BMW 503

The BMW 503 is a two door 2+2 seater sports car unveiled by BMW at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show. Production got under way during the summer of the next year, and by 1959, when the 503 was withdrawn, 413 had been built, including 139 cabriolets;

Manufacturer	Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW)
Production	May 1956 – March 1959 (413 built)
Predecessor	BMW 327
Successor	BMW 3200 CS
Body style	2-door 2+2 seater coupe 2-door 2+2 seater cabriolet
Layout	FR layout
Engine	3,168 cc (193 cu in) BMW OHV V8
Transmission	4-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,835 mm (111.6 in)
Length	4,750 mm (187 in)
Width	1,710 mm (67 in)
Height	1,440 mm (57 in)
Curb weight	1,500 kg (3,300 lb) approximately
Related	BMW 507 BMW 502
Designer(s)	Albrecht von Goertz

Design

The car was styled by the entrepreneurial auto-designer, Albrecht von Goertz, based on preliminary drafts prepared by Kurt Bredschneider. It was originally intended to feature a flamboyant shape incorporating rounded mudguards which would have emphasized its kinship with the BMW 502 sedan, but regulations concerning matters such as light positioning rendered such a form impractical. In retrospect, the more square cornered look of the car as it emerged with fully integrated wings may have been more in tune with future styling trends than the original proposal.

Technical

The 503 incorporated the 3168 cc light metal V8 engine from the 502 which in this application delivered a claimed power output of 140 brake horsepower (100 kW) and acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 13 seconds along with a top speed of about 115 miles per hour (185 km/h). The four speed manual transmission was unchanged from that used in the 502, and was originally mounted remotely from both the engine and the rear axle, as on the 502. In September 1957, the drivetrain was redesigned, with the transmission being bolted directly to the engine, as with the 507, and with the shifter being relocated from the steering column to the floor.

Commercial

Also presented at the 1955 Motor Show was the car’s sister model, the BMW 507, a two seater aluminium bodied roadster targeting customers looking for more focused performance. Both would be overshadowed in the marketplace by headline grabbing sports cars from Mercedes Benz. Although the 503 outsoldits sibling, sales volumes were dwarfed by those of the rivals from Stuttgart-Untertürkheim.

BMW 503 interior

At present, the BMW sports cars from the 1950s are much sought after by collectors and enthusiasts both on account of their inherent qualities and because of their rarity.

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Last updated on 25 February 2013 at 19:51.