John Surtees’ BMW 507

Bonhams, Goodwood Festival of Speed, West Sussex, UK 13 July

AMID THE noise around Bonhams’ sale of the Aston Martin 2 VEV at Goodwood, which Octane may have mentioned, this rather exciting lot threatened to slip under the radar.

Styled by Albrecht von Goertz (see Gone But Not Forgotten ) and with just over 250 built from 1956 to ’59, the V8-engined BMW 507 is one of those cars that owes its existence to US importer Max Hoffman. Goertz was commissioned by BMW at Hoffman’s insistence, but his influence was not all positive. The 507 eventually cost twice the projected $5000 and lost the forecourt battle with its 300SL rival from Mercedes, thereby driving BMW to the brink of bankruptcy. Still, all’s well that ends well.

No 507 is ordinary but this one is extraordinary, its first and only owner being the late John Surtees. Having won the 500cc World Championship for MV Agusta, Il Grande John suggested to Count Agusta that he might like to thank the Englishman with a small 507-shaped gift. The Count winced at the price (£3000) so they split it. Surtees, who used the car a lot, had the power increased and four-wheel disc brakes fitted.

Given its history and the fact that the last two 507s that came to auction made €1.76 million (RM Sotheby’s, Paris, 7 February) and $2.75 million (Gooding & Co, Pebble Beach 2017), an estimate of £2-2.2 million for this example looks entirely reasonable. bonhams.com