BMW 507: Complete (#13 for 2020)

What a lovely shape! And while this Revell Germany kit had a lot of flash, it is well detailed and easily assembled.



I think the front three quarter view, with this first iteration of the classic grille, is probably my favourite.



From the rear it could almost be a 280 SL; but the Mercedes was almost a decade in the future. Sadly there are no kits of the classic Pagoda-roof SL.



The 3.2 litre V8, at 150 hp, is quite a lot less powerful than the 3.0 litre six in the 300 SL, at 215 hp. Originally New York importer John Hoffman wanted something in between the 300 SL and the under-powered MG A and TR 3. The new V8 from BMW, which was wasted in the ugly 501/502 sedans, should have been a perfect fit for that market niche.



Sadly it seems BMW lost money on every car, due to large amounts of hand assembly, even after the price ballooned to exceed that of a 300 SL. The car almost bankrupted the company, and only 228 were sold.



All three German companies stuck to classic design philosophy after the war; the apples didn't venture very far from the corporate tree. Mercedes relied on the inline 6 with its siamesed exhaust ports, on a chassis with swing axles, until 1974; Porsche's basic concept of hanging a motor out back has outlasted the Beetle that it came from.



BMW went back to the prewar concept of a light sports sedan with the 2000 CS and 3200 CS models, and is still known for its smooth sixes. The next crack at a V8 wasn't until the E34 chassis of the late 80's.



What's next? Stay tuned!