Elvis’ BMW Restored

Everyone knows about Elvis and his love of Cadillacs and his De Tomaso, but most people have no idea that the king of rock was also in love with a BMW. His baby was a 1957 507 roadster, but unfortunately the car was not only just forgotten, it was also neglected over the years. Thankfully, BMW has taken action and given the little roadster some much-deserved love, restoring an interesting point in the company’s and rock music’s history. That kind of a legacy is point of pride for BMW of Freeport as we seek to provide the best service for people living in and around New York City.

This little fact helps establish the even the most discerning people back in the day could see the value of a BMW. It also highlights the automaker’s extensive experience with designing and building roadsters which are fit for a king. Today, that legacy has been transferred to the Z4, a car that will be a legend one day.

If you don’t know much about the BMW 507 you aren’t alone. It’s not like there are many floating around, considering that production was limited to a scant 254 examples. To get one back in the 1950s, you pretty much needed to be royalty or some kind of a celebrity. Under the hood was the first all-alloy V-8 engine in the entire world, making it a pretty exclusive vehicle to own. The body and frame were made by hand entirely of aluminum.

Even the shape of the roadster was revolutionary at the time, making it something that would turn heads no matter where it went. Even a number of modern BMW models have features that are influenced by the design of the 507.

Funny enough, Elvis actually acquired his 507 roadster while he was in the service and stationed overseas in Germany. His personal car was actually used as a display model for the Frankfurt Motor Show, plus was a press vehicle and also was raced by the great Hans Stuck. These facts make the history of the car that much richer, as if having been owned and driven by a music legend weren’t enough. The roadster captured the King’s fancy when he saw it being raced. The dealership he bought it through actually installed a new engine, one that hadn’t been subjected to the rigors of motorsports.

Another interesting fact was that Elvis’ BMW 507 was originally painted white. According to legend, women would write their phone numbers on the car using their lipstick, and the King got sick of it. Supposedly to combat the problem, he had the vehicle repainted red, rendering the lipstick messages ineffective and stopping the women dead in their tracks.

There is some question about whether the car made it back to the United States with Elvis or not. Regardless, later down the road the roadster sat unused, but it was kept out of the elements, helping preserve it somewhat.

Restoring the BMW 507 will take some time. The automaker began the work back in the summer of 2014 and it’s still not done. According to estimates, it will take a total of about two years to fully restore the vehicle. Once the job is done, the roadster should be quite the sight.

After being returned to its former glory, the 507 will take up permanent residence at BMW’s headquarters. Before the restoration work started, the car was on display at the BMW Museum in Munich, giving members of the public a nice glance at the roadster’s state before work began.