Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

Yes, yes, yes — we all know the 507 is the ultimate in post-war BMW hotness. And we'll get there. Before that time comes, we'd like to direct your eyes and brains to another Bimmer designed by the same dude, Count Albrecht von Goertz. All you really need to know about von Goertz is that the good Count had a significant hand in the Nissan Silvia 1600 Sports Coupe, the Toyota 2000GT, the Datsun 240Z and something called the Porsche 911. Oh, and he also fought against the Axis powers as a member of the US Army and was so into hot rodding that he had a shop in LA where he chopped Ford As and Bs. Sadly, one of the Count's greatest designs is his most overlooked, the BMW 503. More sexy precision after the jump.

The 503 not only debuted simultaneously with 507 at the 1955 Geneva Auto Show, but underneath they were basically the same car. For obvious reasons, the svelter 507 stole said show, but not for the 503's lack of trying. Like all of von Goertz's work, both the coupe and convertible posses an unbearable lightness of form (long hood, short deck, perfect greenhouse) that demands to taken out on the Autobahn and beaten. Unlike most German cars — which can't figure out if they want to be a train or a tank — the 503 exuded a lean, British sensibility. Plus, the coupe is missing the B-pillar — a trick it took Mercedes-Benz almost 50 more years to reproduce (think CL). Luckily, the beauty doesn't stop at the all aluminum sheet metal. Powering these rare hotties is the same V8 found in the frumpier 502 and the sportier 507. With much less weight to fight against, the 140 horses would top the 503 out at about 120mph — very fast for the mid-50s. The Roadster was also the first German car to have an electrically folding top.

Now the sad part — no one bought any. Only 412 503s saw the nightlight of garage (at about two to one, coupe to convertible). Count von Goertz and his GI buddies (thankfully) did such a good job kicking Prussian ass, that no one in the former-Fatherland was in the market for a car that literally cost more than their house (about $175,000 when new in 2006 dollars). BMW's plan to get back to its pre-war self (think luxury, think sporting, think 328) floundered and the company was sentenced to producing one-door bubbles for the next half-decade. In both design and intent, the 503 is the archetype for all subsequent 6-Series models. Think Farago will let us stick one in the Fantasy Garage? – Jonny Lieberman

Related:
Know Thy Germans: BMW 328 Roadster and Coupe [Internal]

4:15 PM on Tue Dec 19 2006
By Jonny Lieberman
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15 comments

Comments

Mike Spinelli at 04:27 PM on 12/19/06
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RIP, Count

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/11/29/count-albrecht-graf-goe...
Bakafish at 04:38 PM on 12/19/06
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Boy, all I could think of when seeing this was Karmann Ghia, not that that's a bad thing.
DAR at 04:39 PM on 12/19/06
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Is there a hint of flying vagina there?

I kid, I kid...
Jonny Lieberman at 04:40 PM on 12/19/06
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Oy Vey... Didn't know he passed... that's awful.

A true master.
Vega at 05:12 PM on 12/19/06
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What makes you think Mercedes Coupes had a B-pillar? W111, w114, c107, c126, c123, c124 etc.etc. All Mercedes coupes I can think of have no B pillar (except for the first series CLK).
cyclopticgaze at 05:17 PM on 12/19/06
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Love that beltline trim, with the upturn at the rear. It smacks of, "We don't know how to end this chrome strip, so we're just . . . uh . . . gonna flip it up and. . . ah, yes" but I think it's a neat accent. Bring back chrome strips, I say. And B pillar-less hardtops are so very cool.

I can see the mons pubis front end, with it labial references in the kdney grills, but I honestly thought "pig nose" when I first saw it.

Honest.
Al Navarro at 06:41 PM on 12/19/06
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This series is teh shit, btw.

Next up, Know thy Italians? Or has this all been done before I cottoned to the J-nik?
Jonny Lieberman at 06:53 PM on 12/19/06
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Vega... I should have said, "50 more years to get it right." Meaning that all subsequent German B-pillar-less coupes look top heavy and lame (to me) until the last-gen CL, which really was graceful.

Sorry for the confusion. I just reread it, and yeah..., I chopped that sentence poorly.

Al -- so much more German stuff to get to know...
Davey G. at 07:33 PM on 12/19/06
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I think we should have the Loverman post on knowing thy Germans, Spinelli post on knowing thy Italians, Wert post on knowing thy Israelis, while I'll handle knowing thy Northern Irish. Shit. I've already done posts on both the De Lorean and the Shorts Shorland. I'm fucked.
wohho at 09:02 PM on 12/19/06
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That is one handsome motorcar. civil and sporting, I'll take two.
Bumblebee at 09:25 PM on 12/19/06
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The juxtaposition of the effortlessly gorgeous 503 next to the "Do these make me look fat?" 6 is hi-LAR-ious.

This is a truly great series. I'd love to see an American series - seriously - that profiles some of the smaller car companies that the Big 3 paved over (or swallowed whole). I'm 27 and don't know anything about them.

I feel an impending admonishment.
scotte at 09:47 PM on 12/19/06
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The 503 came from an era when cars weren't merely designed, they were STYLED! (Full disclosure: 3 car-company stylists lived within a five-minute walk of my family's home during the '60s....it made things interesting when they "took their work home with them" by driving it hime!)

Bumblebee--Great idea for an automotive istorical series, especially one that covers the manufacturters and brands long out of production--not just Studebaker, Packard, Nash, Hudson, but also Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg, Brush, Franklin, Stutz, Mercer...the list is almost endless of brands and makers who had a good idea but either couldn't get it into full production, or got flattened by the Great Depression, or in the case of General Motors founder William Crapo Durant, got (figuratively) run over twice by his own creation!
wohho at 09:50 PM on 12/19/06
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I'm pretty sure something along those lines isn't not coming along.
dday at 05:51 AM on 12/21/06
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I was waiting for a 503 post...
Before I was born (1971), my dad used to have a coupe. Story goes he chose this model over a Mercedes 300 SL, because he banged his head closing the door on the Gullwing.

Unfortunately, he sold the car to build a house so all we have left are pictures...

PS: he also used to have an NSU Ro80 in the 70s. I'm sure you could write tons on that one too ;-)
dday at 11:10 AM on 12/21/06
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I really love your bmw listings. Was waiting for the 503 post ;-)

My dad used to have a coupe back before I was born (we're talking 1971 in Belgium, Europe here). Story goes he chose this one over a Mercedes 300SL as he hit his head when he closed the Gullwing door on the Merc.

He unfortunately sold the car to build a house and all we have left are pictures.

By the way, he also had an NSU RO80 back in the 70s, well worthy of a separate entry, I'd say.

Keep up the great work!