1956 BMW 503 Series I Cabriolet
- Engine
- 3.2L V8, 140 hp
- Colour
- Fjord Blue
Chassis 69091 is a BMW 503 Series I Cabriolet, one of just 78 early-series examples built and among an estimated 13 such cars delivered new to the United States. Manufactured in December 1956 and dispatched via Hoffman Motors in New York to its first owner in California, the car passed through only three private hands in its lifetime. Following decades of Californian ownership, it was shipped to the Netherlands where a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration costing over €125,000 was completed between 2018 and 2023, with BMW Classic subsequently confirming the engine as matching.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold €421,250 (≈ $463K)
- 1957 → 1982-12-10Factory deliveryFred B. Phillipspartial documentation
First retail owner, based in Topanga, California. Kept the car for roughly 25 years before selling it.
- 1982-12-10 → 2017Private saleFranz von Uckermannfull documentation
Purchased for $2,400; later relocated the car to San Francisco and had it repainted in a dark metallic red. Placed the car in dry storage for a period before eventually selling it on.
- 2017 →Acquisition unknownThird and current ownerfull documentation
Had the car shipped to the Netherlands where a comprehensive nut-and-bolt restoration costing over €125,000 was completed between late 2018 and mid-2023, with the bodywork refinished in BMW Fjord Blue.
Competition
No competition history extracted from the catalogue.
Maintenance & restoration
- —Bodywork
Car was repainted in a dark metallic red during Franz von Uckermann's ownership; workshop and exact date unrecorded.
Work carried out at some point while the car was based in San Francisco.
- —RestorationHoffes Restorations and EBS Engineering
Complete nut-and-bolt restoration undertaken in the Netherlands, with every component addressed. Bodywork refinished in BMW Fjord Blue, new blue Sonnenland convertible hood fitted, and Cognac leather interior installed. Invoiced expenditure exceeded €125,000 across the project period.
Work ran from October 2018 to July 2023 according to invoices on file. BMW Classic subsequently inspected the car and confirmed the engine number as matching.
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