Introduced at the 1951 Frankfurt Motor Show, the BMW 501 was the German automaker’s first all-new car to be produced in Bavaria following the conclusion of World War II. With its soft edges and curved shapes, the 501 earned the nickname “barockengel,”or “baroque angel,” due to the shared aesthetic qualities with the artistic movement. Under the hood, a newly developed overhead-valve 2.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine bearing the internal code M337 fed 64 horsepower into a four-speed manual transmission. The 501 utilized front double A-arms and a live rear axle sprung by torsion bars. Three body styles were offered, including a sedan, cabriolet, and coupe. The updated 501a was introduced in 1954 with a reduced price and a more powerful inline six-cylinder, alongside a de-contented 501b with the same engine. Just a year later, the model was renamed yet again to the 501/3 after gaining a larger inline-six. Alongside this updated model, BMW sold a version called the 501-8 with a 2.6-liter V-8 engine that debuted a year earlier in the more luxurious model 502.

This 1958 501-8 hails from the final year of production. Acquired in Belgium by a prominent Colorado-based BMW collector in 2005, the car was sent to Erwin Brummer and Son, a renowned restoration shop south of Munich, Germany. Invoices document work done to various mechanical systems, including the drivetrain and brakes, as well as electrical components. The body and interior were separately restored by marque specialist Marek Matejcek in the Czech Republic. Roughly 15 years later, the quality of the work still stands as the vehicle shows well in its current state. Additional notable features on this well-preserved 501-8 include a Becker Mexico radio, a VDO outside temperature thermometer, and a Golde sliding canvas sunroof.

Struggling financially at the time, BMW produced relatively few 501 models, making this superlative example of its first post-war creation a rare find, one that would greatly appeal to the discerning marque enthusiast seeking an eminently attractive and historically significant BMW outside the typical collector-car scope.