Back to back: 503 or 541?

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Coys' latest offering is eclectic as always, but we found two GT coupes of the mid-1950s that might well have rubbed shoulders in a contemporary test. First there’s a Jensen 541 in delightful metallic blue with equally lovely red leather interior. It uses the four-litre Austin engine with triple SUs and was issued in Guildford when new in 1956. Estimated to sell for £45- to £55,000 its price, too, may still be underrated?

That cannot be said for the BMW 503 Coupe that comes in the same sale. The 3.2-litre V8 powered  and Von Goertz-designed car is quite rare: just 206 were built and this is one of only three (!) right hand driven cars. Sold new in 1957 in the UK, it was family-owned from 1961 until 2010. The alloy body seems a little worse for wear but is in a healthy state underneath, with lots of mechanical refurbishments over the last couple of years plus recently two long continental trips under its tyres. Now, the estimate for this car is quite a lot higher than that of the Jensen: £120- to £140,000. Worth the difference?

(Words Jeroen Booij, pictuires courtesy Coys of Kensington)

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