Info für Besucher ohne Javascript

Premium

The road to the final BMW 503

This article was auto-translated. We apologize if some words are confusing or simply amusing. Would you like to help us improve?

Created on June 12, 2015

Text:

Wolfgang Niefanger

Photos:

Archiv BMW

16

Archiv

6

Archiv BMW

16

Archiv

6

BMW 503 (1956) - as a convertible with a two-tone paint finish at extra cost

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Two-tone BMW 503 at the IAA 1955 in Frankfurt

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The BMW stand at the 1955 International Motor Show

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The BMW stand at the IAA Frankfurt 1955 (with labels for the exhibited vehicle models)

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

The BMW 503 in Munich in 1955

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 (FIN #69004) in Turin 1956

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

A BMW 503 (FIN #69001) 1955 in Munich

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 Convertible (VIN #69002) open in wine red (two-tone) at the IAA 1955 in Frankfurt

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 Convertible (FIN #69002) closed in the color wine red (two-tone) at the IAA 1955 in Frankfurt

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 (1956) - the 503 Coupé at the IAA 1955

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Trunk lid of a BMW 503 from 1955

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 (1956) - on a test drive

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 (1956) - on a test drive

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 (1955) - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1955 - Prototype steering wheel

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

BMW 503 (1956) - Steering wheel and dashboard

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Red BMW 503 convertible from the BMW 503 brochure from around 1958

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Factory photo of a BMW 503 from 1955

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

This photo was taken as part of a beauty contest in Lisbon in 1956 and shows an early production coupé and production convertible

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Protocols on the colors of the BMW exhibition models for the IAA Frankfurt 1955

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

In a memo dated November 9, 1955, Kurt Bredschneider places an order for one BMW 503 convertible and one BMW 503 coupé for sale

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Excerpt on the BMW 507 fittings from a protocol dated 11.11.1955

When logged in, you see more images in larger size.

Excerpt on the steering column of a BMW exhibition model from a protocol dated 11.11.1955

You have only

1 out of 22

images seen in high resolution

Summary

As a consumer, you normally only see production-ready cars at exhibitions and presentations. In the case of the BMW 503, however, prototypes were shown that differed significantly from later production models, but of which every trace was later lost. Wolfgang Niefanger has set out in search of traces and reports on the 503 pre-production examples and their differences to the series.

This article contains the following chapters

The first prototype
The cars for the IAA
Near-series successors
Steel-aluminum mixed construction

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

A successor to the BMW 327 was considered very early on in Munich. It seems that the entire model policy after the war was very much based on the successful 326, 327 and 328 models. The 326 became the 501/502, the 507 can certainly be regarded as a sporty further development of the 328, but the 503 was certainly the successor to the legendary 327. Both the 327 and the 503 were available as a convertible and a coupé. The number of units built also allows a similar conclusion to be drawn, as considerably more vehicles of both the 327 and 503 were built than of the "sports models" 328 and 507. After all, there was already a BMW 503a prototype in 1954, realized as a convertible. Unfortunately, there are only a few pictures of this convertible and certainly no technical data. The development of the 503 has so far been documented rather incompletely and seems to have struggled in the "slipstream" of the 507. There is no meticulously researched work such as exists for the 507. This is actually a pity, as the 503 was the more exclusive, more expensive and certainly more "successful" vehicle.

Welcome to Zwischengas!

Continue reading this article for free?

Images of this article

Source: