Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible - Jalopnik Comments

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

dday — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 11:10:15 EST

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!

dday

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

dday — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 05:51:29 EST

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

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

wohho — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:50:01 EST

I'm pretty sure something along those lines isn't not coming along.

wohho

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

scotte — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:47:49 EST

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!

scotte

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

Bumblebee — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:25:58 EST

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.

Bumblebee

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

wohho — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 21:02:51 EST

That is one handsome motorcar. civil and sporting, I'll take two.

wohho

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

Davey G. — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:33:55 EST

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.

Davey G.

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:53:24 EST

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...

Jonny Lieberman

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

Al Navarro — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 18:41:14 EST

This series is teh shit, btw.

Next up, Know thy Italians? Or has this all been done before I cottoned to the J-nik?

Al Navarro

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

cyclopticgaze — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:17:48 EST

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.

cyclopticgaze

Know Thy Germans: BMW 503 Coupe and Convertible

Vega — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 17:12:43 EST

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).

Vega