In the northeast, Spring has fully sprung. Temps are expected to kiss 80 today, and after a mild winter, we have been enjoying abundant sunshine. The daffodils and tulips are up, the magnolias are blooming, and the pear and cherry trees are explosions of colors!
All of that blue sky beckons us to hop in a roadster to enjoy the open road.
My first high HP car was a BMW convertible, but the open-top car that set the standard was the 507. BMW produced only 252 of these from 1956 to 1959. The plan was to export thousands per year to the United States, but it was too expensive to be a mass-market car. US importers had originally projected a $5,000 price, and sales of 5,500 units per year. But the expensive materials and bespoke hand assembly made 507 sell for closer to $10,500 — out of reach for most consumers. That failure led to heavy financial losses for BMW.
The specs:
3.2 liter V8 engine
4-Speed Manual
150/160 horsepower
0-60 mph = 11.1 seconds
Top speed 122 mph
2930 pounds
Too bad I couldn’t afford one of these in the 1990s — they went for well under $100k; today they auction for $1– 2 million dollars. This one, owned for 36 years, is up for auction, final bid on May 2nd.
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Source: Classic Driver
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