMW 507 in Frankfurt, Germany, in December 1958.
Which BMW was Elvis’s?
Elvis Presley served in Germany for two years after enlisting in the Army in 1958. He bought one of the few BMW 507s ever made there to use as a daily automobile while he was there. Originally painted white, the car allegedly received frequent kisses from swooning admirers, leaving lipstick stains all over it. Presley had the car painted red out of annoyance.
The automobile was discovered in a California barn over 50 years later, in 2006, by Klaus Kutscher, a Restoration Expert at BMW Classic. Even before he discovered it had belonged to Elvis, he thought it was worth restoring because there were only approximately 250 BMW 507s produced in total.
“They had other equipment in the car, and the dashboard was cut. They cut the frame. The vehicle was painted twice: once in red and once in black. Then the car [had] . . . a massive accident,” explains Kutscher in the latest Petrolicious film.
But Kutscher was able to bring Elvis’ vintage 507 back to its former splendor thanks to the resources of BMW Classic. This year’s Pebble Beach appearance was partially covered by us in advance, but watch the video below for even more information straight from Kutscher.
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What will be hosted at the BMW Group Classic Center?
The employees of the BMW Group Classic Centre have a wealth of knowledge, skill, and enthusiasm. They help with the preservation and repair of vintage cars and motorcycles and provide assistance when buying or selling a classic car.
Did Elvis possess a BMW car?
Elvis’ first car in Germany was an old Volkswagen, which he later gave to Jurgen Seydel, his German karate coach. Elvis rented a BMW 507 from BMW Glockler on December 21, 1958. Elvis was aware that the vehicle had previously been utilized by racing legend Hans Stuck. Mr. Glockler told Elvis that “Mr. Stuck ran the automobile in extremely properly.” Stuck had raced the vehicle in a number of sports car competitions, but Elvis had the engine upgraded for daily use. (Therefore, the car was pretty unique.)
The cost, which was $3,750 USD instead of $7,160 for a brand-new one, seemed really fair. Elvis mistakenly believed he was purchasing the car since he couldn’t read the German-language paperwork.
However, he soon discovered that it was only on lease and would need to be returned when he departed Germany. Elvis had to pay for BMW to use the advertising value of him driving their vehicle.
Elvis originally want a Porsche Spider, perhaps because he was a fan of James Dean and saw Dean driving one (And died in).
Elvis was intrigued by the BMW 507 but was unable to acquire it right away. He most likely chose the “used” automobile because it was available right away.
On December 21, 1958, Elvis received the car’s keys in a “ceremony” in front of Uschi Siebert, a former Miss Hessen who later became a well-known television personality. A dozen photographers and journalists documented the scene. It’s unclear when he actually got the car, but it must have happened soon after a service and registration change. Elvis’ car had the license plate A-1499, which said “1958 US Forces In Germany.” Before Elvis assumed ownership, the car had the license plate “F-04071.”
Elvis traded in his white sports vehicle at BMW Glockler in August 1959 for an ared 507, which he drove until October 1959. Elvis noticed a strange-looking small BMW Isetta that day. King-sized Lamar Fike was asked by Elvis to get in the car, but he declined, much to Mr. Glockler’s relief. Elvis reportedly bought one of these cars that day as well, but in reality, he was just posing for photos.
The white BMW 507 gave Elvis a lot of grief since some female fans used lipstick and pens to write greetings, phone numbers, and “I love you”s on it. Impossible to be eliminated completely.
Rumor has it that Elvis gave Ursula Andress his 507 while they were filming Fun in Acapulco. That is untrue. Both of the cars were leased from BMW Glockler and were never owned by Elvis.
To view our next page about Elvis Presley in the U.S. Army, click the U.S. Army logo.