BMW 502 3.2 ‚Super‘ Cabriolet Autenrieth 1960 for sale

This BMW is an absolute one-off. On a rolling BMW 502 chassis, a four-door cabriolet body with a 3.2-liter V8 engine from the series was mounted in 1960. It was built by the coachbuilder Autenrieth in Darmstadt and was commissioned by the Hamburg lawyer Walter Hoepffner. According to the original vehicle document, the car was registered in his name on February 25, 1960. With a price of over 31,000 German marks, the unique BMW was then in the price range of the BMW 507 and the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. In its simple form lies a high degree of elegance - the famous love that reveals itself only at a second glance. The paint in the color "dark red-brown" develops a deep dark red shine and high brightness, especially in sunlight. It is absolutely smooth and even, and the chrome decorations shine like the first day. The bodywork is of high quality. All sides have excellent flatness, the gaps and tolerances are excellent. The low glass system with frameless side windows and the flat roof gives the unique specimen an almost sporty note. The light wood dashboard with silver-gray instruments was custom-made and does not correspond to the series 502 of the time. According to the original vehicle document, after a year the vehicle was registered to a relative of the first owner, who kept the special BMW until the summer of 1966. Subsequently, the car remained in Hamburg and passed into the hands of a mechanic (known name). In 1968, the Autenrieth cabriolet came to a young automotive historian (known name), who took care of the unique specimen with great charm. Later, the car was with other classics at a tax consultant and in 2004 was purchased by a well-known collector and dealer of vintage cars in Austria. Since then, a complete restoration to new condition has begun, which lasted four years. Subsequently, in 2009, a FIVA pass and an individual authorization for Austria were issued. A few years later (2015/2016), the car entered the collection of a shipping entrepreneur, still in Austria. It had the honor of participating in 2016 at the famous Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - in a "special delegation" on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the BMW brand. A privileged honor and a testament to the special quality of this unique automotive piece. The engine is of course the original unit and the V8 technology with 140 hp promises sufficient power in every driving situation. Thanks to its generous space offering, it is easy to imagine setting off with this car for a family trip to more distant destinations. Even in every Concours d'Elegance, the Autenrieth cabriolet would be a potential winner. A special body of this beauty is simply extraordinary. The 501/502 series of BMW were high-class four-door sedans produced from 1952 to 1964. The type 501 was the first model of BMW from Munich, all previous models came from the Eisenach plant. Its engine was a six-cylinder inline with 2 liters of displacement and a power of 65 hp. Due to their curved lines, they were also known by the name "Barockengel". The body design was by Peter Szymanowski, the former director of the BMW plant in Eisenach. In 1954, BMW presented the 502 at the Geneva Motor Show. Aesthetically in the same body as the 501, the engine was however a sensation: it was the first eight-cylinder engine rebuilt in Germany after World War II. The V8 had a displacement of 2.6 liters.