One of only 273 V8 coupés built
Beautifully styled by Albrecht Graf von Goertz
Late Series II example with floor-mounted gearshift
Part of a BMW collection for 40 years
Original leather interior
Never restored
When BMW set its sights on returning to the very top in the mid-1950s, there was certainly no shortage of ambition. The war and its aftermath had hit the company hard, but with the 501 and 502 it had returned to the luxury-car market. What was still missing was something for customers who found a large saloon simply too ordinary. At the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show, BMW therefore presented not one but two answers: the spectacular 507 and the considerably more restrained 503.
Technically, the two were more closely related than their appearance suggested. Beneath the 503’s long bonnet sat BMW’s light-alloy V8, its 3.2 litres producing around 140 hp. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox, while a top speed of around 190 km/h was possible. For a luxurious grand touring coupé in the mid-1950s, that was quite a statement.
The body was designed by Albrecht Graf von Goertz, who was also responsible for the 507. With the 503, however, he dispensed with the latter’s overtly sporting drama. Instead, he created an elegant four-seater with a long bonnet, low waistline and generous glass area. Alongside the coupé, BMW also offered a cabriolet. Hydraulically operated side windows – and, on the cabriolet, even a hydraulically operated hood – underlined its ambitions. The 503 had no desire to be a stripped-out sports car. It wanted to travel quickly without making its occupants suffer for it.
That, however, was also part of the problem. Its elaborate construction made the 503 enormously expensive. Even wealthy customers had reason to pause before signing on the dotted line at their BMW dealer. And BMW still lost money on every 503 it built. Between 1956 and 1959, just 412 examples were produced across two series, coupé and cabriolet combined. With the second series, the gear lever moved from the steering column to the floor, while the windows were now electrically operated. Externally, the two series can be distinguished by their different side trim: on the earlier cars it kicks sharply upwards towards the rear, while on later examples it runs straight.
Commercial success therefore remained elusive. What the 503 did demonstrate very clearly, however, was an idea that would become an integral part of BMW’s identity decades later: a fast, luxurious coupé built for covering long distances.
This late Series II BMW 503 Coupé was delivered to Switzerland in July 1959. In the early 1970s it was registered to Jakob Meier of Regensdorf. A woman from Salzburg brought the coupé from Switzerland to Austria in 1986. That very same year, it found its way into a major Austrian BMW collection, where it joined a 503 convertible. For the following decades it remained carefully sheltered in excellent company in a climate-controlled garage, although it has not been driven for many years. Entirely original inside and wearing the traces of time with considerable charm outside, here is one of Bavaria’s most beautiful automotive creations, waiting patiently to be brought back to life.
With its glamorous styling by the celebrated Albrecht von Goertz, sophisticated engineering and considerable luxury, this exceptionally rare 1959 BMW 503 Coupé represents a highly appealing project – and one that has surely waited long enough to return to the road.