By 1949 BMW was back in the motorcycle business, and the first post-war BMW automobile, the big and sturdy 501, made its appearance in 1951. The 502, equipped with an aluminum V-8, joined the lineup in 1952, and the 500 series continued in production until 1964. The most noteworthy machine in the 500 range was the 507, an alloy-bodied V-8-powered sports car built at the urging of U.S. importer Max Hoffman--the same entrepreneur who talked Mercedes into building the 300SL. In 1955 BMW obtained a license to build an Italian-engineered three-wheeler. The BMW version was sold as Isetta. With its motorcycle engine, the little machine provided cheap and entertaining transportation.
