BMW hasn’t always been the illustrious brand it is today. The company struggled to find its footing coming out of the ash and rubble of World War II. In an effort to return to its former glory, BMW released the 503 and 507, two cars that they thought would propel them to automotive royalty. Their plan seemed to work. The likes of Elvis Presley and John Surtees took a chance on the Bavarian make. Alas, it was not meant to be. Instead of being uttered in the same breath as Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin, BMW went spiraling into financial ruin. This is the story of BMW’s ill-fated moonshot
His intuition led him to success during his negotiations with Alfa Romeo. The brand developed the Giulietta Spider after he promised to take on 2,500 of them. It occupied the low end of the sports car market alongside the 356 Speedster. Another company also came into the picture around this time: a niche German automaker by the name of BMW.
The company was on the brink following World War II. Most of their factories were either destroyed or occupied by the Allied forces. BMW manufactured everything from cookware to bicycles to get by. When a manufacturing ban on aircraft and vehicles was lifted in 1947, it resumed motorcycle production and then began producing the 501 in 1952.
Count Albrecht von Goertz has had an interesting career in design, to say the least. The former banker-in-training emigrated to Los Angeles in search of greater opportunity. Goertz worked a series of odd jobs, including at a car wash and an aircraft factory. Southern California became the epicenter of the hot-ridding world and the scene dug its claws into his mind. He rented a garage on Rodeo Drive in 1938 and began modifying old Fords. It was here that he designed the Mercury-based Paragon show car. After fabrication work wrapped at a Glendale workshop, the car debuted at the 1940 San Francisco World’s Fair.
BMW continued to support the cars for a few years. The first update for the 507 came in the summer of 1957. Up to this point, the company had only delivered 45 cars. The refresh introduced a more spacious interior, but this came at a cost. Series I cars had a 110-liter fuel tank behind the front seats. Series II models had a 65-liter tank located under the boot. Disc brakes also became an option in 1958.
The 503 faired a bit better than its stablemate by the time its update came around, selling 219 examples by December. Series II models introduced different trim execution at the rear. The brightwork kicked up at the rear on earlier cars. It was straightened out after the facelift. BMW also moved the shifter from the steering wheel to the floor. None of these changes did much to alleviate the situation.
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 INTRO
0:47 MAX HOFFMAN
8:36 DESIGN PROCESS
12:07 DEBUT AND DOWNFALL
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