BMW 507: The Beautiful V8 Roadster That Nearly Broke BMW
September 16, 2026 · Oldygoldy
The BMW 507 is remembered today as one of BMW’s most beautiful automobiles. In the 1950s, however, it was also an expensive commercial challenge.
American importer Max Hoffman encouraged BMW to create an elegant sports car for wealthy customers, and designer Albrecht Graf von Goertz gave the resulting roadster exceptionally clean proportions.
BMW presented the design in the mid-1950s, with production running from 1956 to 1959. Power came from a 3,168 cc V8 producing around 150 hp, giving the lightweight two-seat roadster performance to match its appearance.
The problem was cost.
BMW originally hoped the car could reach a broader luxury sports-car audience, but complex hand production made the 507 extremely expensive. BMW Group Classic records that only 251 examples were built by the end of production.
Ironically, the very commercial weakness that troubled BMW in the 1950s contributes to the car’s extraordinary desirability today.
Why is the BMW 507 special?
Its importance comes from a combination of rarity, V8 performance, clean styling and historical significance.
It also demonstrates an important lesson from automotive history: a car can fail to meet its original business objectives yet become one of the manufacturer’s most celebrated creations decades later.
