A 1957 BMW 507 Roadster sold for more than $5 million at the recent Bonham auction at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The final price not only doubled the car’s pre-auction estimate — it was expected to fetch around $2.5 million — it also blew past the highest price ever paid for a BMW 507 by more than $2 million.

There’s something to be said for a car that looks as sexy as the BMW 507 Roadster. This particular example of the 507 carries chassis no. 70067 and registration no. 22 GKN, and it has one of the most incredible histories of any classic cars that have recently gone up for auction. The provenance on this one is through the roof, ladies and gentlemen.

BMW only built 252 units of the 507 Roadster, and this particular example was owned by British racing icon, John Surtees, CBE. For those won aren’t familiar with the man, Surtees won the Formula One World Championship back in 1964 behind the wheel of a Ferrari racer. He also won motorcycle titles in 1956, 1958, 1959, and 1960 while riding for MV Agusta. Surtees was, for a lack of a better term, a racing legend.

His ownership of this particular BMW 507 Roadster dates back to 1957, just as the German automaker started building them. It was during his time racing for MV Agusta when he even and MV Agusta founder Count Domenico Agusta purchased the car as a prize for him winning the 1956 motorcycle title. He’s had it since then, making him the only owner of the classic Bimmer. About the only caveat about the car is that it’s not in stock form anymore. That’s because, at some point in his ownership, Surtees had BMW tune his 507 Roadster’s V-8 engine for more power and fit it with four-wheel disc brakes.

Surtees passed on in 2017, which probably explains why his beloved 507 Roadster went up for auction soon thereafter. Regardless if it was a good idea for Surtees’ family to sell the car, there’s no denying that the auction went much better than anyone expected it to. It wasn’t the most expensive car that was sold in an auction setting at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed — that distinction belongs to the 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato “MP209,” which sold for $13.3 million — but this particular BMW 507 Roadster now holds the distinction for being the most expensive BMW in the German automaker’s long and proud history. Consider this: the previous record amount a BMW 507 sold for was around $3 million. This one sold for more than $5 million, a staggering amount that shows how much history and provenance this particular unit has with it.

Don’t be surprised, too, if this specific 507 Roadster holds that record for a long time. We don’t chance upon cars as limited as this beauty too often. When we do, it’s usually at auction events like the one Bonhams just had at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 1959 BMW 507 Roadster Series II.

Read more Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Read more BMW news.