At the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show BMW revealed a two-door 2+2 gran turismo, the BMW 503, which was produced until 1959 as Series I (until 1957) and Series II. Production was suspended due to huge financial losses, and only 413 cars left the production lines, 139 of which were Cabriolets. One Series I car, the 1957 BMW 503 Series I Cabriolet is up for auction.

This car is one of only 78 Cabriolets from Series I and was purchased new in 1957 in the United States with chassis number 69091. From October 2018 to July 2023 the car was fully restored by Hoffes Restorations and EBS Engineering in the Netherlands. The restoration included painting in BMW Fjord Blue complemented by a Blue Sonnenland convertible hood with Cognac upholstery, and the total work cost more than €125,000.

The car is in excellent condition and is a good opportunity for collectors to enrich their collections. It is equipped with an aluminum/magnesium body, bonnet, doors and bootlid, a mirror on the driver’s side, and a dark blue canvas roof. Inside, the front seats are upholstered in brown leather that also covers the door panels, rear bench and upper part of the dashboard, with matching carpets.

Under the bonnet is a 3.2-L V8 engine with 140 bhp (104 kW) and 164 lb-ft (222 Nm) of torque, and after inspection BMW Classic has confirmed the engine number is matching.

This BMW 503 is estimated at €300,000 – €400,000 EUR. The auction will take place on July 27, 2024 at Gut Kaltenbrunn on Lake Tegernsee, Germany.

Source: RM Sotheby’s

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