Elvis Presley in front of his BMW 507

 

Elvis Presley in front of his BMW 507. Copyright © BMW AG.

 

 

Elvis Presley's BMW 507 to Debut at

Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

 

 

 

 

BMW Centennial Display to include

 Art Cars, Legendary Racers and Motorcycles

 

Contact: Lexi Maciel or Kandace Hawkinson

(831) 622-1700; khawkinson@pebblebeachconcours.net

 

​​PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (July 27, 2016) — It was March of 1958 when Elvis Presley first fell in love. The object of his affection, to the dismay of many young ladies, was a 1957 BMW 507 roadster.
 
Already famous, and serving an obligatory two-year hitch in the Army, Elvis was stationed in Germany when he witnessed hillclimb champion Hans Stuck race a 507 at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry in southern France. “The King of Rock n’ Roll” leased that same roadster in December 1958.

The color of the 507 was soon a worry. It was Feather White when it came into the King’s possession, but it was quickly covered in kisses, phone numbers, and messages—often written in red lipstick. Elvis eventually repainted the roadster a flashy red to camouflage the marks and had its 3.2-liter V8 engine rebuilt.

It took Albert Graf Goertz only three sketches to design the lines of the 507 roadster we know and love today. The prototype was first shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1955. It had a top speed of 205 km/h (127 mph) and made a remarkably significant contribution to Bayerische Motoren Werke’s image. Of the 254 BMW 507 models that were made, almost all of them still exist today.
 
The ultimate celebrity automobile, Presley’s 507 was featured in international magazines and even had a role in a minor movie. By 1960 the car made its way to the United States and was campaigned by Tommy Charles. After passing through several other owners, Jack Castor purchased it in 1968 and kept it for decades.

Now in the care of BMW Group Classic, the car has received a complete restoration over the course of the past two years. The restored BMW 507 “Elvis Presley” roadster—now back to its original Feather White—is making its public debut at the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Sunday, on August 21.
 
Resting alongside this BMW 507 on the 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links will be a hand-picked selection of important BMWs that tell the story of the marque’s centenary. Included are a pair of racing BMW 328s that drove in the last prewar Mille Miglia and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as a pair of BMW Art Cars, including the very first one painted by Alexander Calder and the most recent by Jeff Koons. A 1930 BMW 3/15 DA2 Cabriolet, one of the first motor cars BMW built, will be present as will the smallest BMW ever built, an Isetta 300 Police “Bubble Car,” and one of the largest BMWs ever, a 3200 Autenrieth Cabriolet. Rounding off the BMW story will be a special class of BMW motorcycles, which is where BMW’s story really began.

 

Additional photos for media use may be found at: concours.digitalmediacenter.com

 

 

 

 

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Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance
First conducted in 1950, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance® (www.pebblebeachconcours.net) has grown to be the world's premier celebration of the automobile. Only the most beautiful and historic cars are invited to appear on the famed 18th fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links®, and connoisseurs of art and style gather to admire these masterpieces. Charitable donations raised by Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance® now total over $21 million. Related events include Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance® presented by Rolex, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™, Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum™, and Pebble Beach® Auctions presented by Gooding & Company. Pebble Beach®, Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance®, Pebble Beach RetroAuto™ and Pebble Beach Classic Car Forum™, Pebble Beach® Automotive Week are trademarks, service marks and trade dress of Pebble Beach Company. All rights reserved.
 
About Pebble Beach Company
Pebble Beach Company, headquartered in Pebble Beach, Calif., owns and operates the world-famous Pebble Beach Resorts®, including The Lodge at Pebble Beach™, The Inn at Spanish Bay™ and Casa Palmero®. The company also operates four renowned golf courses: Pebble Beach Golf Links®, Spyglass Hill® Golf Course, The Links at Spanish Bay™ and Del Monte™ Golf Course. Its other famed properties include scenic 17-Mile Drive®, The Spa at Pebble Beach™, Pebble Beach Golf Academy™ and Pebble Beach® Equestrian Center. It annually hosts premier events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance®, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, TaylorMade Pebble Beach Invitational presented by EMC2, Pebble Beach Food & Wine and Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. Future site of the 2019 U.S. Open Championship, Pebble Beach Golf Links® has hosted five U.S. Opens, four U.S. Amateurs, one PGA Championship and numerous other tournaments. For reservations or more information please call (800) 654-9300 or visit www.pebblebeach.com.

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