One of BMW’s most prominent designers, Albrecht Graf Goertz, has passed away aged 92. The legendary designer was most recognized for his work with the German brand, but Goertz had also worked with Porsche, Nissan and Toyota. Some of his most popular works include the famed BMW 503 and 507 of the 1950’s but also had a helping hand in the design of the Toyota 2000GT and the Datsun 240Z.

Born into German aristocracy back on the 12th January 1914, Goertz joined the banking industry after completing his studies. Fortunately, his prospects in finance didn’t pan out and soon he was immigrating to the US where he eventually moved to LA and worked at a car wash and in a factory making aircraft engines.

His life saw five years of service in the US Army and the creation of his own design studio set up in 1953. This was when he met Max Hoffmann, BMW's main importer in America. Hoffmann knew of BMW's plans to build a sports car and suggested that Goertz should contact BMW in Munich, which led to him designing the famous BMW cars.