As car ownership stories went, it took some beating. John Surtees was speaking at the launch of BMW Classic's UK operation at BMW Park Lane this week. He'd arrived in a Z8 and was recounting the time when, in late–1956, he'd won his first motorcycle World Championship title.

The MV Agusta team's owner, Count Agusta, had offered to buy him a present. After a little hard–bargaining, a 50 per cent contribution to a new BMW 507 was agreed upon. The car served as the great British double (on two wheels and four) World Champion's continental transport for many years afterwards.

A typical drive might be from the Agusta headquarters at Malpensa — or nearby Monza — across the Alps and back to Calais.

With little traffic, or statutory regulation, these journeys must have been something. You'd be hard put to achieve some of the average speeds described by Surtees nowadays.

What was even more interesting was the way that the Munich manufacturer uprated the car as the months went by. An improved engine, an undertray and, finally, experimental disc brakes developed in conjunction with Dunlop were the results.

Even better is the fact that the car is still in Surtees' ownership. BMW Classic came to his rescue at the Goodwood Revival last month, replacing a failed rotor arm with one from a display car.

Now that's what I call service — expect no less from your car's manufacturer, even after 54 years of hard driving.

Steve Wakefield Managing Editor sw@classicdriver.com

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