BMW 502 (1954–1964) — every.autos

Background

The BMW 501 was a luxury car manufactured by BMW from 1952 to 1958. Introduced at the first Frankfurt Motor Show in 1951, the 501 was the first BMW model to be manufactured and sold after the Second World War, and the first BMW automobile actually built in Bavaria. The 501 and its derivatives, including the V8 powered BMW 502, were nicknamed “Baroque Angels” for their graceful if dated styling by the German public. The BMW 502 was the first postwar German car to be manufactured with a V8 engine.

Text adapted from “BMW 501” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07

Specification

Produced: 6,295 units
Engine: 2.1L, 2.6L, and 3.2L OHV V8 (aluminium-block; first V8 in a postwar German production car)
Power: 100 hp
Weight: 1,440 kg

Production years

1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964

Sources

Wikipedia ↗ LIMITED_EDITION_RESEARCH confidence: medium

Research sources (1)