BMW 501 Sedan

The BMW 501 produced from 1952 was the first post-war automobile to be manufactured by BMW. The sedan had up to six seats and was soon known throughout Germany as the "Baroque Angel" ("Barockengel") on account of the conservative design of the bodywork. The power unit was an advanced development of the six-cylinder engine from the pre-war type BMW 326. BMW's intention was to use the BMW 501 to re-establish its reputation as a manufacturer of high-quality automobiles. However, demand - also for the eight-cylinder model BMW 502 - lagged significantly behind expectations.