Who designed the BMW 507?

Albrecht von Goertz designed the BMW 507. The German industrial designer created the roadster’s elegant two-seat shape in the mid-1950s, along with the closely related BMW 503.

Goertz became connected with BMW through Max Hoffman, the company’s influential American importer. Hoffman encouraged BMW to create a stylish sports car for the United States, and Goertz was brought into the project. The 507 debuted in 1955 and entered production in 1956, using BMW’s 3.2-litre V8 drivetrain.

The 507 is sometimes confused with later BMW designs by Paul Bracq or Chris Bangle, but neither designer created it. The car was beautiful and technically sophisticated, yet expensive to build and sell. Only 252 examples were produced from 1956 to 1959, making the 507 one of BMW’s rarest and most celebrated classic cars.