California Barn Find: Elvis' BMW 507.

[porwolf]

This BMW 507 was discovered in a California barn. Now it's on the way to be completely restored by the factory.

[chrisf]

I love'em.

My HS girlfriends' grandfather lived out in the country, and had a junkyard. oops, I'll be right back. (more later)

[porwolf]

[QUOTE=porwolf;8182169]This BMW 507 was discovered in a California barn. Now it's on the way to be completely restored by the factory.

And this is what it looked like when Elvis took possession in 1958 for $3,750.-



More pictures here:

Elvis' BMW 507: Dieser Oldie ist ein echter Rock'n'Roller - Auto-News - Bild.de

And in English:

http://www.leftlanenews.com/elvis-1957-bmw-507-roadster-lives-thanks-to-factory-restoration.html

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by porwolf

This BMW 507 was discovered in a California barn. Now it's on the way to be completely restored by the factory.

Would love to see what it would look like after a careful cleaning. It will probably end up over restored. Some patina would be nice. Any stories on that great barnfind, guess I should try google.

[weseeeee]

Very cool, any idea what it's worth?

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by weseeeee

Very cool, any idea what it's worth?

" It was sold at auction in 1997 for US$350,000[26] and at another auction in 2011 for US$1,072,500.[25]"

BMW 507 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[chrisf]

Originally Posted by chrisf

I love'em.

My HS girlfriend's grandfather lived out in the country, and had a junkyard. oops, I'll be right back. (more later)

so, anyway. went out there with her one day to pull an older ford water pump housing. (I was into muscle cars, but my dad had many BMWs, and I was familiar with older ones like the 2002). I saw a cool looking, white coupe hidden in the brush/bushes. It was complete, but was sitting on the wheels with no tires, had rusted floors, no windows. I remember looking at the seats that had no upholstery. The car had the roundel on the hood.

I got home and told my dad about it. He paused for just a moment. Thinking back now, I think he thought I was mistaken. Fast forward about 6 years, and I am hanging out at a buddy's house down in Auburn. He had a 2002, and had a poster on his wall with the BMW models. I pointed out the car, and mentioned where I had seen it. This was a friday evening and we were getting lined up for the night, if you know what I mean. He freaks and we drop everything and load up to drive back home, about 4 hours. We go out the next morning and everything is gone. I talked with the ex's aunt and she explained that the grandfather had passed about a year earlier and they had hired a scrap company to come and clear everything. She didn't know anything else about it.

I can still remember the small tree growing out of the trunk. I wish I had been a little bit more knowledge at the time, but thinking back on it now, I am pretty jazzed recalling those visions of a car like that in the condition it was in. I do get sad knowing it was more than likely scrapped.

[weseeeee]

Thanks porwolf, I had no idea they were that expensive.

[porwolf]

Here is a Google Translate of the German article with details of the Elvis BMW 507 history:

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bild.de%2Fauto%2Fauto-news%2Fbmw%2F507-oldtimer-von-elvis-presley-im-museum-36962638.bild.html&edit-text=

It looks like Elvis wanted his original white car painted in "Porsche red".

[Tobra]

Always loved those. Probably drives like a truck.

It's awful pretty though, and I like trucks.

If'n I had that thing, I would wash it, put fresh rubber on it and ride.

[strupgolf]

Originally Posted by porwolf

" It was sold at auction in 1997 for US$350,000[26] and at another auction in 2011 for US$1,072,500.[25]"

BMW 507 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sorry guys, if it was sold for $350.000 in 1997, and again for 1 million in 2011, that does not constitute a barn find. It might be neglected, but far from a "barn find". IMO

[71scgc]

The only BMW that I lust for.

Carter

[speeder]

Originally Posted by strupgolf

Sorry guys, if it was sold for $350.000 in 1997, and again for 1 million in 2011, that does not constitute a barn find. It might be neglected, but far from a "barn find". IMO

Yeah, that term is really getting molested lately. I doubt this car was ever "lost", it looks more like it hasn't been washed in a really long time. There could be a number of good reasons for that.

[slodave]

Two different 507's.

[BE911SC]

I learned about 507s in grade school, c73, when I read a library paperback called "Stars and their Cars." I think it was by George Barris. Had a picture of "Kung Fu" star David Carradine with his 507 and I thought it was a gorgeous car.

This one is far too valuable, now, to be left as-is. They should clean it up and show it at Pebble before erasing all that patina.

[widebody911]

If it's been traded back and forth at auctions for the past 10 years, it it really a "barn find"?

[lgb240]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Always loved those. Probably drives like a truck.

It's awful pretty though, and I like trucks.

If'n I had that thing, I would wash it, put fresh rubber on it and ride.

I don't think this gent would have kept his all these years if it drove like a truck.

John Surtees

[on2wheels52]

I wonder how much it will be worth after Elvis dies
Jim

[christiandk]

Originally Posted by porwolf

This BMW 507 was discovered in a California barn. Now it's on the way to be completely restored by the factory.

It does not look like the same car to me - actually looks like a toy car. The rims are very different from the pic with da King.

[Steve Carlton]

A lot of good pictures of it here:
BMW Photo gallery

It looks like it had a hard life after Elvis owned it, including getting a Chevy V8 and being drag raced. The tuck and roll upholstery is an abortion, but easily changed. There's even Micky Mouse gauges in the dash, but no doubt the car is worth a full restoration.