Broad Arrow Private Sales is offering this BMW 507 Series I Roadster for sale.
- One of just 252 BMW 507s built from 1956-1959
- One of only 34 early Series I examples
- Long-term ownership by two owners between 1978 and 2025
- The subject of a complete photo-documented restoration
- Offered with its BMW Certificate, vintage correspondence with BMW, pre-restoration images, and its engine compartment toolkit
- Piloted on the 2014 Colorado Grand and displayed at the 2018 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance
Chassis No. 70010
Engine No. 40015
Body No. 001009
First unveiled at New York’s Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in August 1955, the BMW 507 was a bold and beautiful statement of intent from a company at a crossroads. Emerging from the postwar tumult as a manufacturer best known for small cars, BMW sought to redefine itself in the eyes of the world—and especially in the lucrative American market. The initiative was sparked by none other than Max Hoffman, the influential U.S. importer responsible for introducing American buyers to marques such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Jaguar. Hoffman envisioned a glamorous sports car that could bridge the gap between the Porsche 356 Speedster and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, and he found a willing partner in BMW.
The result was the 507, a car that remains one of the most arresting designs of the 1950s. Styled by Count Albrecht Graf von Goertz—protégé of industrial design legend Raymond Loewy—the 507’s long, sweeping proportions, sensuous body lines, and plunging nose created an icon. BMW’s signature twin-kidney grille was reimagined in dramatic fashion, flanked by curvaceous front fenders, delicately integrated “shark gill” vents, and understated chrome details. Its hand-formed aluminum body panels gave the car an air of coachbuilt exclusivity.
Mechanically, the 507 drew from the best existing components, including a shortened version of the 503’s chassis and BMW’s robust 3.2-liter aluminum-alloy V8 engine. With twin carburetors, it produced approximately 150 horsepower, paired with a four-speed synchronized transmission and drum brakes.
Yet the same qualities that made the 507 so compelling also led to its commercial downfall. Hoffman had hoped for a $5,000 price point; the car ultimately debuted at more than $9,000 in the U.S.—well above its target, and even more than a Mercedes 300 SL. The cost was due in part to unexpectedly high production expenses for the bespoke aluminum body and hand-built nature of each car. As a result, only 252 examples were produced between 1956 and 1959. Production soon transitioned to the Series II models, and as a result only 34 glamorous and ultra-rare Series I examples were built. Despite its limited commercial success, the 507 became an instant classic, in-demand by royalty, actors, and motorsport icons—Elvis Presley, Ursula Andress, John Surtees, and King Baudouin among them. More than six decades later, the 507 remains a symbol of BMW’s ambition, engineering prowess, and artistic daring during one of the company’s most pivotal chapters.
Series I BMW 507 chassis number 70010 was finished in Munich on the 8th of February 1957. Finished in Old Ivory, the rare 507 was delivered just three days later via Gebr. Spicker Automobil-GmbH in Duisburg, Germany. By the early 1970s, the 507 was located in northern Ohio where it was spotted by newly budding BMW aficionado Richard Margolis. Margolis would first spot 70010 while driving his 1971 BMW Bavaria. It turned out that the owner was Mayer Robbins, the director of a company he represented. Margolis met Robbins and the 507, inquiring as to its availability. The car was a little worse for wear, yet unrestored it was firmly not for sale. As proof of the impermanence of life, Margolis’ phone rang in 1978 and was told the car could be his for $10,000—a princely sum in the late 1970s. While the car remained in “barn find” condition, a deal was made with a twinge of regret.
Margolis realized that the 507, while special, would require work to become a car he could drive and enjoy. The 507’s new owner wisely photographed the car prior to restoration, capturing details like an NL oval country badge that suggests prior Dutch ownership, and contacted the BMW Archive in Munich—receiving a kind letter in reply along with a 507 Betriebsanleitung Owner’s Manual. Margolis began a restoration later that year “and thought I had it finished several times after that, but the restoration was not really completed until September of 2002.” In truth, the car was restored in stages with each successive attempt to better the previous. After 24 years and “incalculable hours” spent restoring the car, it emerged finished in red with a black canvas soft top over a black leather interior piped in red leather with black carpeting. Clearly satisfied with the results, a BMW Certificate was ordered, and the Series I Roadster was ready to be driven and shown. It was selected to be a “Car of the Century” feature exhibit at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, Canada and featured in shows across his native Ohio including a June 2004 Ohio Region Stan Hywet Meet where it received a perfect 100-point score.
In 2004, Richard Margolis made the difficult decision to part with his 507 after a quarter-century of ownership. It was acquired at a public sale in Arizona by the current owner, who after purchasing a BMW Z8 and seeing a 507 for the first time at a Z8 driving event, became enamored with the model. It moved to an expansive collection in Upstate New York that featured many automobiles that were the best of their kind—and, best of all, they are regularly driven. The collection includes multiple Bugattis, a Duesenberg Model J, an Erdmann & Rossi Mercedes-Benz 540K, and now the newly acquired Series I 507, chassis number 70010. While with its current caretaker of 21 years, the 507 has continued to be cared for, driven, and shown at events including the Colorado Grand in 2014, The Elegance at Hershey in 2015, the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance in 2018, and many others.
A beautifully kept and exceedingly rare Series I, chassis 70010 exemplifies the hallowed legacy of the BMW 507. Thoughtfully restored and cherished by just two passionate long-term owners over nearly five decades, this remarkable example remains both a show-worthy centerpiece and an eminently usable grand tourer. Eligible for premier driving events and concours alike, chassis 70010 offers its next caretaker the rare opportunity to own one of the most exclusive and historically significant postwar BMWs ever produced—far rarer than a 300 SL, yet equally evocative. As both a collector’s prize and a spirited driver’s machine, this 507 opens the door to a world of distinction, beauty, and unforgettable motoring experiences.
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