Eberhard Kittler is certainly no stranger to the scene, although many classic car enthusiasts would probably associate him more with Volkswagen, where he set up the classic car department, than with BMW.
But his love for the BMW 507 took hold of him early on and never left him. Back in 2003, he published a work on BMW's eight-cylinder sports cars with Motorbuch Verlag, albeit under the pseudonym Georg Seeliger, and has now followed this up with a significantly expanded work.
Embedded in the model history
Although the book is subtitled "503 / 507 / 3200 CS / Z8", Kittler's focus is naturally on the BMW 507, to which he devotes almost 250 pages.
However, he does not do this without mentioning its predecessors, especially the 328. And he also devotes several pages to the parallel model 503, the quasi-successor 3200 CS and BMW's later sports cars, including the E9 Coupé, BMW Turbo and M1, as well as the Eight Coupé and i8.
The Z8, which Kittler sees as the legitimate successor to the 507, is then dealt with in greater detail.
Rarely seen images
What makes the book attractive, in addition to Kittler's extensive explanations, are the many large and exciting illustrations, including many black and white photos from the history of the BMW 507. It is immediately apparent that a passionate researcher was at work here, as many of the photos have probably never been seen before.
But even from the modern era, you will find images of cars that you may have already forgotten.
Valuable conversation notes
Kittler indulged his interest in the BMW 507 for decades and was therefore able to meet and interview the designer Albrecht Graf Goertz as well as the model maker Johann König and other people involved in BMW development.
The recordings of these interviews are particularly important and contribute a great deal to the broadly illuminated history of the BMW 507.
Not only for the 507 fan
So is it primarily fans of the BMW 507 who should pick up this book? They should certainly not hesitate to buy the book, which is quite expensive overall (EUR 98.00 incl. slipcase).
But even those who are generally interested in BMW and the drivers of the successor sports cars from Munich should take a look at the history of BMW sports cars; after all, the Z8 (and the Z3 as well) also had reminiscences of the BMW 507. And some of the genes of the BMW 507 can also be felt in the BMW 850i.
Bibliographical information
- Title: BMW - The dream of driving - BMW 503 / 507 / 3200 CS / Z8
- Author: Eberhard Kittel
- Language: German
- Publisher: Motorbuch Verlag
- Edition: 1st edition March 2019
- Format: Hardcover, with dust jacket and slipcase, 230 x 265 mm
- Scope: 414 pages, 575 black and white and color illustrations
- ISBN: 978-3-613-04138-7
- Price: EUR 98.00
- Buy/order: Online at amazon.de, online at Motorbuch Verlag or at the relevant bookstore
