Every BMW 507 is a special machine, but this example benefits from both enthusiast long-term owners and beautiful preservation as a result of long-term dry storage. One of only 252 examples of the 507 ever built, chassis 70059 was one of 13 to be delivered new to Venezuela. According to BMW Classic records and confirmed by BMW V8 Registrar Wolfgang Niefanger, this 507 was finished in Silberblau (silver blue) over matching Silberblau leather and completed on July 19, 1957. It was ordered through Venezuelan BMW importer Eduard Zingg by American expat Lester Stebbins. As a car delivered to a hot climate, it was specially fitted with a Jaguar-sourced radiator fan for improved cooling.
Mr. Stebbins, a North Dakota-born salesman, had a successful career with the American Circle Company selling chewing gum, before moving to South America. Settling in Caracas in 1951, he became involved in motorsport, eventually becoming the Chief Scrutineer and the Director of Automobile Racing of Venezuela. Stebbins bought this 507, a relatively early Series II, and shortly after taking delivery added a small scoop to the cabin vent in front of the windscreen to improve air circulation through the cabin while cruising through hot, humid Caracas. During Stebbin’s ownership, the car was repainted white.
In 1961, Stebbins was transferred to Toronto, Canada, and brought his 507 with him. The BMW would remain in Canada for the next 18 years. At some point, Lester Stebbins sold the 507, which would eventually find its way to Jack Kroch of Ottawa, Canada. In 1979, the car was resprayed Pontiac Bright Blue Metallic — the paint it wears today. Kroch is understood to have used the car as an exhibition pace car at a vintage-car race at Circuit Mont-Tremblant.
Kroch connected with Philadelphia-based BMW collector Herman Bold through the 507 club. Herman and his brother Gerhard (who bought the family’s first 507, s/n 70228, new from the factory in 1959) were beginning to collect an extensive array of “spare” 507 components. On September 14, 1979, Herman purchased 70059 from Jack for $22,000. He trailered the car back to his home in Philadelphia, and 70059 was stored with the family’s other 507s and ended up being largely locked away. Properly oiled, started occasionally, and kept away from the elements, the 507 subsequently sat undisturbed in a shed for the next 43 years.
This 507 was brought out of its garage — under its own power — for the first time in May 2022. Showing much as it did when Herman Bold bought it in 1979, the interior has a rich, lived-in feel that can only come from 65 years of sparing use. While the exterior carries its old Pontiac paint, the hard top, engine bay, door jambs, floors and other components continue to wear the original Silberblau with which it left the factory. The engine has remained in the car since new. Rare, original components are present, including the Behr radiator, as well as many Bosch and Knecht ancillary components. A rare original Blaupunkt Köln radio is fitted in the dash. The roadster is replete with a largely complete underhood toolkit, owner’s handbook and pflegedienstheft (repair service booklet), copies of the bill of sale to Herman Bold, paint swatch for the current Pontiac paint color, and photos throughout the history of the car.
