We watched the new ‘Elvis’ movie by Baz Luhrmann. And bearing witness to Austin Butler’s astounding performance as Elvis Presley, the late King of Rock N’ Roll, brought tears to the eyes of many, including his wife and daughter.
We were inspired to do this story after having seen multiple glamorous cars parked outside his house in the movie, but it made us wonder why his beloved BMW 507 was never featured in it. That’s when the dramatic story of Elvis’s BMW unfolded, and it is quite the roller-coaster ride!
The Origin Story Of Elvis And His BMW 507
After having moved to Germany in 1958 to join the military, Elvis bought himself a used BMW 507. Elvis wanted the engine used for the hill-climbing race won by Hans Stuck, to be swapped with a lightweight V8 series engine that made 150hp, and BMW happily obliged, since they were delighted to see an immensely successful musician drive a German roadster around.
The only reason this particular model is so special, is because of the star that owned and drove it. Elvis was unmatched for what he did, the music he played and the impact he had on those who loved his music, and the BMW 507 was a lot like him; a rock star in its own way.
Elvis changed the color of his 507 from chalk-white, to red, because all his female fans often left lipstick marks on the car. Thinking about it, it seemed a fitting decision.
Elvis’ BMW 507 Changed Owners In 1960
After serving the military for two years, Elvis had his car shipped back to the United States, but did not decide to keep it anymore. A Chrysler dealer, based in New York, advertised the roadster as the ‘Elvis Car’, and eventually sold it for $3,500 to a Radio DJ, Tommy Charles.
Tommy replaced the lightweight V8 engine with a Chevy V8 Borg-Warner unit, and a rear axle from Chevrolet. Before it was bought by a Californian aeronautical engineer, it had two other owners. Jack Castor used the car seldom, and hence, put it away in storage in 1974.
The Iconic BMW 507 Was Lost And Found 30 Years Later
In 2014, an automotive journalist, Jackie Jouret, found Elvis’ 507 roadster in Jack Castor’s pumpkin warehouse, close to San Francisco. The journalist was in for an unpleasant surprise when he saw the car rotting away in its faded color of red.
The engine and certain parts of the chassis were missing, and it’s only because of the VIN number, the 507 could be identified as the singer’s iconic roadster. The identification number ‘70079’ reflected its superstar status immediately.
The Bimmer Was Taken To Germany After A Few Hiccups
It took years for the BMW Group (Classic) to convince Jack to have the car restored, and after multiple talks, it finally happened. Elvis Presley’s BMW 507 was shipped all the way back to Germany in its scrap condition, only to bring it back to its original look. It was a blissful feeling for Klaus Kutscher, BMW restoration expert, to have the car back.
Elvis’ BMW 507 Evolved During The Restoration
There were barely any replacement parts available for the BMW 507, so whatever could stay original, stayed original, and what couldn’t, had to be replaced with something else. BMW Group Classic managed to source most of the original parts for the BMW 507, like the doors, bonnet, and other exterior elements.
Disassembling the car, however, took quite long, as the aluminum body and sheet steel underside had to be separated, so they could get the paint off. They even took apart the chassis and the interior, after which, the underside was dipped into acid.
The paint peeled off, but the rust was there to stay, until a phosphoric acid-based rust remover was used to rid the car of its aging parts. However, since corrosion had gotten the better of the roadster, there were a lot of parts that had to be replaced.
BMW Couldn’t Find The 507’s Original Engine
The engine installed by BMW in Germany many, many years ago for Elvis, couldn’t be traced. In place of the 3.2-liter, V8 lightweight engine, they wanted to plonk-in a large-capacity engine from Chevrolet. Fitting this American unit into the 507’s engine bay turned out to be a challenge, and that meant the team would have to come up with a solution.
They ended up with an engine that had the factory-finish to it. They followed the original specifications of the 1957 BMW 507, getting it to match the original as closely as possible. Even the interior, missing dashboard and the seats had to be manufactured to meet the 507’s specifications. It is reported that getting the leather seats upholstered alone, took days to complete.
