Last month at Monterey Car Week, car enthusiasts had a chance to celebrate some of the storied history of automobiles. While this show is a celebration of everything classic, BMW had a special reason to rejoice, since they are celebrating 100 years of history. As part of this celebration, they had a very special classic BMW car on display - the BMW 507 once owned by Elvis Presley made its first public appearance on the Concours d'Elegance as part of the festivities.
This BMW 507 was owned and driven by Elvis during his military service in Germany. The model itself is something special even without the celebrity owner - only 254 BMW 507 units were created between 1955 and 1959. Elvis clearly agreed that this was something remarkable, and procured a BMW 507 for himself while he was overseas. But after his service, the car seemed to disappear for almost 50 years. Now, thanks to the hard work of BMW Group Classic Archives and a hard-working journalist, the mysteriously missing vehicle has been re-discovered. In tracking down the whole history of the vehicle, it was determined that the one driven by Elvis - chassis 70079 - had been traded in for a new car in the United States, then re-sold to Tommy Charles, who raced with it. After Charles, the vehicle changed hands a few more times until it came to Jack Castor, who drove it on and off before he stored it away until it could be restored.
Now, many years later, Castor's dream has been realized. The BMW 507 chassis 70079 has been re-discovered and fully restored to the exact condition it was in when Elvis bought it, down to the 150 horsepower V8 engine, Becker Mexico radio, and Feather White paintwork. This special vehicle created some very special moments for visitors to Monterey Car Week, and it's just one example of the immense history behind all modern BMW cars. Columbia, Ellicott City, and Baltimore, MD drivers may not be able to see the actual BMW owned by Elvis. But all it takes is a visit to your local BMW dealership to see what 100 years of history can create, and to find today’s perfect car, which promises to be tomorrow's classic. Visit us at BMW of Catonsville to find out more about the best luxury cars in Baltimore, MD.