Welcome (or welcome back, as some of you recently unsubscribed/subscribed again to this blog and I have to admit that I've lost track of some of you) to escala43, A.Sivianes, rosslann and Totò. Enjoy your visit(s) here!
A little history
The BMW 507 was another idea from the man who single-handedly made the small Volkswagen Beetle a huge yet unexpected success in America: Max Hoffmann. BMW having nothing more to offer in the U.S. than its baroque 501 and 502 models during the early Fifties, Hoffmann insistently requested a more appealing model for this particular market. BMW had increasing financial difficulties at the time and finally accepted, seeing its salvation in the potential American sales. The Bavarian company answered the call with not just one, but two new models: the elegant 503 coupe and convertible, and the striking 507 roadster. Both cars had been penned by Albrecht von Goertz.
Apart from its stylish body, the 507 tried to make good use of as many parts as possible from the existing BMW models, in order to keep production costs relatively low. Still, it was deemed necessary to enlarge the 2.6-litre light-alloy V8 engine on hand to 3.2-litre in order to reach the level of performance expected from such a car. Fed by two Solex carburettors, it was rated at 150 hp, propelling the 507 at 200 kph.
Alas, despite all the efforts from BMW’s engineers, the cost per unit of this wonderful automobile somehow got out of control. Mainly made from aluminium and other light alloys, the 507, which body was entirely hand-formed, would ultimately sell for about twice its intended price… A commercial success was hard to forecast and, though the car was an excellent image-builder, providing BMW still needed one, its maker could not afford more financial loses. Introduced in 1955, produced from 1956, the 507 retired three years later, simultaneously with its cousin the 503. Their combined production did not exceed a few hundred copies, which did nothing for the company but aggravating its problems. In the end, BMW was not saved by these supercars, but by their exact opposite, as the company started to produce under licence the tiny Isetta, the Italian bubble car.
About the models
Model: BMW 507
Year: 1955
Maker: Motor Max
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Motor Max
Acquired: brand new, in December 2005, in Manila, Philippines
Simple, even perhaps crude as Motor Max knows as to produce die-casts, but this time at least, it’s quite well assembled. One last remark: the windshield appears somewhat tall. My rating is 11/20.
Model: BMW 507
Year: 1956
Maker: New Ray
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: New Ray, "Auto Model Kit" series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2003, in Manila, Philippines
New Ray also proposes this model, as poor as usual: 8/20.
Model: BMW 507
Year: 1957
Maker: Del Prado, or whoever builds models for Del Prado
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M-Smart
Acquired: brand new, in February 2007, in Shenzhen, China
Finally, this die-cast has been offered by M-Smart, which actually got its hands on a stock on unsold Del Prado press models. And guess what? It is very well made for the price, accurate and fitted with good-looking wheels - only the headlights could have been much better. It deserves a 12/20.
A little history
The BMW 507 was another idea from the man who single-handedly made the small Volkswagen Beetle a huge yet unexpected success in America: Max Hoffmann. BMW having nothing more to offer in the U.S. than its baroque 501 and 502 models during the early Fifties, Hoffmann insistently requested a more appealing model for this particular market. BMW had increasing financial difficulties at the time and finally accepted, seeing its salvation in the potential American sales. The Bavarian company answered the call with not just one, but two new models: the elegant 503 coupe and convertible, and the striking 507 roadster. Both cars had been penned by Albrecht von Goertz.
Apart from its stylish body, the 507 tried to make good use of as many parts as possible from the existing BMW models, in order to keep production costs relatively low. Still, it was deemed necessary to enlarge the 2.6-litre light-alloy V8 engine on hand to 3.2-litre in order to reach the level of performance expected from such a car. Fed by two Solex carburettors, it was rated at 150 hp, propelling the 507 at 200 kph.
Alas, despite all the efforts from BMW’s engineers, the cost per unit of this wonderful automobile somehow got out of control. Mainly made from aluminium and other light alloys, the 507, which body was entirely hand-formed, would ultimately sell for about twice its intended price… A commercial success was hard to forecast and, though the car was an excellent image-builder, providing BMW still needed one, its maker could not afford more financial loses. Introduced in 1955, produced from 1956, the 507 retired three years later, simultaneously with its cousin the 503. Their combined production did not exceed a few hundred copies, which did nothing for the company but aggravating its problems. In the end, BMW was not saved by these supercars, but by their exact opposite, as the company started to produce under licence the tiny Isetta, the Italian bubble car.
About the models
Model: BMW 507
Year: 1955
Maker: Motor Max
Scale: 1/24
Distributed by: Motor Max
Acquired: brand new, in December 2005, in Manila, Philippines
Simple, even perhaps crude as Motor Max knows as to produce die-casts, but this time at least, it’s quite well assembled. One last remark: the windshield appears somewhat tall. My rating is 11/20.
Model: BMW 507
Year: 1956
Maker: New Ray
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: New Ray, "Auto Model Kit" series
Acquired: brand new, in September 2003, in Manila, Philippines
New Ray also proposes this model, as poor as usual: 8/20.
Model: BMW 507
Year: 1957
Maker: Del Prado, or whoever builds models for Del Prado
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: M-Smart
Acquired: brand new, in February 2007, in Shenzhen, China
Finally, this die-cast has been offered by M-Smart, which actually got its hands on a stock on unsold Del Prado press models. And guess what? It is very well made for the price, accurate and fitted with good-looking wheels - only the headlights could have been much better. It deserves a 12/20.
4 comments:
Hi!
Excuse me for my poor level of English.
I know one 507 more at 1:43 scale. Edited by Atlas, i don´t know who is the manufacturer.
Thanks for the reviews, it´s a good guide to me at the hour of choose new models for my collection.
Regards!
what a wonderful car it was, unfortunately at the wrong moment.
let's understand that it was a use of those years for BMW: have the wrong car at the worst moment.
anyway, the car was superb and so are your reproductions.
none of those have been seen in our country.
motormax is very good, but coming to 1/43, I prefer del prado.
kindest regards, amigo mío
@A.Sivianes:
No need to apologize, if you didn't mention anything I would have said your English is excellent.
Too bad you don't know the manufacturer of the Atlas 507. I guess it comes from a German press series about which I surprisingly never found any detail. I know about it because I have an early Ford Taunus 12M in an Atlas box (not yet featured here), but no clue about its manufacturer. The model is excellent, and what is surprising for a press series is that it is mounted onto a wooden stand instead of a plastic one. Does anyone know more?
@Gaucho Man:
Hello G.M.,
Thanks for your comment. Actually they're all very average models, bought for their good price/quality ratio. Still, though the New Ray is poor, the M-Smart/Del Prado is surprisingly good. I guess such a car has been reproduced by Minichamps, to which none of these brands could pretend being compared, but I usually spend more on a model only for cars that are not made by cheaper manufacturers.
As for Del Prado, if this model is rather good, quality can be extremely uneven.
Regards,
Lorenzo.
Post a Comment