1957 BMW 507 SERIES II

BMW 507 Debut

When the Frankfurt Motor Show opened in late 1955, the principal BMW attractions were two sporting variations of the V-8-powered 502: the 503 and the 507. Though both models were designed by Count Albrecht von Goertz, it was the spectacular 507 Roadster that stole the show.

BMW’s striking roadster was so pure and perfect from all angles that it immediately took its place among the all-time great automotive designs. Possessing sweeping, harmonious lines, a purposeful revision of the classic kidney grille, uniquely styled side vents, and aggressive rear haunches, the 507’s lightweight aluminum body appeared to be stretched over its mechanical underpinnings and evoked speed and efficiency even at rest.

Initially intended to fill the gap between the low-priced English imports and Mercedes-Benz’s expensive 300 SL Roadster, the 507 commanded a princely $8,988 in the US and 26,500 deutsche marks in Germany, making it one of the costliest cars of its day. Production of the 507 commenced in November 1956 and ended in May 1959, after just 254 examples were built. While it was never intended as a long-term, commercially viable endeavor, the 507 certainly accomplished the goal of raising BMW’s profile. Today, the limited-production V-8 roadster is undoubtedly the most desirable postwar model built by the Munichbased company.

Car Highlights

Concours-Level Restoration Performed by BMW Classic
Finished in Original Colors of Papyrus over Blue Leather
Sequestered in 40-Year Northern California Ownership
One of Very Few 507s with Period Racing History
Equipped with Factory Hardtop and Rudge-Style Knock-Off Wheels
Among the Finest Restored Examples of BMW’s Most Revered Model

Technical Specs

3,168 CC OHV Alloy V-8 Engine
Twin Zenith 32 NDIX Carburetors
150 BHP at 5,000 RPM
4-Speed ZF Manual Gearbox
Front Hydraulic Disc, Rear Drum Brakes
Front Independent Suspension with Parallel Wishbones and Torsion Bars
Rear Live Axle with Torsion Bars, Panhard Rod, and Transverse A-Arm

Race History

Alpen-Bergpreis Rossfeld Hill Climb, Race 2, Germany, May 1958, Glöckler, No. 24 (3rd Place)
Freiburg-Schauinsland Hill Climb, Germany, July 1958, Glöckler, No. 81 (3rd Place)
Alpen-Bergpreis Wallberg Hill Climb, Germany, May 1959 Glöckler, (2nd Place)
Alpen-Bergpreis Rossfeld Hill Climb, Race 2, Germany, June 1959, Glöckler, No. 101 (4th Place)
Freiburg-Schauinsland Hill Climb, Germany, July 1959, Glöckler, No. 141

Chassis 70089

This BMW 507, chassis 70089, an early second-series example, was completed at the BMW factory on October 16, 1957, finished in Papyrus with a blue leather interior and, according to BMW records on file, the following month it was displayed at the BMW Pavilion in Munich. In early 1958, the 507 made its way to Autohaus Wilhelm Glöckler in Frankfurt and was retained by the dealership for some time.

In Glöckler’s possession, 70089 competed in several hill climb events in southern Germany during the 1958 and 1959 racing seasons. Ex-Porsche factory driver and Wilhelm’s son, Helm Glöckler, campaigned 70089 in events on the scenic roads of the Alpen-Bergpreis, near Salzburg, Austria, and the epic, 127-corner circuit of Freiburg-Schauinsland in the Black Forest. It was at these events that 70089 first became associated with another 507, chassis 70079, that would play an important role in its future decades later. Competing against Glöckler in several of these events was the famed Grand Prix driver and “King of the Mountains,” Hans Stuck Sr. Having struck an agreement to drive for BMW in early 1957, Stuck was issued a 507, chassis 70079, and on the whole, placed a bit higher than Glöckler, creating a friendly rivalry. Notably, following its racing days with Stuck during 1958, 70079 was later sold to Elvis Presley.

American residency

Following time with owners in Germany, 70089 was purchased by Nat A. Kalt of San Antonio, Texas, by 1968 and was shipped across the Atlantic. Mr. Kalt owned as many as three 507s and kept two at once at his Texas home. For reasons lost to time, Mr. Kalt exchanged the engines between the 507s, and 70089 continues to be fitted with the engine of his other 507, chassis 70247, to this day.

In 1974, 70089 was sold to Dick McGraw of Carmel, California, and it has resided in California ever since. Mr. McGraw quickly sold it on to Jack Castor and his brother Tom of nearby Santa Clara. Incredibly, Jack Castor had purchased 70089’s former racing rival, 70079, six years prior. After just a couple of years on the road, 70089, now finished in dark metallic blue, was placed in storage with the aspirations of someday restoring both cars to their former splendor. Over the ensuing decades, scores of letters and emails with the BMW factory and 507 historians revealed not only the competition history that very few 507s can claim but also the fact that the cars had raced together, by drivers with now legendary automotive names.

Following years of protracted negotiation between Jack Castor and BMW, an agreement was finally made in 2014. Both cars would be flown to the factory in Germany and restored in the newly opened BMW Classic workshops, with the long-term plan that 70079 would remain with BMW for public display and 70089 would be returned to Jack Castor in California for his enjoyment. While, sadly, Mr. Castor did not live to see the cars completed, one of his heirs has maintained the factory-fresh 507 since 2016, when both cars were sent to Pebble Beach and took part in numerous press events and exhibitions for their official unveiling to an elated public. During the restoration, 70089, in addition to being returned to its as-delivered colors, was also fitted with an NOS Becker Mexico radio, the later-optional front disc brakes, and a new set of Rudge-style knock-off wheels.

The Bugatti Type 50S

In the years since the public fanfare of the two cars’ re-emergence, 70089 has mostly led a quiet, pampered life on the Monterey Peninsula, with only about 900 km having been added to the factory restoration. Some of those kilometers were driven on camera when Jerry Seinfeld selected it to be featured on his television series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee as the perfect automotive pairing to his guest, the Academy Award®-winning Austrian actor Christoph Waltz.

Now Available

This very special 507 is being offered publicly for the first time in over 50 years by Gooding & Co at the Pebble Beach Auctions. With its fascinating history file, BMW Classic restoration, status as one of a minuscule number of 507s to have raced in period, and eligibility for nearly every automotive event worldwide, 70089 represents an opportunity essentially impossible to repeat.

Go HERE for details.