Classic: BMW 502 four-door cabriolet

Posted on 07-07-2014 at 20:00 by autoblogger – 12 Comments”

In 1954 introduced the BMW 502, the first series-produced car with a V8 engine out of alloy. An extremely rare variant of this was the four-door Convertible, with only 57 copies.

A four door convertible is a rarity. The are often coachbuilders that one know how to fabricate, both in the past as today. The recent Ocean Drive concept car Mercedes made us suspect that there is a production model was going to come, but unfortunately.

The classic 502 four door convertible came out of a collaboration between BMW and bodybuilders Baur in Stuttgart. The model, with its characteristic zelfmoorddeuren, had a 2.6 liter (2.580 cc) big V8 kopklepmotor under the hood, constructed from an aluminium alloy, with dual carburetor approximately 100 bhp (@ 4.800 rpm) did a lot of power for that time. During testing with quad-carbs were actually capabilities of 150 hp measured, but this brought it home.

The engine was coupled to a 4-speed with synchromesh, which, via the steering column was to operate. Thanks to good aerodynamics allowed the 1.440 kg heavy 502 Cabriolet to a top speed of 160 km/h, send.

The 502 is leaning heavily on the 501, a tweeliter six-cylinder model from 1951. The cars have an identical body, only the 502 is more powerful and better dressed. Of the 502 were more than 3,000 copies sold, the V8-derivatives (3.2) which between 1954 and 1963 were built went 12.896 times over the counter.

Other coachbuilders ventured to the 502: so you made Karosseriebau Autenrieth of Darmstadt also an open-502, but with 2 doors (gallery). Baur was the only party that has the 4-door cars. In the base cost of the 502 at the time 17.800 D-Mark, about 4 annual salaries. There were coachbuilders, then went to the price tag with ease about 20,000. Despite this hefty price, the story is that on each of the 502 a few thousand DM focus had to be, what the dismal financial position of BMW at the end of the ’50s would explain.

The chance that you are now a four-door 502 Cabrio on the street is nil, but the BMW Museum has one (gallery).

Gallery: BMW 502 Cabrio

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