Challenging 503 Coupe Project

[JMinPDX]

I love 503’s but this is one daunting project that sold for $98K in February at the Artcurial Retromobile Paris. I hope the new owner(s) plan to restore it, seems to have great provenance and the limited product makes it worth while for the well off collector. Still aluminium body panels need to be fabricated. Off the road since an unfortunate crash in 1976. (Scroll down in the listing for English description) I get that they need to leave dust and grime in place so the car appears “as found”, but the cigar on top of the dash in picture #16 made me laugh.

Rétromobile 2020 | Sale n°3980 | Lot n°150 | Artcurial

1959 BMW 503 Coupé Sans titre de circulation Châssis n° 69336 Moteur n° 30503 - Fantastique projet de restauration - Modèle prestigieux ,arrêté depuis 1976 - Seulement 413 exemplaires (273 coupé) Incroyable et excitant projet de restauration, notre 503 coupé a une histoire à fois singulière et...

www.artcurial.com

 

[Arde]

Picture 19 shows the cause of the crash. Driver confused clutch pedal with brake pedal.

Interesting.

 

[CSteve]

View attachment 89019


I love 503’s but this is one daunting project that sold for $98K in February at the Artcurial Retromobile Paris. I hope the new owner(s) plan to restore it, seems to have great provenance and the limited product makes it worth while for the well off collector. Still aluminium body panels need to be fabricated. Off the road since an unfortunate crash in 1976. (Scroll down in the listing for English description) I get that they need to leave dust and grime in place so the car appears “as found”, but the cigar on top of the dash in picture #16 made me laugh.

Rétromobile 2020 | Sale n°3980 | Lot n°150 | Artcurial

1959 BMW 503 Coupé Sans titre de circulation Châssis n° 69336 Moteur n° 30503 - Fantastique projet de restauration - Modèle prestigieux ,arrêté depuis 1976 - Seulement 413 exemplaires (273 coupé) Incroyable et excitant projet de restauration, notre 503 coupé a une histoire à fois singulière et...

www.artcurial.com

I winced when I saw the "broken nose." It will be fun sourcing the grill. Seems remarkably intact and all there otherwise.

 

[Ohmess]

They are beautiful cars indeed. I spotted this one on the lawn at Pebble Beach four years ago. That's Pete Gleason's batmobile (and himself) in the background.

 

[adawil2002]

The Werkshop made a buck for fabricating 503 noses.

 

[Stan]

Pre-Castro Cuban cigar? Maybe the driver was trying to find the lighter...