BMW restored Elvis Presley's 507 and oh my goodness it's perfect
You'll be able to see it in person at this year's Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
If I asked you to write a list of things found in a pumpkin factory and you responded with "Elvis Presley's former BMW 507," I would yell at you for cheating and knowing the story already. Yes, you read that right, Elvis Presley's old Bimmer was found in a pumpkin factory, and BMW set about restoring it to factory-fresh condition.
BMW 507 chassis number 70079 started its life as a racecar under the control of driver Hans Stuck. The car was shown off at the Frankfurt Motor Show and used for media drives until The King himself test drove it at a dealer in 1958 and subsequently purchased it. He used it for driving around Germany, where he was stationed with the US Army's 1st Medium Tank Battalion.
The car was eventually traded to a Chrysler dealer in New York, where it bounced around for a while and even had a Chevrolet motor under its hood at one point. Finally, it ended up in storage in the aforementioned vegetable factory, as owner Jack Castor had hoped to restore it eventually, not knowing about its history. After a journalist helped uncover the truth of #70079, BMW Group Classic reached out to buy the car and restore it.
The restoration took about two years. It received a new BMW engine and a few reproduced parts, but where original parts could be used, they were. Hell, BMW even used old-school paint application methods to ensure that the car was as close to period correct as possible. The window winders and door handles were 3D-printed, as well. Sadly, Mr. Castor didn't live to see the end result, having passed away at the end of 2014.
Presley's 507 will hit the show circuit starting with the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, part of the massive Monterey Car Week festivities.
