The Bonhams auction at Goodwood Festival of Speed is always full of surprises, and 2018 is no different. This year will see a highly sought after BMW 507 going up for sale. This particular example is even more precious, because its only owner was none other than John Surtees, the only person to ever win both Motorcycle and F1 World Championships.

A few months after winning the 1956 500cc Motorcycle World Champion, Surtees saw the 507 and took an immediately liking to it. He mentioned it to MV Agusta as they promised him a gift for winning, but ended up having to pay for half of it due to the over £3,000 price tag. The car was delivered to Surtees brand new in 1957, and he kept it and often drove it until his death in 2017. It was in this car that Surtees drove to Maranello to sign his Formula 1 contract with Ferrari in 1962, yet he wasn’t allowed to drive it during his whole career with Ferrari.

Extra in-period work was given to this BMW 507’s V8 engine to boost its power and torque, and it is capable of running up to 200 km/h. With such a great history,  the car has an estimate of 2 to 2.2 million British pounds. The auction will take place on 13 July.