The most expensive BMW ever sold at auction is John Surtees’s 1957 BMW 507 roadster, which fetched £3,809,500 (about $5 million) at the Bonhams sale at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 13 July 2018. All five cars on this list are BMW 507s, the 1950s roadster that BMW built in just 252 examples. We rank them by documented auction result as of October 2026, then show how newer BMWs from 2025 and 2026 compare.
| Rank | BMW 507 | Price | Sale date | Sold at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Surtees’s 1957 roadster | £3,809,500 (about $5.0 million) | July 2018 | Bonhams, Goodwood Festival of Speed |
| 2 | Albrecht von Goertz’s 1958 Series II | £2,367,000 (about $3.0 million) | 1 Dec 2018 | Bonhams, Bond Street |
| 3 | 1958 Series II roadster | $2,420,000 | Mar 2014 | RM Sotheby’s, Amelia Island |
| 4 | 1958 Series II roadster | CHF 2,142,500 (about $2.3 million) | 2021 | RM Sotheby’s, St. Moritz |
| 5 | 1957 Series II roadster | $2,200,000 | May 2021 | Gooding & Company, Geared Online |
1. John Surtees’s 1957 BMW 507: £3,809,500 (about $5.0 million)
The Surtees car belonged to the motorcycle and Formula 1 world champion, who was given it by Count Agusta of MV Agusta after winning the 500cc title. Surtees kept it until his death in March 2017. It sold in the room at Goodwood against an estimate of £2 million to £2.5 million, and it remains the most valuable BMW ever sold at auction.
Dollar figures reported for the sale vary from about $5.0 million to $5.06 million with the exchange rate used.
How we valued it: hammer price in pounds as reported for the Bonhams sale, converted at about $1.31. The reports do not say if the figure includes the buyer’s premium.
2. Albrecht von Goertz’s 1958 BMW 507 Series II: £2,367,000 (about $3.0 million)
The man who designed the 507 owned this car from 1971 until 1985, during which it received a replacement engine. Bonhams sold it at Bond Street on 1 December 2018, comfortably above its £2.1 to 2.2 million estimate. It was the standout result of that sale.
It was not a record: the Surtees car had sold five months earlier for much more.
How we valued it: price reported for the Bonhams result at £2,367,000, converted at about $1.28.
3. 1958 BMW 507 Series II, Amelia Island: $2,420,000
RM Sotheby’s sold this Series II roadster from a named collection at Amelia Island in March 2014 for $2,420,000. At the time it was among the highest prices paid for a 507 on an American stage.
How we valued it: the auction company’s result page figure (the page does not say if premium is included).
4. 1958 BMW 507 Series II, St. Moritz: CHF 2,142,500
RM Sotheby’s St. Moritz sale in 2021 sold a Series II roadster for CHF 2,142,500, roughly $2.3 million. It was lot 109, in the winter sale held in the Swiss resort.
How we valued it: the auction company’s result page figure in Swiss francs, converted at about $1.09. The page gives only the year.
5. 1957 BMW 507 Series II, Geared Online: $2,200,000
Gooding & Company sold a beautifully restored 1957 Series II in its online Geared sale, held 3 to 7 May 2021, for $2,200,000. It shows the price level for a good 507 outside a major live sale.
How we valued it: final price reported for the Gooding online sale.
Records set in 2025 and 2026
No 507 sale in 2025 or 2026 entered this list, but newer BMWs are setting records of their own. In July 2026 RM Sotheby’s sold a 1990 BMW M3 Sport Evolution with 4,503 km at its Woodcote Park sale for £404,375, reported as a record for the model. In August 2025 RM Sotheby’s Monterey sold a 1980 BMW M1 with about 6,255 km, the first of four M1s sold to Mexico, for $626,500. In 2025 RM Sotheby’s Munich also sold a 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL for 195,500 euros. None came close to the 507s.
What drives these prices
- Rarity. Only 252 BMW 507s were built, so a good one appears only a few times a year.
- Famous owners. The two highest sales were cars owned by Surtees and by its designer, Goertz.
- Cost to build. BMW lost money on every 507, which is why so few exist.
- Series II versus Series I. Most mid-priced sales are the later Series II cars with better engines.
- Modern BMWs follow low mileage. The M1 and M3 results came from cars with almost no use.
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What is the most expensive BMW ever sold?
John Surtees’s 1957 BMW 507, at £3,809,500 (about $5 million) at Bonhams Goodwood in July 2018.
How many BMW 507s were built?
BMW built 252 507s between 1956 and 1959.
What does a BMW 507 cost today?
The five sales on this list range from about $2.2 million to $5 million. Our top result was in 2018, and we found no newer 507 sale above $2 million.
What is the most expensive modern BMW sold at auction?
Among the recent sales we opened, a 1980 BMW M1 at $626,500 at RM Sotheby’s Monterey in August 2025 and an E30 M3 Sport Evolution at £404,375 in July 2026.
Why are 507 prices so high?
Low production, a design credited to Albrecht von Goertz, and famous owners such as John Surtees.
Who designed the BMW 507?
Albrecht von Goertz.
How we put this list together
We ranked BMWs by documented auction results, compiled in an internal valuation model. Currency conversions are approximate, and prices change as new sales appear.
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Last updated: October 2026.
