2:18BMW 501 - 2.6L V8
BMW 501
Rare prototype footage of BMW 501, curated from across the internet. Browse 2 clips below.
Prototype footage offers a glimpse of cars before they reach production — spy shots of camouflaged test mules on the Nurburgring, official manufacturer teasers, and behind-the-scenes clips from design studios and wind tunnels. These videos capture the development process that takes a car from sketch to showroom, and they're particularly fascinating when compared against the final production version. Some prototypes represent paths not taken — cancelled projects, rejected designs, and experimental technologies that were ahead of their time.
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...
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