What is this? Nothing less than the BMW 507 for two years belonged to Elvis Presley. They’ve found abandoned in a warehouse, in a lamentable state, but now begins its restoration.

From 1958 to 1960, this BMW 507 belonged to Elvis Aaron Presley, a shy and ill heart Tupelo, natural (Mississippi) kid. We talk about the rock’n roll star most famous of all time.

In 1958 he bought the BMW 507 now before our eyes. And it all started by Elvis’s hips. Or so at least the legend of King. Each episode of his life has been documented for posterity in three or four different versions. We will rely on the most popular. According to this, in late 1957 two events occurred: in Germany, a BMW 507 white with frame number 70079 He had just left the factory, and Memphis (Tennesssee), Elvis Presley received a letter in which he was called up for military service. Elvis was at that time 22 years, and the conservative part of America (ie, throughout the US) was considered "the personification of the movement of rock’n roll, disruptive youth". All his hips twist, returning crazy young. In Florida, he was threatened with jail if he made circles with your hips. On television, she was only allowed to show the King from the waist up.

At that moment, military service was a good opportunity look good with public opinion, and indeed, Elvis surprised the Americans when, instead of accepting a privileged place in an entertainment company, he decided to serve as an ordinary soldier. In spring of 1958 he began his initial training at Fort Hood -Texas-, and on October 1 toured the catwalk of a troop transport ship that would take him to Bremerhaven (Germany).

So, Elvis Presley and the BMW 507 with chassis number 70079 began to approach. Two days after production, on 15 September, Bayerische Motorenwerke (BMW) They were enrolled the vehicle with the M-800 plate JX. From 19 to 29 September, she was exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show available to wealthy clients who wanted to try it. Right after the show, he joined the fleet of BMW as a car show, for filming movies and as test car for the press.

And so it was, in February 1958, we find ourselves. In the April 1958 the editor of our German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Hans-Ulrich Wieselmann, acceleration compared with the Mercedes 300 SL, a duel from zero to 200 km / h, the 150 hp BMW with 40.3 seconds lost to the 65 hp more than SL (27 seconds ), rationale and reason for the failure model BMW.

Max Hoffman, US importer of Mercedes and BMW, which had convinced Mercedes to create the 300 SL, also managed to seduce BMW to build a sports car for the American market. He Albrecht Graf Goertz designer He managed to sketch a sport of unparalleled grace, which breathed life BMW engine with eight cylinders in V of the 501. The success shouted.

But it did not: during production there were problems with the aluminum body; the 507 became more expensive than expected. If we take into account inflation, its starting price at that time, DM 26,500, equivalent to about 340,000 euros today. For this reason, Hoffman reduced the volume of purchases. Instead of the planned 1,000 copies a year, not sent to America more than a couple of dozen a year. Europe had no choice but to make do.

In Beetle to the 507

BMW wanted to demonstrate the power of his sport in racing. Thus, on July 27, 1958, at the wheel of the M-JX 800, the pilot Hans Stuck He won the Schauinsland race with a time of 17: 05.2 in the Gran Turismo class over 2600 cm3. He also presented the 507 to illustrious clients such as King Baudouin of Belgium or own Elvis Presley.

By all accounts, it was in 1958, on the race track Monthléry near Paris, when the King first saw his BMW 507. You may already manifest at that time his interest in that car, because soon, the 70,079 again go through the workshop development department, where he was installed a new windshield and a new gearbox, and was renewed completely motor. On December 12, he was sent to Frankfurt Wirth dealership shortly before Christmas. Elvis Presley then had three days off.

During his service in the Third Armored Division United States Army Ray Barracks in Friedberg, he lived in Bad Nauheim. From there it was where probably partiese to Frankfurt the first German car, a VW Beetle. There he gave a test with 507 and bought it for $ 3,750. On December 20, Elvis received the key 507 at a branch of BMW.

The 70079 was the 507 best care in the history of BMW. That’s why he went to the hands of Presley did not want to disappoint the King. Thereafter, the sports license plates led US forces: first the A-1499 (for 1959), then the G-1620.

It is said that Elvis wanted the 507 to travel quickly to Frankfurt to see his girlfriend, but of course during that time resign his female habit of changing companies. 507 White soon became famous among the female fans of Elvis, who wrote their addresses with lipstick on the side of the car. In August, King got tired of having to wash painted, so he took the BMW to a painting workshop freight station Bad Nauheim, which painted it red Porsche 450 frames.

Rey soldier

A Presley what he liked best was to travel with the roof open, and be seen. However, after completing his military service on March 2, 1960, and stop being Sergeant Presley to return to become the king of rock’n roll, not the 507 he took him. Nevertheless, chances are that the United States Army will take him to America by boat. Vehicle track was lost until, in 1962, a New York Chrysler dealer sold it to musician Tommy Charles, who took the 507 to Alabama.

For best success in road racing, the sport was equipped with an eight-cylinder engine in V (it is not known for sure if Chevrolet or Ford), a gearbox Borg Warner and a rear axle GM. Then the 507 returned to disappear from the map. Not until 1968 was heard of him, this time in Arizona. On that occasion, she bought aeronautical engineer Jack Castor for a couple of thousands of dollars. He used it for five or six years, then putting it in a ship Half Moon Bay (California) with the idea of ​​restoring it as soon as he could.

And there the BMW 507, was on 16 August 1977, when Elvis Presley died at Graceland of heart failure. That same year BMW 507, with chassis number 70192, was sold at auction for $ 350,000 as of course Elvis car. But the real remained in a warehouse until July 2014, when Jack Castor finally decided to restore it. By crane, the sport was loaded onto a truck that would take him to the airport. A couple of days later, the 507 landed in Munich.

Before undergoing restoration, it was exhibited for two weeks at the BMW Museum. We are in the photo studio shoeing Michelin tires cracked 6,50 / 6,70-16X. The synthetic leather of the seats is rotten, instead of the original dashboard instruments protrude from a sheet of conglomerate, and the side panels are fastened with screws. The side windows are skewed. In the driver’s door, an adhesive indicates that possibly be his last serviceBender and Chapman, 1375 North Arizona Ave, Chandler (Arizona) last changed the lubricant and the oil filter, and found the differential, brakes and cylinders, in October 1968. Today, under the hood no He has motor. Missing chrome headlight rings, has covered the holes with putty mirrors and rear bumper missing, which once had mounted a German license plate. The trunk lid is attached with an octopus. The dust of decades still grace design Goertz century looms.

Really should not wear seat belts, which are offered for an additional price, and Hans Stuck did not want to bring in their cars, they say. But "as they say" It has been used very often since King reached the rank of legend, and in 57 years has fretted a lot with the car. Among the 251 (or 254, according to another version) 507 that exist, this model we show here bears the correct frame number, and under the red matte peeks in many parts of the original white paint. It is possible that, after the two years BMW plans to use in its restoration, back to its original white color. Some believe that only then will be the car of the King, while others fear just the opposite. Who will right?

Elvis Aaron Presley, a man who in 33 years published 711 songs and 60 albums, positioning a total of 80 weeks at number one of the charts, never wrote any songs. "A song is not yours until you sing it"He opined. And for the fabulous engineer Jack Castor, the BMW 507 will not be a dream fulfilled until he not drive again.