Rebody One for the 507 builders

[Pond]

Aspirational picture for the 507 gang.
Didn't know Elvis had a 507. "Thank you very much"

 

[Duncodin]

When elvis got it it was white. He painted it red coz, as story goes, girls in germany kept writing on it with lipstick.

He also binned the bmw motor and put in a ford or chevy or something.

Found many years later in a real state. Short video on YT of it being restored.

 

[Duncodin]

And no. Ours won't look anything like that. Proportions are totally different. Ours looks more like elvis in his later "ate all the pies" years.

 

[Dxbolton]

 

[Dxbolton]

The chap who owned the Elvis 507 also had another one, he gifted the Elvis car to BMW museum provided they fully restored his other car, which they did. Sadly he passed away just before the cars were complete

 

[Dxbolton]

From this

To this

 

[Dxbolton]

my car is red purely because my wife is a huge Elvis fan, and that’s what she wanted.

 

[Duncodin]

Most common 507 colour was white (65 of the 254 supplied white). 33 in red.

 

[DaveP]

and all the other colours ? we need a full list

#askingforafriend

 

[Duncodin]

and all the other colours ? we need a full list

#askingforafriend

No problem. Here you go.

Sorry. Not in order. Tsk. Germans eh? You'd think they'd be a bit more efficient



List with Known interior/leather colours.

Unknown interior colours

So. in first place #1 White, #2 Silvergrey, #3 Papyrus, #4Silverblue, #4Black

See bottom of above list. 'Grundiert'. Supplied just in primer. Wonder what colour they became?

and what colour is Papyrus?

254 cars in total

1 prototype 528
3 Preproduction
2 with special bodywork ? (Maybe just early designs?)
34 Series 1
214 Series 2

Where did they all go?

64 Germany
41 USA
34 Italy
33 France
26 Switzerland
13 Venezuela
8 Austria
..
..
..
4 UK
..
..
1 each to Denmark, Greece, Spain and a few others.

 

[DaveP]

now that is a flipping comprehensive answer thank you !

 

[Pond]

I didn't realise they were that rare TBH.
Were they limited production runs, or just too expensive?

 

[DaveP]

So expensive that each was produced as a big loss I believe. Nearly took BMW under. If the video I saw about them is to be believed

 

[Duncodin]

I didn't realise they were that rare TBH.
Were they limited production runs, or just too expensive?

Long story. Short version is dealer in the usa said if bmw build it he could sell a squillion a month. But bmw made each one by hand so each one cost way too much so priced way too high. US dealer wanted bmw to make an assembly line and churn them out faster and cheaper but bm didn't believe he could sell that many so weren't prepared to invest in an assembly line so it staggered along and some people reckon almost busted bmw. Till bmw shelved it and concentrated on making a profit selling the bubble car unstead.

 

[Pond]

Long story. Short version is dealer in the usa said if bmw build it he could sell a squillion a month. But bmw made each one by hand so each one cost way too much so priced way too high. US dealer wanted bmw to make an assembly line and churn them out faster and cheaper but bm didn't believe he could sell that many so weren't prepared to invest in an assembly line so it staggered along and some people reckon almost busted bmw. Till bmw shelved it and concentrated on making a profit selling the bubble car unstead.

Funny as that is a very similar story with Ferrari and the 250 California. Apparently a US dealer convinced Enzo to make a compact convertible of the 250GT for the Californian market and they were going to all make massive money and sell in their thousands. Only 57 SWBs were ever made. I think they were extremely expensive, being a one at a time production run, but history makes these limited-run cars worth mega bucks; whoever built them.

The yanks have a lot to answer for; and still do (maybe more so than ever).