You may or may not know but on this day in 1977 Elvis Presley passed away but his legacy lives on, as well as a BMW 507 once driven by the legend himself. It's a wonderful looking car and was purchased by the King in 1958 when he was stationed in Germany whilst he was serving the US army.
He loved it so much that he took the car back to US but the honeymoon period was soon over as he traded the car in to a dealer. The car originally come in white but Elvis had it resprayed red after receiving numerous letters from fans written in lipstick, or so the legend goes.
The 507 was in a sorry state but the class never died, much like Elvis' music. Source: BMW
This 507 had been used for racing before Elvis took ownership of it and under the bonnet sat Chevrolet V8 which was coupled with a new gearbox and power was fed to a new rear axle. The car has changed hands a few times throughout the years before it fell in to the hands of US car collector Jack Castor.
After the car was confirmed the car had once belonged to Elvis, BMW swooped in and bought the car from Castor. It was a case of 'Return to Sender' as the 507 was then taken back to its homeland two years ago where it was completely stripped and restored to a standard fit for the King himself. It's a shame he is not here today to see it but that may just as well as the shock of the finished product may have shocked him to death.
Even stripped down it oozes elegance. Source: BMW
The finished product will be unveiled at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance which takes place on August the 21st. The original white paintwork has been restored as has the BMW 3.2 litre V8 engine. The 507 will not be for sale but a 507 in tip-top condition could go for $2.5million. This is mainly because there was only 254 models made and it's safe to say this example would be likely to exceed $2.5million if it were to go for sale.
This is a car you can't help falling in love with, that's for sure.
Love Me Tender: The 507 has been lovingly restored and the hard work has certainly paid off Source: BMW