Like its rival Mercedes-Benz, BMW found itself in a tough post-war situation and needed to introduce a new model to gain the public’s attention. The 501 and its successor, the 502, were successful in achieving this, but the pre-war six-cylinder engine was dated, and it was time for a higher-specification model. Highly influential in BMW’s decision to market a V-8 was notable U.S. importer Max Hoffman, who used his talent for persuasion and the size of his distribution network to convince BMW that a luxury sports car for the top 10 per cent could be sold in sufficient quantity. Engineering expertise came from the talented Fritz Fiedler, who launched his career at Horch, and styling was provided by Albrecht von Goertz. When the elegant BMW 503 was finished, it debuted at the 1955 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Bertone-bodied cabriolet’s official production began in the summer of 1956. The BMW 503 Cabriolet is notable as the first German automobile to have an electrically operated power top. The 503 also touts welded tubular frame construction, aluminium panels, an alloy V-8 engine, and very high-quality appointments, which all made the car very expensive to build, and production of the Cabriolet was thus limited to a mere 139 units.

The Cabriolet Series II offered here has been beautifully restored in red with a dark blue leather upholstery interior and complementary carpeting, and its wonderfully authentic appearance is accentuated by the presence of original identification tags under the bonnet, including the original body tag. The engine shows some signs of use, but under the bonnet is clean and well-presented overall, in keeping with the rest of the car. The interior features a Becker Mexico radio, which is a desirable accessory for open-top drives in one of the most stylish German grand tourers of its era. Correct polished wheels are fitted to the car, with a full spare and tyre under the trunk mat, and a matching fabric boot is provided for the folded convertible top on sunny days.

This is a splendid example of one of the rarest and most desirable BMWs of its time.