1956 BMW 502 Cabriolet by Baur

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Sold for $275,000 on 4/30/21

This 1956 BMW 502 is one of 57 cabriolets built by Baur throughout the model’s production run and was manufactured on June 2, 1956 for delivery six days later to electrical engineering company Siemens & Halske in Munich, Germany. The car was imported to Canada at an unknown date, where it was last registered in 1973 to a dentist and later sold as a project to a tow truck driver in 2010. The car was acquired in 2011 by the president of the BMW Vintage and Classic Car Club along with a fellow collector, and was sent to Germany for a restoration by Erwin Brummer in Munich and Firma Matejcek in Pilsen, Czech Republic. The work included a repaint in metallic blue, interior reupholstery in beige leather, the addition of power-assisted front disc brakes, and installation of a later 3.2-liter V8 as well as overhauls of the four-speed manual transmission, rear end, suspension, and electrical system. The car then took part in three German rallies before being shipped to Colorado, where it was used for three additional events before being acquired by the seller’s museum in 2015. Further appearances included the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance and Tour d’Elegance as well as the SoCal Vintage BMW meet in 2019. This 502 Cabriolet is offered with manuals, a BMW Group Classic certificate, restoration records and photos, its rebuilt original 2.6-liter V8, a tool kit, and a clean California title in the name of the seller’s museum.

The 502 platform was introduced in 1954 as a V8-powered and more-luxurious derivative of the 501, which had entered production in 1951 as BMW’s first post-WWII offering. While carrying over the bodywork from the previous model, the 502 came standard with extended brightwork and fender-mounted front fog lamps. In addition to the standard saloon body, Baur-bodied coupe and cabriolet variants were also built to order, with the latter entering production in 1955.

Originally finished in Cortina Grey, this example was sandblasted and underwent rust repair with section of new steel before being refinished in the BMW hue of Topaz Blue Metallic (364). The brightwork was replated or replaced, and a new windshield, body seals, and fog lamps were fitted. The convertible top frame was refurbished and draped in new beige canvas with a vinyl rear window. Additional features include radially-retracting rear quarter windows and a factory-optional windshield washer system. The seller notes that the pictured yellow California license plates are included in the sale, but are not assigned to the car.

Body-colored steel wheels wear chrome covers and 185HR15 Michelin XVS tires. A matching spare is secured in the trunk. The braking system was rebuilt with front discs as well as a vacuum booster, with the modifications said to conform to offerings on later 502 models.

The interior was reupholstered in beige leather with matching carpets in lieu of the original blue trim. The front bucket and rear bench seat frames were refinished and fitted with new padding, and replacement door panels were fabricated. Wood door caps complement a matching dash topped by a body-colored upper section.

An ivory-colored steering wheel sits ahead of a 180-km/h speedometer flanked by gauges monitoring oil pressure, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 7k kilometers (~4,300 miles), approximately 600 miles of which have been added by the seller. Total mileage is unknown. Wiring work was carried out during the restoration.

The 3,168cc M506/1 V8 was offered as an option in the 502-based BMW 3.2 from 1956 onward, and was a larger-displacement evolution of the 2,580cc version that was introduced in 1954 as the company’s first V8. Design features include an aluminum block with cast-iron wet cylinder liners, webbed reinforcements between cylinders, and aluminum cylinder heads with pushrod-operated overhead valves. This replacement engine was overhauled for use with lead-free fuel and is equipped with a single Zenith 32 NDIX carburetor, electronic ignition, an electric fuel pump and cooling fan, and a stainless-steel exhaust system.

The column-shifted four-speed manual transmission is mounted remotely from the engine, to which it is connected by a short driveshaft. A second driveshaft sends power from the gearbox to the differential. The transmission was overhauled with new bearings and seals as well as replacement clutch master and slave cylinders, and both axles were serviced. The rebuilt suspension features an independent double-wishbone front setup and a solid-axle rear, with torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers all around.

Additional images from the restoration are provided in the gallery below, and a more expansive collection of restoration photos from Firma Matejcek can be seen here. Invoices from Brummer are shown in the gallery below.

The removed numbers-matching 2.6-liter V8 was also rebuilt by Brummer following the seller’s acquisition, and is included in the sale along with invoices for the overhaul. Number 11849 is shown stamped on the block in the gallery below, matching that listed on the BMW Group Classic certificate.

The BMW Group Classic certificate lists the original colors, options, and delivery information. Also included are owner’s manuals, an article about the car in the October 2016 issue of Bimmer magazine, paraphernalia from the 2016 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, and awards from the 2019 SoCal Vintage BMW meet and the 2016 Art Center Car Classic. The car appeared at the following events:

BMW Veteranen Club 2013 Club Holiday in Mondsee, Austria (May 4-9, 2013)
37th International Meet of the BMW Veteranen Club in Bad Aibling, Germany (May 9-12, 2013)
US BMW Vintage and Classic Car Club of America 1,060-mile tour in Northern Germany (September 2013)
BMW Vintage and Classic Car Club Colorado Club Holiday, a 1,000-mile road rally through the Colorado Rockies (June 10-16, 2014)
BMW Car Club of America Oktoberfest Concours d’Elegance in Beaver Creek, Colorado (June 17, 2014) – won People’s Choice and Best in Class
Misselwood Concours d’Elegance in Beverly, Massachusetts (June 27, 2014) – won Best in Class
Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (August 21, 2016)
Art Center Car Classic in Pasadena, California (October 2016) – won Designer’s Choice Award
SoCal Vintage BMW Meet, Woodley Park, Los Angeles, California (November 2, 2019) – won Best Early Model and Driver’s Choice – Best of Meet

Photo Gallery

Auction Result

Winning Bid	USD $275,000 by BMW1600GT
Auction Ended	April 30, 2021 at 11:13AM PT
Bids	32

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1956 BMW 502 Cabriolet by Baur

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