The Ultimate Classic #83 - Summer 2025

Q U A R T E R L Y

T he U LTIMATE

N E W S L E T T E R

CLASSIC B M W

C L A S S I C

C A R

8 3 rd

C L U B

EdITION • SummEr 2025

I N S I D E

T H I S

o f

A M E R I C A

I S S U E

CONCORSO D’ELEGANZA VILLA D’ESTE • THE VINTAGE EAST COAST ALPINA MEET • MEMBERS’ GET-TOGETHERS KÜSTENFAHRT • KITZBÜHELER ALPENRALLYE • HILDA THE 320 RESTORATIONS: A 2000CS AND A 315/1

2

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

CON TE N TS

6

14

departments

4

5

Calendar of Events

President's Message

57 Marketwatch

62 New Members ON THE COVEr:

Stephen Grocher driving to the Vintage in his Euro-spec 1982 635CSi. Photo by Mike Bevels.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

20

34

FEATurES 6 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 14 The BmW 2000CS 20 The Fifth Annual Küstenfahrt 24 Hilda in Highlands 28 A New Era at The Vintage 34 East Coast Alpina meet 37 Northwest Vintage BmW Gathering 40 restoring Felix Graf von Spiegel’s 315/1 44 Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye 50 Trying New Things 54 Ziggy’s Farm 55 Concours on the Palisades 3

Calendar of Events

WHAT ’ S HA P P E N I N G ?

4

2002 Fest September 19-21 San Simeon, CA www.2002fest.com

BmW CCA O’Fest October 9–12, 2025 The Osthoff resort & road America Elkhart Lake, WI www.bmwcca.org

Pacific Sharkfest monterey Peninsula October 10-12, 2025 www.pacificsharkfest.com

BmW Vintage at Saratoga Saratoga Springs Automobile museum October 11, 2025 Saratoga Springs, NY

BmW Performance Center Classic & motorsport Festival October 26, 2025 Greer, SC Contact: mike renner michael.renner@bmwmcext.com

BmW Classic CCA 20th Anniversary Tour October 27–30, 2025 Greer SC / Asheville, NC Contact: dirk de Groen ddegroen@yahoo.com

Hilton Head Island Concours November 1–2, 2025 Hilton Head Island, SC www.hhiconcours.com

Bavaria Tour 2026 Organized every 5 years by the German BmW 02 Club Limited to BmW 02s, NKs, E3s, E9s, GTs June 4–7, 2026 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany Contact: dirk de Groen ddegroen@yahoo.com

SoCal Vintage BmW meet November 1, 2025 Woodley Park, Van Nuys, CA www.socalvintagebmw.com

FuelFed Fort Lauderdale Sunday, November 30, 2025 From 8 am to 10 am Classic BmWs featured marque Thrive Art district 710 NW 5 Ave, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Florida Winter meet February 5-8, 2026 Central Florida Contact: dirk de Groen ddegroen@yahoo.com

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Behind the Wheel P RE SI DEN T ’ S ME SSAG E

Dear Members,

We’re running a little later than usual, but

At the end of October, we’ll finally

newsletter, number 83. Spring was full of

Carolinas. We had planned to do this last

here it is, the summer issue of our

great events, and I really appreciate

everyone who sent in their stories to share.

Keep them coming! This is your newsletter, and the more we hear from you, the better it gets.

celebrate our club’s 20th anniversary in the year, but Hurricane Helene had other

ideas. Around forty teams have signed up, and I can’t wait for the drives, the sights,

and the good company that always make these tours so special.

A big thank you to the members who have

Our membership directory project is still in

already put together their first events.

directory, please let me know soon. And as

stepped up as regional representatives and You’ll read about some of these in this

issue. Remember, a regional event doesn’t have to be just for our club. We’re a small group, so teaming up with BMW CCA

events works well, and it gives modern

progress. If you’d like to be left out of the always, if you’ve got an idea, a story, or a

photo to share, I’d love to hear from you.

See you down the road!

BMW drivers a chance to see some of our classics. All it takes is someone to

coordinate, so if you’ve been thinking about it, here’s your chance.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

5

Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este The Finest Concours in the World 6

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

T

his year, I’ll attend the Pebble

fore just how good it was. They all said

of watching the parade of entrants,

the 23rd time. I’ve been to The

attended, but I remained skeptical.

applied to this event five times in a row,

Beach Concours d’Elegance for

Amelia, The Quail, Hilton Head, and just

about every other concours you can

think of more than 15 times over the

years. I’ve shown, written, spectated, and

it was the best concours they’d ever

I thought, Sure, it’s probably a nice show

— maybe similar to the first few years at The Quail. I was wrong.

On Saturday morning, just as I arrived

my friend summed it up perfectly: “I’ve and none of my cars have ever been

accepted. Now I understand why.” Yes, the show is that good.

The Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

judged at most of these events, so I feel

at the Villa d’Este hotel, I ran into a good

describes itself as “a visual celebration of

of experience in this world.

tor. He’s shown and won at The Amelia

a fair way to sum it up, but it still doesn’t

I’ve got a pretty solid breadth and depth None of it prepared me for what I saw

at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

2025, presented by BMW Group Classic.

I’d heard from friends who’d been be-

friend — a serious enthusiast and collecand Pebble Beach multiple times. We

caught up briefly, then both of us went

quiet as we watched the cars roll in and

take their places. After about ten minutes

automotive artistry and elegance.” That’s quite prepare you for the experience.

The event runs from Thursday through

Sunday. Thursday features a driving tour

for entrants, followed by a Friday cocktail

Text by Andy Reid • Photos by BMW Group Standouts at the Wheels & Weisswürscht at Villa Erba were the

lightweight components, an adjustable front splitter, rear

with only 356 units built in 1995 to meet racing requirements.

were finished in exclusive British racing Green, though a few

16 BmW E36 m3 GTs, a limited-edition homologation model,

Based on the European-spec m3, it featured a 295 hp engine,

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

wing, aluminum doors, and Alcantara interior trim. most

may have been ordered in other colors via BmW Individual.

7

CON COR SO D ’ E LE GA NZ A reception and a truly gourmet dinner at Villa

d’Este. The evening ends with BMW unveiling a few very special vehicles. Saturday is the

invitation-only day of the concours, with 54 cars on display, all evaluated by a team of

top-tier experts led by Chris Kramer. Mean-

while, a “cars and coffee”-style event takes place a short walk (or boat ride) down the road at Villa Erba. On Sunday, the 54 con-

cours cars are displayed at Villa Erba for the general public. That evening, the Best of Show is announced at the final dinner.

At Friday night’s cocktail party and dinner,

BMW came out swinging with a new model

introduction. This year’s debut was the 2026

M2 CS — a car that’s expected to sell out

quickly and take the crown as the quickest gasoline-powered M car ever. Its designer

was on hand to walk us through the body-

work, power increases, and the many little

details that set it apart from the already impressive standard M2.

After a world-class dinner — the kind

you’d expect at a Michelin-starred restaurant

rolls-royce celebrated 100 years of the

— BMW revealed two more vehicles on the

Phantom at the 2025 Concorso d’Eleganza

Speedtop, a shooting brake GT car that will

original 1937 Phantom III Sedanca de

resort grounds. First up was the Concept

actually go into production (just like the Skytop that debuted last year), likely limited to

Villa d’Este with two showstoppers: the

Ville driven by the villain Auric Goldfinger in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger,

70 examples. It’s a concept car you can actu-

and the public debut of the Phantom

Then came the BMW RR concept motorcy-

turing 24-carat gold details in tribute to

ally drive.

cle, quite possibly the fastest two-wheeled machine BMW has ever built.

Saturday started early — as concours days

usually do — and I was on the field before 8

Goldfinger, a one-of-one commission feathe iconic movie.

the event’s already magical atmosphere. It was obvious the selection committee had

a.m. I met up with the friend I’d seen earlier,

done their homework — every car had a

first thing we stumbled upon was a pair of

concours to an almost surreal level.

and we walked the grounds together. The

Rolls-Royces. One was the Phantom used by

story, and the overall curation elevated the One unexpected highlight was seeing my

the villain in the 1964 James Bond film

friend Dirk de Groen — a collector I know

Phantom Goldfinger, packed with Easter

like Hilton Head and Amelia Island. Dirk was

Goldfinger. The other was the new one-off

eggs from the movie. As a Bond fan, I was

from the BMW CCA and various concours

showing his perfectly restored 1957 BMW

floored.

507, with a book documenting the restora-

nothing short of perfection on wheels. And

the event. After flipping through it, I can say

The cars on display at Villa d’Este were

the way they were positioned only enhanced 8

tion that had just been completed in time for the result was absolutely worth the effort.

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Above: The Parade started with Helmut

Käs, President of the Concorso and Head

of BmW Classic, driving BmW Classic’s yellow BmW 507 – a color requested by the

customer before delivery – accompanied

by davide Bertilaccio, CEO & managing director of Villa d’Este.

Left: Also on display at Villa d’Este was Bernhard Knöchlein’s 1937 BmW 328

Wendler Coupé is a unique, streamlined

car built by coachbuilder Wendler for industrialist Hans Kepler. designed with

Paul Jaray’s aerodynamic principles by

reinhard Koenig-Fachsenfeld and Helmut Schwandner, it features front cut-outs to reduce drag and boost speed.

When Dirk bought the car, it was in rough

shape. The multiyear restoration he oversaw transformed it into what might be the best 507 in the world.

After a few hours at Villa d’Este, I took a

wood-hulled water taxi to nearby Villa Erba

for the Amici & Automobili – Wheels & Weisswürscht event. The ride itself felt like some-

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

9

CON COR SO D ’ E LE GA NZ A

Above: dirk de Groen brought his freshly

thing out of a Bond movie, skimming across

pleting the four-year restoration just in

as stunning as the hand-finished interior.

BmW celebrates 70 years of the 507 this

and coffee gathering, but unlike anything I’ve

finest examples in the world. dirk’s 507

ganized by series and often by year, with a

of Show by Public referendum. In addi-

The standout was a group of sixteen E36

restored BmW 507 to Villa d’Este, comtime for the event—perfect timing, as year. His car may well be one of the

earned the coveted Coppa d’Oro, the Best

tion to the top prize, it also received the Trofeo Vranken-Pommery for the most

Iconic Car crossing the mosaic tiles in front of Villa d’Este.

10

Lake Como in style. The view off the bow was

display of vintage BMW motorcycles by a local club.

After an hour, I returned via the same

Wheels & Weisswürscht is basically a cars

beautiful boat to Villa d’Este for lunch and

ever seen. There were dozens of BMWs, or-

Concorso’s selection committee — emceed

few special cars displayed in curated groups.

BMW M3 GTs — impressive, considering only 356 were ever built.

The show also featured Italian, British, and

other German marques, plus an excellent

“The Parade.” Simon Kidston — head of the the event, which felt very different from typical concours presentations. All 54 show cars drove past the iconic Villa d’Este, where

guests watched from their tables, enjoying

food and drinks. A few special awards were

handed out here, too.

Dirk de Groen’s 507 received the Trofeo

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

To celebrate the 85th anniversary of BmW’s legendary mille miglia victory, BmW

Classic reunited the five BmW 328s that competed in the 1940 race. For the first time

since they lined up at the start of that historic event, this stunning group of cars was brought together again.

Vranken Pommery, awarded by the jury to

a BMW won a major award at Villa d’Este.

the most iconic car. As he made his way

The timing was perfect, too — this year

ing him to drive once more across the mosa-

507’s debut, and the 20th anniversary of the

from the field, Dirk was handed a note invitic tiles — he’d won the Coppa d’Oro Villa

d’Este. The Best of Show by Public Referendum. This was a big deal — only entrants,

international journalists, and a select group

of VIP guests can vote. And never before had

marks the 70th anniversary of the BMW

partnership between the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este and the BMW Group.

Sunday, the cars from Villa d’Este were dis-

played at Villa Erba for the public portion of the concours. Tickets for this are limited to

12,000 and reasonably priced — no surprise it sold out.

Along with the Villa d’Este cars, other dis-

plays were set up at Villa Erba. One highlight was a gathering of the five BMW 328 racecars that competed in the Mille Miglia in

1940. It was the first time in 85 year they’d

been shown together. The display was tasteful, with understated signage framing the

collection. It felt like something out of MoMA or the Louvre. The 50th anniversary of the BMW 3 Series was also marked with a

thoughtful exhibit.

Just beyond the 328s was the BMW Art Car

display. The hallway walls were covered with images of every Art Car, leading to the real thing at the end — this year, the spotlight

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

11

CON COR SO D ’ E LE GA NZ A At Villa d’Este, BmW celebrated the 50th anniversary

of the 3-Series with a curated display of models span-

ning all seven generations, highlighting the evolution

of the brand’s most successful and iconic model line.

was on the 1992 M3 GTR painted by Sandro

dinner at Villa d’Este. If you’re wondering

watch and the prestige of having bested

BMW Group Trofeo – Best of Show yet, it’s

the most exclusive concours in existence.

Chia.

why I haven’t mentioned the winner of the

of the 54 concours cars — a more public ver-

because the announcement happens at the

The show wrapped with a Sunday parade

sion of Saturday’s procession. While it wasn’t

as exclusive, it was still the best of its kind

I’ve seen. Once again, Simon Kidston pre-

sented each car with commentary. Class win-

d’Este, here are a few tips: the only way to

in attendance know when it happens.

invited, or get on the waitlist for the Villa

fireworks over Lake Como, so even those not This year’s winner was the 1934 Alfa

Romeo P3 from the Auriga Collection — a

The weekend concluded with a black-tie

comes with a beautiful A. Lange & Söhne

12

If you’ve always dreamed of attending Villa

very end of the dinner — and it’s marked by

ners and runners-up from the previous day were announced during this segment.

some of the world’s finest automobiles at

truly deserving car. The Best of Show award

attend Saturday’s show is to enter a car, be d’Este hotel package. However, the Saturday event at Villa Erba is open to the public, and tickets do sell out — so buy early. It may be the second-best concours day in the world,

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

The featured BmW Art Car at the event was Art Car No. 13, a striking BmW m3 GTr

painted by renowned Italian artist Sandro Chia.

just behind Saturday at Villa d’Este. You can

find more info at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este website.

Finally, a heartfelt thank-you to Helmut

Käs and Tom Plucinsky from BMW Group Classic for inviting me to what is now —

without question — my favorite concours in the world. I finally understand what all the

fuss is about, and I hope this story helps

The winner of the “Best of Show” (Trofeo BmW Group) at the 2025 Concorso d’Ele-

d’Eleganza Villa d’Este really is.

(also known as the P3), part of Germany’s Auriga Collection.

convey just how truly special the Concorso

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

ganza Villa d’Este—as chosen by the official jury—was the 1934 Alfa romeo Tipo B

13

BM W 20 0 0 SC

The BMW 2000CS A Tale of Four 2000CS BMWs

John mcdonough's 2000CS at its first showing at the Greenbrier Concours in West Virginia.

14

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

M

y relationship with the BMW 2000CS model began in 1972.

Following successful racing overseas I asked BMW/AG for

support to compete in the old Trans-Am under 2.5 Class.

With factory support Datsun and Alfa were dominating with a few 2002s

chasing. Some enthusiasts criticized BMW for lack of support but few in

the US knew that BMW in Munich had built and tested a complete car for

that series. But at the race weight set by SCCA, BMW determined it was

impossible to win. They said they could send me that car, but it would be

a wasted effort.

By Ray Korman

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

15

BM W 20 0 0 SC Instead, in recognition of my recent wins,

Conditions were no better elsewhere. In

they sold me a specially equipped BMW 3.0

the rear the spring perches were nearly

price. I then bought and prepared a 2002 for

the trunk. The floor and frame rails were

trailer hitch on the back of the Bavaria. It had

tos to the owner and he agreed we should

heavy weight behind made it treacherous on

asked me to find and acquire a more suit-

sedan (Bavaria) family car at a very special the IMSA RS Series and bolted a factory

power in reserve pulling up hills but the

the highway. I sold the Bavaria and bought a

Dodge Van for towing. For daily driving I found a 2000CS in need of paint and an

engine. After an engine rebuild and excellent paint job, I had only about 75 break-in miles

gone and the springs poised to burst into disintegrating. I sent about 35 close up pho-

not attempt a resuscitation. Alternatively, he able 2000CS to restore.

I have a vivid memory of a luncheon dur-

ing a trip to Munich. Showing some photos

of my race cars to some BMW engineers, a

photo of my 2000CS popped up. One of the

on the car when the USAF said they needed

engineers leaned over the table with a churl-

an opportunity I sold the kids bicycles, our

problems with that?” BMW soon developed

me for an assignment in Germany. For such color TV, and the 2000CS within a week.

However, that assignment was soon

ish grin and asked, “Ray, you have some rust

techniques to resolve condensation prob-

lems in the unitized chassis but not in time

changed and my next posting would still be

for these early models.

2000CS, expecting to enjoy it for many

travel in the COVID pandemic I had now

Force and a year later a collector from Ohio

more than a year and numerous inquiries.

turn down. He phoned a day later to inform

honest used car dealers in the US. A dealer

had gotten pulled over for a quite high

had was absolutely rust free. And it was.

in the US. I soon found and rebuilt a second years. About then I retired from the Air

made an offer on my CS that I could not

me he had trouble on the drive home. He speed violation! Fantasies sometimes do

come true. The state trooper was a car buff and was so impressed with the CS and the

ray Korman and his first 2000CS.

Knowing that, and with the restrictions for

ray Korman and his second 2000CS.

been tasked to find a good chassis. It took

It is heartening to learn that there are some

in San Diego convinced me that the CS he

That car needed some work, the usual rub-

ber suspension bushings, drive shaft flex

disc, brake lines, worn seals here and there,

owner got off with just a warning! He could

the expected delaminated dash and door

John mcdonough's 2000CS sat for 35 years

that fast.

liver a concours level finish at a modest cost.

motors in Sacramento, California.

not believe a four cylinder motor could go Fast forward to 2019; along with COVID

wood trim, but overall, we were able to de-

While finishing that job, John McDonough,

there comes to my shop the tragic remains

a staunch BMW enthusiast from New York,

in vital areas. It had not been poorly re-

represented as having spent most of its 56

of a 2000CS. This chassis had terminal rust stored; it had been fraudulently ‘repaired’.

Looking up under the left front fender

something looks odd. I pulled on something sticking out and peeled off several layers of

sticky backed aluminum tape that had been

painted over with undercoating. It covered a rust hole 2-3” height and around 15 inches

sends me another 2000CS. This car was years in a showroom. At first glance it

looked great. We thought, well, not much to

do on this one. On closer examination it was clear the car had been repainted. A nice fin-

ish but done without removing the trim and seals. And the trim showed some scuffing,

long. Located just below the front strut

right: ray Korman and John mcdonough

of the front corner of the car. Diabolical!

the ultimate driving museum.

mount, this sheet metal supports the weight

16

at the opening of the Alpina exhibition at

in the showroom of Lubo’s Bavarian

The 2000CS with its distinctive front-end styling and European headlights. scratches, and discoloration. The dash

and door wood was starting to delaminate.

Engine, transmission, and differential seals and gaskets have dried out and seeping.

Whoever had repainted the car had applied

To this end we tossed the FM/Cassette

player and sourced a BMW/Blaupunkt period correct European model radio.

The exterior trim was good but not show

quality. We sent it off to have the scuffs,

black body undercoating to the inner fend-

dents, scratches, and discoloration removed,

to be extremely difficult to remove. And as

the front nose trim, and we were surprised

ers of the engine compartment. This proved expected the firewall insulation was disintegrating, and the headliner was discolored

then re-anodized. The roughest piece was

and pleased to see it was still available new

from BMW. However, when it arrived it did

and hanging down. Many items to repair but

not fit. It was over an inch too short on both

rust here and there and all easily eliminated

refinishing, and it came back months later,

all doable. Some very insignificant surface and sealed.

Overall, this was an ideal car to transform

into a sure Concours d’ Elegance Winner. We would make no high performance modifications. The focus would be to diligently

ensure originality in all parts and repairs.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

ends. We now sent the original piece out for looking absolutely like new. And it fit perfectly!

The fifty-five-year-old rubber door and

Window regulators, motors, and switches

were cleaned, lubed, and adjusted. The

paint shop did an excellent job in ensuring the alignment and spacing of doors, hood,

and trunk lid. All E9s have covers in the front nose section above the lights. We find these missing on more than half of the coupes

coming in here. They are NLA from BMW.

Years ago we made a pattern and fabricated some to exactly match the originals. These

were ready to paint and install. All fuel,

coolant, and hydraulic hoses were replaced.

For longevity, suspension and steering parts

were powder coated, including the front and rear sub-frames.

Getting down to the finer points we

window seals were all hardened. Most are

cleaned and re-flocked the glove box. The

models, and readily available.

scratched. New ones were unavailable from

the same as the later 2800CS and 3.0CS

original tire pressure decal was faded and

17

BM W 20 0 0 SC

A spotless engine bay with the original double Solex 40 PHH side-draft carburetors.

Left: The interior is finished with beauti-

fully crafted wood trim that adds just the right touch of elegance.

BMW, however one similar decal for the

tests, the car lacked the spirit expected

CS designation and different air pressure

ing the motor to be up to the level of the

2000C was in stock but it came without the settings. We purchased that one to give us the correct color, layout , and font style.

Then our nearby computerized sign shop loaded everything into their machine, in-

cluding the CS info and produced perfect images of the originals.

from the twin side draft Solex carbs. Wantexterior, interior, and mechanical restorations it was decided to open up it up. We

years of storage, this engine may have been

started up ‘dry’ many times, scrubbing the

walls and rings.

mileage?

BMW original parts, next oversize pistons,

ance. How could that be with such low Whenever we fire up a freshly built

motor, or one that has not been running in

compression tests were marginal. On road

some light oil into the cylinders, pour some

18

the plugs out until we see the oil pressure

come up. I suspect within those over fifty

found excessive piston/cylinder wall clear-

The motor was a bit of a puzzle. The very

low mileage was well documented, yet the

oil over the valve train, and turn it over with

many years, we pull the spark plugs, squirt

Doing a full rebuild of the motor with

and bored and honed with a torque plate,

new bearings, fresh valve and seat work,

gave us an engine that was now on a par

with the rest of the restoration.

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

The Karmann-built 2000CS was the forerunner of the

six-cylinder 2800CS. From the A-pillar back, the bodies were identical.

The coupe came to us with the original

internet time and a set were found, though

steel wheels, chrome hub caps and rings,

scratched and dented. To find a craftsman

and powder coated the rims and mounted

task of tediously reworking the caps they

and some old white wall tires. We cleaned new Vredestein 14” tires. Meanwhile, John

had confirmed that some good looking

Italian FPS (Fratelli Pedrini Sarezzo) alloy

wheels had been a factory option. We had

willing to do such a small but important

went off to be repaired and re-chromed in Mexico. With the FPS rims mounted, the restoration was finally finished.

We completed the project just weeks

considered Alpina alloys. They would be

before the annual Greenbrier Concours d’Ele-

nal. We soon learned that the FPS rims were

rapidly with this year’s featured marque

through a friend in Italy wile John searched

an opportunity not to be missed. Competi-

period correct, but they would not be origiscarcer than Alpinas. I made inquiries

long I was beginning to get annoyed. He

redeemed himself by standing up and

pronouncing, “This car should win!”

The Best in Class did go to a faultless

1967 Mercedes 250 SL. The 2000CS came in

next, taking home a blue ribbon and hand-

some trophy.

being Ferrari. Only 160 miles away, this was

the McDonough Granada Red BMW 2000CS

tion in our class were a pair of magnificent

ever, they were missing the hub caps. More

assorted others, all meticulously presented.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

very close inspection. Indeed he took so

gance in West Virginia. This event has grown

the internet. After two years of looking,

John located a new set in Germany. How-

The fellow who had prepared one of

the Jaguars came over and gave the CS a

Jaguar E Types, some early Porsches, and

If you are in the area next Fall, look for

on display at the Bridgehampton Car Show,

September 13th, on the golf course that sits

astride the old Bridgehampton Race Circuit.

It will be easy to spot. It stands out!

19

COAS TA L DR IV E

The Fifth Annual

Küsten I

have written in the past about the ad-

decided to hold our event while the val-

BMW friends have taken on the back-

winter and spring rains. The benefits were

ventures that I and a few of my vintage

roads of California. As this was the fifth

year of our annual Küstenfahrt or Coastal Drive we changed things up a bit and

made our drive in April instead of Octo-

immediate: fewer cars and almost deserted roads and byways, great weather and idyllic scenery.

This year we had our largest turnout

ber. Why? Instead of the dry brown hills of

ever with twenty-one cars and twenty-four

tel rooms with wine harvest visitors we

the camaraderie and not just about the

the central coast and competition for ho-

20

leys and hills were still green from the

participants. As this journey is really about

drives (although they are awesome) we

even allowed two vintage Porsches to join

us in the mix! The assortment of vintage

BMWs included two 2002 tiis, ten e9

coupes, three e12 sedans, one e30 cabriolet, an e32 735i, an e28 M5, and an e46 Touring recently imported from the

Netherlands and the aforementioned

911s. It is not often that ten e9 coupes can get together and there was a nice assort-

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

fahrt Text by Chris Macha Photos by Doug Park

ment of 2800CSs, 3.0CSs and an Italian

to escape the worst of the traffic and were

palette as well: Chamonix, Polaris, Col-

headed north towards Santa Barbara. Our

and those were just the coupes.

town of Los Alamos in the Santa Ynez wine

delivery CSL. We also had a nice color

orado, Fjord, Verona, Atlantik and Tundra, Our adventure began in Long Beach

where many of us met on a Tuesday morning at 5:30 AM. Traffic on the west side of Los Angeles can be brutal on a work day,

so an early start is essential. We managed

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

able to stay fairly close together as we

destination, Shell Beach. Since we all

stayed at the same hotel we gathered for

wine and cheese on the lawn overlooking

destination was breakfast in the small

the ocean before going to dinner.

country. Leaving Highway 101 behind we

four hours of driving so leaving early was

took two lane backroads like Highways 135 and 1 through rural farming areas and the small towns of Guadalupe and Oceano.

Before long we arrived at our first day’s

Day Two was going to involve around

not necessary and we got together in the

parking lot at 9 am. If you have ever or-

ganized a group drive, then you can relate

as it is often worse than herding cats!

21

COAS TA L DR IV E Sometimes I have to test one of the mem-

bers by asking “What did I just say?” The re-

sponse, “I didn’t do anything!” This morning

it was a little more important as I had sent

Paul Cain ahead of us in his 1974 Fjord Blau

3.0CS to set up on the side of the road

above Cayucos on the coast so we could

pull in for a group photo opportunity. So what happened? Most of the group left

early and almost passed Paul up as he was

trying to get their attention to park. In the

end we took some amazing photos and

videos of all twenty-one cars. From there

we headed up Highway 1 towards Big Sur

to stop at Ragged Point about an hour

away. As the road is still closed around 30

miles above Ragged Point, we had no traffic

at all, well except for a few large semi-trac-

tor trailers each with two huge boulders

headed north to be used in the road repair

operation. Fortunately for us we got to

experience Nacimiento Ferguson Road ten

miles or so ahead which took us over the

crest of the Coastal Range. It climbs several

thousand feet in nine miles and took us

above the coastal clouds and drizzle which

made driving this single lane road a bit

challenging. It had been closed for over

three years due to wildfires and erosion

from the rains of several winters. Dirk and

Alendra will remember this road I am sure

from a drive we participated in which

included way too may Porsches! As we

dropped down into warmer climes, we fol-

lowed County Road G14 as we wound our

way into Paso Robles for the evening. We

had a lovely gathering at John Niedern-

hofer’s home where he served a new beer

that he was testing on us as he owns three

breweries in SoCal.

The next morning our departure was also

very casual as our journey would be short-

er than the day before. From Paso we

headed north to San Miguel and once again

left Highway 101 behind and took Cross

Canyon Road eastwards to the tiny commu-

nity of Parkfield. We did not stop here but it 22

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

with verdant green fields, trees and hill-

sides and with, yes, more twists and turns.

The saloon is not open, but it makes for a

great rest stop and more photos. For the

afternoon Paul planned a blind wine tasting

with cheese imported from the Nether-

lands at his sister’s home in Cayucos right

above the ocean. Again, it was the chance

to socialize and share our stories from the

day’s drive before we headed back Paso again for night number three. Paso has

some amazing restaurants with great food

and wonderful wines as there are over

three hundred wineries in the greater Paso

Robles area. Some say that Paso is the

Napa and Sonoma of thirty years ago and it

sits halfway between Los Angeles and San

Francisco it has become very popular.

My trip encompassed nearly 1,000 miles as

instead of heading home three of us drove

north to Monterey on Friday so we could at-

tend the Bay Area 2002 show on Saturday at the Brisbane Marina which I had not attended in several years. And I did not even men-

tion the rare M535i owned by Chris Kohler,

the Dietel Alpina 528i owned by Jon Iverson

or the Hartge 735 of Rey Rivera which should

is famous for the Parkfield Saloon and their

probably have their own stories.

delicious hamburgers. We now turned south and soon arrived at Highway 41

which took us even farther south past

Cholame and the James Dean Memorial

and through Shandon and Creston. The 41 was freshly paved and quite twisty which

allowed us to drive a little more aggressive-

ly but still responsibly. The goal was a short road known as County Road 229 which has three miles of the most incredible twists and turns that you can image. Everyone

waited as I drove ahead to give the followers the ‘all clear’ to proceed briskly. It can

be best described as an adult version of a skate board track with many off-camber turns. Our next stop would be the Pozo Saloon on a road we call the Pozo Loop

past farms, ranches and assorted dwellings

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

23

A

193 8 B MW 32 0 B AU R CA BR I O L E T

year ago Richard Martorell told my

wife about a road rally for vintage

sports cars in Highlands, N.C. I

wanted to go back to Germany to buy parts,

but they talked me into going to the rally.

Jane’s 320 was the only car we had capa-

ble of making the 600 mile trip. We had

there was a little country church with a

shade tree in coasting distance. A mechanic

with a truck always brought up the rear, but

Richard usually had my car fixed by the time

the truck arrived.

to get it ready. Preparation consisted of new

ence. The first day we drove in rain, fog,

clutch, wiper blades, fan belt, and working

on the brakes. When we drove the car in

Highlands the brakes were still pulling se-

verely to the right. After seeing the moun-

Hilda in Highlands in 1991

by Jane and Stephen Sanders

tainous terrain with hair-pin curves going

into Highlands we worked some more on the brakes. But once we started driving, I was too busy to worry about them.

The only other pre-war car was a type

37A Bugatti. At the first chance the Bugatti and most everyone else passed me and

roared off. Richard and his brother Knight patiently followed me the entire route in

Knight’s Jaguar XK-120. We over-heated nu-

merous times but finally got the packing nut on the water pump tight enough to stop the leak. Our one real breakdown was when the

24

quit. There was often no place to pull off,

however when the fuel pump abruptly quit

never driven the car any significant distance

and I foolishly waited until the last minute

(From the Fall 1991 issue of the BmW Vintage Club newsletter, the Klassiker)

6 month old American electric fuel pump

Driving in the mountains was an experi-

mist, and clouds from Highlands to Ashville.

The mist reflected the golden cast from the

old Bosh Headlights. The headlights actually

do o.k. But the windshield wipers are a joke.

We entered one tunnel without turning on

the lights. We were suddenly in total dark-

ness and could not see the other end of the

tunnel. That was my most stupid move for

the day. At the end of the first day one of

the officials came up to me and said I forgot

to have my safety inspection. Since we sur-

vived the mountains in rain, he pronounced

us o.k. (actually he really did inspect the car

and had a sharp eye for some minor prob-

lems).

We were thrilled to arrive at the lavish

Biltmore Estate on the first day. The cars

were on display on the front lawn and

looked perfectly at home. The next day

enroute to Boone we stopped at famous

Chimney Rock Park. We each ran the hill-

climb at Chimney Rock and were judged on

consistency for two runs. Even if I had not

mis-shifted near the finish line in the first

run my score would have been lousy. The

third day we drove from Boone to Gatlin-

burg. This was the longest 225 miles I have

ever driven. We were always routed onto

secondary roads and the final leg from

Cherokee to Gatlinburg was a continuous

uphill grade for about 30 miles. We over-

heated so many times that we finally de-

cided to change the water pump in the

parking lot while everyone tore up the local

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

go-cart track. When we got the old pump off

it looked better than the new one. After

much debate we put the old pump back on.

Every evening we were the last car in, and

people were amazed that we made it... so were we!

The final day back to Highlands ended

ning 2nd place people’s choice for con-

cours. This helped offset the other award

which was for breaking down the most.

Walking up to the podium to receive this

Richard not only won the Hare and Hound,

we hope some of you reading this will join

the same prize next year. Knight and

mileage. Somehow Knight and Richard won

319/1 in the 1992 Highlands Classic. The

for patiently following us. I won’t elaborate

tem. Originality is nice, but I learned the car

had better run, stay cool, and stop.

but also received 3rd place in concours.

first place. I guess they deserved something

good brakes, and a clean reliable fuel sys-

dubious prize I realized we will probably get

with a complex game, The Hare and Hound, with an award for the most accurate

be comfortable and dry. Whichever one we

take will have an electronic cooling fan,

Our plans are to drive either the 327 or

319/1 would be more fun but the 327 would

Next year Richard will have his 328 and

us in the Highlands. I have only driven Hilda

twice since we got home... both times I got

stranded. Where was Richard when I really

needed him?

about them coasting 10 miles down the

mountain into Ashville. Suffice it to say my gas gauge was made by Bosch and not

Lucas. This was the only time they were in front of us.

I knew they were low on gas and when

Knight flashed his lights it was time to get

out of the way. Just for the record I should say they never completely ran out of gas.

By the end of the rally the 320 was

named “HILDA”.

She did well at the awards banquet win-

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

25

W

19 3 8 B MW 32 0 B AUR CA BR I O L E T

hen the Lane Motor Museum

accepted the invitation to the

2025 Highlands Motoring Festi-

val (HMF), they brought more than just

another beautiful car — they brought mem-

ories. The return of the 1938 BMW 320 Baur

Cabriolet, affectionately known as “Hilda,”

stirred nostalgia and stories from club

members and Highlanders who had known

her since her days in Highlands in the early

1990s.

Only 4,185 BMW 320s were produced,

and of those, just 189 were delivered as

bare chassis to coach builders. Hilda’s body

Hilda in Highlands in 2025

By Steve Hamm and David Yando

was crafted by Baur in Stuttgart, with distinctive three-seat coachwork featuring a

sideways-mounted jump seat in the rear.

She is one of just seventeen known sur-

BMW 320 in Levittown, PA — quite possibly

Hilda. She then passed through Kentucky,

Indiana, and Alabama. George Caddick of

Evansville, Indiana restored the disassem-

bled car in the late '70s, eventually selling it

in 1988 to Jane and Stephen Sanders of

Jasper, Alabama. The Sanders’s entered the

car in the Highlands Classic Tour in 1991,

vivors.

where Hilda earned her name.

sis number 91999 was delivered on Febru-

Dethlefsen of The Werk Shop, one of the

According to BMW Classic Archives, chas-

ary 18, 1938, to the dealership Brennan & Schoth, in Berlin. Like many postwar im-

ports, the car likely came to the U.S. with a

returning soldier.

Its American journey spans decades and

several states. A 1970 Road & Track classi-

26

fied ad lists a rare “2-seater with jump seat”

In 1995, the Sanders sold Hilda to Don

premier BMW restoration firms. Don

showed the car at BMW CCA events and

even graced the cover of Roundel magazine

before selling her to the Lane Motor Muse-

um in 2003. Jeff Lane, founder of the muse-

um, attempted the drive from Chicago to

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Nashville himself — making it most of the

way before the engine threw a rod, and sidelined the car.

But Hilda proved resilient. After an engine

rebuild, she joined the 2004 BMW Vintage

of Classics, leading up to her appearance

at Saturday’s “Classics in the Park” show.

Museum Manager David Yando and his wife

Lora, who brought the car, was met with

enthusiastic greetings — especially from

Tour, traversing the East Coast from New

those with fond memories of Hilda.

out challenges either; about half way into

while photographing the Highlands Classic,

dissolved, and the rally was continued in a

group that included a Bugatti Type 35 and a

Jersey to South Carolina. This wasn’t with-

the rally, the main bearings had essentially

borrowed ’74 2002. A few years ago, the

starter failed during a leg of the Great Race,

but other than that, it’s been fairly trouble-

free.

Hilda returns to Highlands

The 2025 Highlands Motoring Festival

finally brought Hilda full circle. On Friday

evening, she joined the Main Street Parade

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

Steve Ham, who first saw the car in 1991

remembers her as the standout among a

Ferrari 166. “It was Hilda’s unique bodywork — especially that single rear seat — that

caught my attention,” he said. A few years ago, at the Atlanta Concours, he instantly recognized the car from across the field.

Knight and Richard Martorell, who had developed a close connection to the car during the 1991 Highlands Classic Tour were

delighted to see her as well.

Amy Lester, affectionately known as “the

Coupe Lady,” recalls the infamous Chimney

Rock Hillclimb. “Steve Sanders just floored it

— and won! We were racing for consistency,

and Hilda delivered.” She added with a

laugh, “Steve even let me drive her. I was

terrible at double-clutching.”

Scott and Fran Hughes have a more

recent connection to Hilda — they drove

her in one of the Lane Motor Museum’s

“Rally for the Lane” events. “It felt regal,”

Scott said.

Seeing Hilda again at HMF was a home-

coming not just for the car, but for the

community of enthusiasts who cherish her

legacy.

Welcome back, Hilda.

27

THE VIN TAGE

T

he Vintage finally opened registra-

E36 coupes, sedans, wagons, and convert-

were excited to bring their "modern" 3s for

Series, the E36, for the 2025 event.

E36/7 (Z3 convertible), and the E36/8 (Z3

Sturdy jests, “OK, let me explain the E36

tion to BMW's third-generation 3

E36s at the Vintage!? Say it isn't so!

It's true. Vintage mastermind Scott

Sturdy decided that 2025 would be the year

that E36s were allowed to register for this

gathering of classic BMWs. That included 28

A New Era at

ibles, as well as the E36/5 (compact), the

the first time.

coupe or "clownshoe"). While 2025 marked

thing. I have always told you all that we

3 Series (E21), which was The Vintage’s fea-

ited space. The venue this year has almost

the 50th anniversary of the first-generation

ture car for this event, it really felt more like

a celebration of the E36 as enthusiasts

couldn't allow them strictly because of limunlimited space, so I thought I would give it a try. But, if we go back to Hot Springs in

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

The Vintage P RE SI DEN T ’ S ME SSAG E

2026, we may have to go back to the old

[chassis] cut-off, so take advantage of this while you can." Wait – E36s and a new

venue!? Yes, 2025, The Vintage’s 21st iteration, brought the event to its sixth venue since it started in 2004.

Given the devastation caused to Hot

Springs by Hurricane Helene in 2024, The

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

Story by mike Bevels Photographs by mike and Avery Bevels

Vintage 2025 moved to Hendersonville air-

the event. With over 255,000 miles on the

The third-generation 3 Series chassis finally

was required to ensure smooth sailing for

brethren on the show field – or runway in

bit of Vintage prep – convincing my eleven-

port, significantly increasing event space.

had a chance to shine with its classic

this case.

As such, I opted to pilot my five-speed

manual Cosmos Black 1998 M3 sedan to

odometer, some mechanical “Vintage prep” the 500-mile drive to Ashville, but the last

year-old daughter Avery to attend for her

second time – was the easiest. All I had to do was ask.

29

THE VIN TAGE A lot has happened since Avery last

attended in 2022, with one of those things being how much she has grown. Not only

does Avery finally fit in the women’s small

driving, it was nice to have dinner and decompress at our hotel.

Up bright and early on Friday morning,

Avery and I departed Asheville and headed

Vintage t-shirt we purchased in 2022, she’s

60 miles south to our first stop, Plant Spar-

ger seat. A week before our big road trip,

Carolina. There, we recreated a photo we had

also tall enough to ride in the front passen-

Avery says, “I’m looking forward to taking

photos and sitting in the front seat – it’ll be

easier to talk!” My eight-year-old son Carter is

still a bit skeptical about nearly 1,200 miles

and four full days of car-related activities, but

tanburg’s Zentrum museum in Greer, South taken during our 2022 Vintage trip, further illustrating how much she’s grown. It’s mo-

ments like these that make me realize time

moves far too quickly, but also makes things

like this road trip that much more special.

Jim Gerock’s 2002ti tribute.

I’ll keep chipping away at him. Perhaps 2026

We spent the remainder of the morning a

As if the exhibit vehicles weren’t enough,

will be Carter’s first year at The Vintage.

mere 1.7 miles away at The Ultimate Driving

club member and Alpina aficionado Robert

before Vintage weekend we caravanned to

Excellence. Like previous years, the museum

Alpinas to be parked in a special display out-

Gerock and Kevin Grim. Jim drove his Riviera

day of Vintage weekend. The exhibit con-

Keeping with tradition, the Thursday

Asheville with BMW Classic CCA members Jim Blue 1969 2002ti tribute and Kevin drove his

Museum's latest exhibit, ALPINA: 60 Years of held a Vintage Open House event on the Fri-

sisted of 25 special Alpinas with detailed

new-to-him Sahara 1974 2002. A pair of Euro-

information placards for each. The walls and

the fun – new club member (as of Vintage

memorabilia and more informational plac-

White 1982 635CSi riding on a set of multi-

rating the manufacturer’s history. Our own

team of Wayne and Jahmari Gallimore,

one-of-sixty-six Alpina Roadster Limited

spec E24 635CSi’s from New York joined in on week) Steve Grocher brought his Alpine

piece BBS RS wheels, and the father-son

shared driving duties with Wayne’s Zinno

1985 635CSi. Miles melted away with Avery

riding shotgun and handling two-way radio duties, while we listened to an entertaining

audiobook, Sleeping Giants. After a full day of 30

ceiling of the museum were rich with Alpina

Tran had coordinated for 23 additional

side. Counting two more provided by BMW North America, there were 50 Alpinas on

museum grounds during the Vintage Open

House. Robert says, “It’s the largest gathering of Alpinas outside of Europe and Japan!”

Of the 50 Alpinas, two belong to Robert.

ards were dispersed throughout commemo-

His 1999 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (E39) partici-

Dirk de Groen was in attendance with his

display outside, and his 1996 Alpina B8 4.6

Edition, which is based on the BMW Z1, as

an exhibit vehicle. Dirk asked Avery if she’d

like to climb over the Alpina’s drop-down

doors to sit in the driver’s seat – how could

she possibly say “no” to that!

pated in the special Vintage Open House

Touring (E36) – that’s right, more E36s! – was showcased as part of the museum’s exhibit.

2025 marked Robert’s second time attending the Vintage. His first was in 2023, when he

drove his 1974 2002 Touring from Hermosa Beach, California to Asheville, with a few

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Avery at the end of the runway.

stops in between. That’s 2,564 miles one way!

Now that he lives in Tennessee, it’s a bit closer.

We wrapped up our time at The Ultimate

Driving Museum and headed back to the

north side of Asheville for a – gasp! – non-car-

related activity, a ropes and zip-line course at Treetops Adventure Park. Spending an afternoon navigating obstacles 60 feet above the ground was a nice change of pace. Our

evening plans consisted of dinner at Sierra

Nevada Brewing Company, which happened

to be this year’s location for Friday night Vintage registration.

Saturday morning – the day of the big

show – brought early precipitation, but Vin-

tage attendees’ spirits were not dampened.

Left: John Hartge arriving at the Vintage.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

31

THE VIN TAGE Fortunately, the rain let up just before the

9:00am start of the event. Hendersonville airport was gracious enough to suspend flights during the event, but that didn’t prevent

some Vintage attendees from getting air-

borne, though! The WNC Air Museum,

located within walking distance of the show,

was providing $29 helicopter rides. Avery and I were not brave enough to take flight, so we

stuck to the ground-related activities.

The new airport venue provided ample

space, with 3,000 feet of runway allowing for

600 classic BMWs – an unofficial tally – to park

as far as the eye could see. Scott Sturdy says,

“We sold out at 600 cars and had a waiting list

of about 70. It was beyond my expectations.”

Vendor tents and food trucks lined the grass

sections adjacent to the runway while the

stars of the show lined both sides of the

tarmac. When a rather large contingent of

classics arrived mid-morning, the long line of Bimmers waiting to park on the hot runway was a true test of their cooling systems.

In addition to our classic caravan crew of

Jim and Kevin, there were a number of other club members on the runway on Saturday.

John Hartge, who drove his 1974 2002 from

Hagerstown, Maryland, has attended over a

Kevin Grim drove the new-to-him Sahara 2002 from Alexandria to the Vintage.

dozen Vintages going back to the vineyard

In regard to the third-generation 3s on the

shade provided by the trees of Hot Springs,

want to see them “take the place of ‘real’ vin-

locations. While he and others missed the

he says, “I commend Scott Sturdy for finding an alternate location so we could enjoy the

Vintage event this year. I wish folks of the Hot

Kyle van Hoften flew in from California for a

up. There was also a 1930s coupe. In no way

enth Vintage. He says, “This spot did not dis-

his arms tired! This year marked Kyle’s sev-

did I sense the E36 took over.”

appoint. The concept of having old and active

Vintage and many thereafter, road-tripped

lining the lawn was unique. Visually, the cars

his S38B35-swapped 1972 3.0 CS from Chevy Chase, Maryland. Doug says, “I had mixed feelings about the Hendersonville airport

venue. I liked that Scott found an alternate

32

a smaller venue.”

full weekend of Vintage activities – and boy are

Doug Dolan, who was present at the first

on the back of a t-shirt.

tage cars…especially if The Vintage returns to

Springs area all the best recovering.” John

adds, “I enjoyed the variety of vehicles, E3 on

When all else fails, print your message

runway, Doug laughs and says he wouldn’t

prop planes slightly poking out of their homes stretched for the length of the runway made

for a different viewing experience. In this case, you knew when you had seen most of the

cars. In Hot Springs, you could do three laps

location since Hot Springs is still pretty devas-

and not even get to an entire area. Everyone

a long runway with no shade was not ideal.”

Springs and Asheville are still suffering from

tated. However, stretching the show out over

seemed to completely understand that Hot

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

And Scott is not the only one calling it a suc-

cess as hundreds in the Vintage Facebook

group were clamoring with appreciation for

both the venue and volunteers. Of all the ad-

venturous activities Avery and I participated in over the long weekend, the show on Saturday was a stand-out for her. Avery says, “The peo-

ple were really nice! I kept seeing people introduce themselves, say where they’re from, and

talk about their cars. I liked the layout and that there were a lot of different classic BMWs.”

Despite grumblings over the years, it was

nice to see an overall acceptance of the E36 at The Vintage 2025. Speaking with some

long-time attendees, they recalled a similar sentiment of caution was shared when the

E30 chassis was first invited to attend, which

eventually became a welcome addition to the

show. With the new chassis came a lot of new faces, further illustrating that we’re not only ushering in a new era of classic cars, we’re also ushering in a new era of classic car enthusiasts.

the floods, so the fact that Scott secured Hen-

dersonville airport made it fantastic.”

Kyle adds, “I think the E36 was a welcome

addition regardless of the venue. It added to the attendance, so more people got more

exposure to more cars – that's a win. I heard

some E36 owners say they really hadn't ever seen a Bavaria or an E12. Had The Vintage

come and gone without welcoming E36s this year, that would still be true for those folks.”

As Saturday afternoon wound down, Scott

Sturdy reflected on the day and said, “I think

it went really well. I had an amazing group of volunteers from the CCA’s E30 chapter. They did an excellent job parking cars – that was

huge. All my volunteers at the check-in tent

and the front gate – amazing! The display of

Avery behind the wheel of the Z1 Alpina rLE.

cars – amazing. I'm super happy, and I'm calling it a success.”

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

33

East Coast Alpina Meet

By Robert Tran

O

n May 15th, the BMW CCA Foun-

production will move in-house to BMW,

Ultimate Driving Museum for the

discontinued. The exhibition comprises

dation opened the doors of its

Alpina; 60 Years of Excellence exhibition.

This year marks not only the 60th anniver-

sary of Alpina as we have become to know

and the existing Alpina lineup will be twenty-five Alpina cars from private owners, Alpina, and BMW NA.

To celebrate the opening of the exhibi-

it, but also the last year of Alpina as an in-

tion, it made sense to organize a gathering

2025, Alpina's vehicle development and

The Vintage, the largest classic BMW gath-

dependent car manufacturer. At the end of

34

of Alpinas. As the opening coincided with

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

35

EAS T COAST A LPI NA ME E T

1967 1600 Alpina

ering in the US, this would be the perfect

time to organize an East Coast Alpina Meet.

It turned out to be the largest gathering of

Alpina cars outside of Europe and Japan.

To make the event more than just a car

show, I knew that I had to come up with

something special. After much discussion,

BMW Manufacturing in Spartanburg agreed

to have us visit the Special Vehicle Opera-

tions (SVO) department where BMW Alpina

XB7’s are being built. A dinner with the

Alpina representatives from Germany and

the US was also part of the calendar. So

was a very interesting and informative

presentation by Alpina Classic

– this is how the company will

continue to operate – and a

focus group discussion, where

we as Alpina owners and en-

thusiasts could give our input

as to what we would like to see

Alpina do here in the USA. The

events were incredible success-

ful, and I was told that three of

the SVO tour participants put in orders for

an XB7!

One of the challenges going forward will

be for Alpina Classic to reach out to the nu-

merous Alpina owners in the USA, as ex-

cept for the Z8 Alpina, the more

contemporary B7s and B6 Grand Coupes, and the most recent XB7s, Alpinas have

been imported privately. Communicating

with owners will help Alpina Classic in determining as to which parts to (re-)manufacture. A challenge also faced by BMW

Touring.

36

roll in. Special Alpina parking was organ-

ized by the Foundation, and we had twenty-

five Alpina. So, that day, we had a total of

fifty Alpina cars on the grounds of The Ulti-

mate Driving Museum. The oldest car was

the 1967 BMW 1600-2 modified by Alpina and was featured in the December 1967

issue of Car and Driver. The furthest driven

was a 2003 Alpina B10 V8S Touring from

Calgary, Canada. My 1996 Alpina B8 4.6

Touring (E36) is part of the exhibition, and I

Classic. It was suggested that Alpina Classic

drove my 1999 Alpina B10 V8 Touring (E39).

it oversees the distribution of parts itself,

Alpina meets on the east and the west

starts a registry of Alpina owners and that

robert Tran with his 1999 Alpina B10 V8

Saturday morning, Alpina cars started to

rather than rely on independent distributors.

As the exhibit grand opening began on

I am looking forward to organizing more

coasts, haven been assured by the repre-

sentatives of Alpina Classic of their contin-

ued support.

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Northwest Vintage BMW Gathering PACI FI C N ORT H WE S T

W

By John Margherita hen Dirk asked for volunteers to be area representatives for the

BMW Classic Car Club of Amer-

My wife and I run a Willamette Valley wine

tour business, so I set out to find a winery

willing to host the event. Enter Dominio IV

ica, I decided to take the plunge and volun-

Wines in Carlton, Oregon. They already had

culture in Oregon and Washington, but

14th and generously offered the space

teer. We have a thriving vintage BMW

there were no events specifically for classic

BMWs. My first attempt to remedy that was to organize a Vintage BMW Gathering.

a Father’s Day Cookout scheduled for June around their production building for our group. The inaugural Northwest Vintage

BMW Gathering was officially on. With my

limited graphic design skills, I created a flyer and spread the word among Pacific North-

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

The margherita Family: John, Chloe, Steven, michele, and Cassie the dog.

37

PACI FI C N ORT H WE S T

38

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

west BMW Classic Car Club of America

resentation from Washington State, with

Feedback like, “Thank you for organizing

that drove more than three hours from

our area,” reinforced my belief that this

that area in the near future.

The response was incredibly encouraging.

this,” and “We really need events like this in could grow into a great annual tradition—

and help attract new BMW CCCA members

over ten cars making the trip, including five

Seattle. I am hoping to host events closer to It was a fantastic day, and while the

Northwest Vintage BMW Gathering will be

in the Pacific Northwest.

an annual event, it will not be the only one.

BMWs, and as June 14th approached, I felt

Pacific Northwest BMW CCCA driving tours

The gathering was limited to pre-1995

optimistic about the turnout. In the end,

over thirty-five cars showed up. The weather was perfect—but the people and the cars

I am looking forward to organizing more and get-togethers in the months ahead.

A big thank you to everyone who

attended the inaugural Northwest Vintage

were even better. BMW CCCA members in

BMW Gathering, especially to my incredibly

with their ex-Goetz Pfafflin 1956 502 Cabrio-

in cars as they arrived. Dominio IV Wines

attendance included Ted and Andrea Davis

let and their recently acquired 1966 2000CS,

Robert Gurley and his freshly restored 2002

Baur Targa, Ralph Harding and his 1991 E30

M3, Joe Barthlow and his 1974 2002, and

Lee Harmon, who brought his 3.0 CS all the

way from the Seattle area.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

I was especially pleased to see strong rep-

members and on social media.

supportive wife, Michele, who helped check loved having us and are excited to host us again next year. They have room for twice

the number of cars, and I have already gath-

ered valuable feedback to make next year’s event even better.

39

REST ORAT ION

Restoring Felix Graf von Spiegel’s 315/1

By Dirk de Groen

40

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

I

n earlier issues of The Ultimate Classic, I wrote about my 1934 BMW 315/1, the very car

that took part in the VI. Internationale Alpenfahrt in 1934 and a number of other rallies

in Austria and Germany that year. Last year, to celebrate the 90th anniversaries of

both the 315/1 and BMWs victory on the Alpenfahrt, we brought the car back to Europe to take some photos in the Alps and to participate in the Amsterdam-to-Paris Rally.

The plan after the rally was to give the car a cosmetic refresh and return it to its original

two-tone grey color scheme. But, as these things go, the project turned out to be a bit

Gudrun Muschalla

more involved than expected.

83nd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

41

REST ORAT ION Like all prewar BMWs, the 315/1 has a

steel chassis with a wooden body frame

mounted on top. The wood holds the body panels in place. Not surprisingly, after 90 years, that wood needed some attention.

I already knew the doors were sagging

and difficult to open because the hinges, screwed into the old wood, were loose

and couldn’t be tightened anymore. The

wood in the rear lid – the one that covers the spare wheel – was in even worse

shape. It had been patched up before, and was literally falling apart.

So I turned again to Andreas Freuden-

berger, the prewar BMW expert in Bavaria who had done the mechanical restoration back in 2019. Wasting no time, Andreas

started removing the body panels right

after the rally to see how bad things were, and if any parts of the wooden frame could still be saved.

The answer came quickly: no. The wood

was too far gone to be worth repairing.

Some parts had been eaten away by fungi

and woodworms. We needed a new frame.

There used to be craftsmen in Germany

who could build these wood frames the

old-fashioned way, but most of them have

since retired or passed away. Some frames are still made in Eastern Europe, but

according to Andreas, they don’t fit cor-

rectly. Luckily, he had an unused ash

wood frame that had been built in Austria 30 years ago and had just been sitting in

storage ever since.

Once the new wooden frame was in-

stalled, and the original body panels, after

minor modifications were reattached, it

was time for paint. The car had originally

been delivered in grey, and period photos show that all 315/1s had a two-tone paint

job. The exact shades of grey weren’t doc-

umented, so I had the freedom to choose.

I saw a small caravan in Germany with a

two-tone grey scheme I really liked, asked the owner for the paint codes, and we used those for the car.

42

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

At the same time, the seats, door panels,

and kick panels were reupholstered in dark red leather, and all the bright work was

re-chromed. The result turned out beautifully – a nice contrast to the grey exterior.

The goal was to have the car ready for

the Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye in early June.

Once again, Andreas and his team came

through. The freshly restored Felix Graf von Spiegel 315/1 was delivered to

Kitzbühel the day before the rally, and we made it to the starting line – right on

time. Felix would have been pleased.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

43

44

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye

by Dirk de Groen

Photos by Alexander Scheuber and Daniel Nikodem

dirk and Alexandra de Groen on the Grossglockner Alpenhochstrasse.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

45

KIT ZBÜ HE LE R A LP E N RA L LYE

don Law in his 327 80 HP Cabriolet.

Below: Christian Collenberg's freshly

restored 2002 Voll Cabriolet.

46

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

dreams on Four Wheels

The 38th Kitzbühel Alpenrallye was not

only a resounding success with around 150

delighted participants and countless enthu-

siastic spectators—it was a true tribute to

the enduring allure of the automobile. The

most exclusive and diverse starting grid in

years captivated fans across the Alpine

region.

Beyond All Expectations

Not only did the participants exceed

every expectation—the weather played its

part too. The Alpenrallye began on Thurs-

day under sunny skies with the traditional

prologue toward the St. Johann airfield. The

Air Independence Airfield Challenge, held on the closed-off runway, offered unre-

stricted driving pleasure and a thrilling first

test of skill.

Friday once again proved to be the literal

highlight of the rally. A brand-new route

culminating at the Franz-Josephs-Höhe on

the Grossglockner provided participants

with even more time on Austria’s highest—

and arguably most beautiful—mountain

pass. The final stage on Saturday began

once again in Kitzbühel, one of the south-

ernmost points of the route. The journey

led participants around Lake Chiemsee and

along the picturesque Tatzelwurmstraße

back into Tyrol.

By Saturday afternoon, when the vehicles

rolled back into Kitzbühel, expectations

were once again surpassed: the closed-off city center overflowed with fans.

Hundreds of car enthusiasts gathered to welcome the

The Kitzbüheler Alpenrallye is a regularity rally for classic cars, emphasizing timing precision, reliability, and driver/navigator coordination rather than speed. It is both a competitive and a social event, appealing to those who love classic motoring and mountain roads.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

nearly 150 cars with a

celebratory finish worthy of the occasion.

47

KIT ZBÜ HE LE R A LP E N RA L LYE

regularities be damned.

don Law was looking for

speed in the mountains.

There are the serious teams, the folk with well-prepared cars (classic stopwatches, rally timers, tripmasters, calibrated odometers), experienced navigators with rally computers and route charts, and a strong desire to win. Precision to them means hitting time controls to the second. They practice, and compete in several rallies each year.

Then there is the social crowd. These entrants join for the experience: beautiful Alpine drives, camaraderie, great meals, and the atmosphere of historic motorsport.

They're still following the rally rules, but not sweating over a 3-second penalty.

We are part of the latter.

– Dirk de Groen 48

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

rallying in the Alps.

Sporting Excellence Across All Classes

As in years past, the demanding regulari-

ty tests were held across four competition

The Exotic class—open to exceptional ve-

hicles without year-of-manufacture restric-

tions, continues to grow. This year, Thies

classes. Participants demonstrated their

Bruhn and Rudolph Knepper took the class

categories, tackling up to 17 timed sections.

jury also selected the event’s most beautiful

skills in Sport Plus, Sport, Classic, and Exotic Overall victory—as well as first place in

the Sport Plus category—went to the sea-

soned duo Alexander Linz and Michaela

Beznaus in their Alfa Romeo Giulia Cara-

binieri, repeating their 2023 success. In the

win in their 1989 Porsche Speedster. The vehicle: a striking, dark green Ferrari 330

GTS owned by Frank Koydl.

Three BMW Classic Car Club of America

members participated in the Alpenrallye,

Christian Collenberg from Zurich, Switzer-

pleased see the de Groen’s 315/1. The first

owner of that car, Felix Graf von Spiegel

zum Diesenberg – an enthusiastic gentle-

man rally driver – was the vice chairman of

the Austrian Automobile Club in the 1930s,

and had his second home in Kitzbühel.

There were other BMWs on the rally, a 507,

a 327, several 02s and E9 coupes.

If you have always dreamed of rallying

your vintage BMW in the Alps, this well-or-

ganized event in the upscale town of

Sport category, which allows electronic tim-

land in a freshly-restored BMW 2002 Cabri-

Kitzbühel will not disappoint.

secured first place with their 250 SL. Ulrich

327/28 Cabriolet, and Dirk and Alexandra

www.alpenrallye.at

ing, Burckhard Müller and Fabian Mohr

and Petra Knieling triumphed in the Classic class with a 1970 Mercedes-Benz Pagoda.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

olet, Don Law from Boston in a BMW

de Groen in their BMW 315/1. The Austrian

For more information,visit their website:

organizers and spectators were particularly 49

50

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Trying New Things

by Eric Zagrocki

O

n June 28th, our club members

ter members like Jeff Meanor to join on

& Coffee group at its Warren-

open to all special interest cars and the

joined the local Pittsburgh Cars

dale venue and invited local classic BMW owners to join us. Meeting at the Cars & Coffee event reduced the pressure of

gathering everyone for an early morning start. Those arriving early were able to

enjoy a donut and walk the venue. Oth-

ers arrived just before our planned drive, and we recruited a few Allegheny Chap-

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

site. Like many C&C events, this one is

Portersville, PA. Bill Permar joined in his

E30 M3, Ken Cheng brought a low

mileage E24 Euro M6, and I was in my

cars on display ranged from Ferraris to

E28 M5. We had the early Motorsport

much attention our classic BMWs at-

imported E30 325ix Touring, an unusual

Land Cruisers. I was impressed by how

tracted given some of the other high dollar cars present.

At the designed time, we formed a

conga line and departed. We took the long way to Paul Wegweiser’s shop in

cars covered. Tim Swisher brought his

sighting in our area, and Chris Williams

brought his 2002 which has been in the

family since new. Of course, Paul pro-

vided a wonderful collection of personal

and customer cars for us to enjoy.

51

When Paul bought this 1969 2002,

it was in less than good condition.

WEGWEISER

A view of the workshop.

52

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

Paul realized a lifetime dream when he

opened Wegweiser Classic BMW Services.

He focuses on 2002 and E9 coupe repair

and freely shares his passion for the cars of

the 1960s and 1970s. It is fair to say that if it has an M10 engine, you may find it in

Paul’s shop. Paul gave us a tour of his cur-

rent projects which include a 1600 Cabrio-

let which arrived in boxes, several 2002s

which were in for repairs and upgrades,

and the former Elliott Schnackenberg 2000

A peek under the hood of

Jim van Orsdol's 2000 tilux.

TiLux sedan currently owned by members

Jim and Charlene Van Orsdol. Seeing the

TiLux at the shop – in for carburetor con-

version work – was a wonderful surprise as

I had last seen Jim, Charlene and their

Neue Classe sedan on the Vermont tour in

2021. The car looks great, and Jim has been

spending time in making it “his own”!

After our tour, we set off for the nearby

Ben Franklin Taproom & Grille where we had

a nice lunch. The staff at Ben Franklin was

very accommodating. As we dined, I think we

convinced a few of our guests to join the club.

After lunch, I realized that in my haste to

get everyone to lunch on time, I forgot my

cooler at Paul’ shop. Paul was heading back

to the shop, so I joined him. As we discussed

the morning activities and other events, I casually mentioned that I had never driven a 2002. Without hesitation, Paul handed me

the keys to his ’69 sitting outside. I could not

pass up the opportunity.

Like some of Paul’s other 2002s, this one

can be described as a rescue. I am stunned

by the as-found photos. The car sat for 38

years with holes in the body, a seized

motor and a blown transmission. Many

would have sent the car to the crusher, but

Paul restored the car into a daily driver that

“Paul realized a lifetime dream when he opened Wegweiser Classic BMW Services. He focuses on 2002 and E9 coupe repair and freely shares his passion for the cars of the 1960s and 1970s.”

has a rally car feel. He rebuilt the motor,

first just to get the car running, and then to

upgrade its performance. Paul estimates

that the motor currently makes 140 to 150

hp and he encouraged me more than once

to push the car past 7000 rpm! I learned

long ago to tread lightly when in someone

else’s car, especially when that car is over

50 years old, has an unfamiliar pedal box

and rain is falling. That said, it was easy to

tell that the little car has great torque and

handles like a go-cart! The short drive left

me wanting more seat time in a 2002. Paul,

thank you not only for hosting our event,

but also for providing the highlight of my

weekend!

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

53

Ziggy’s Farm

DE LAWA R E VA L L E Y CH A P T E R

O

A N N U A L B I R T H D AY PA R T Y

n May 10, 2025, about 75 classic

when I went looking for a windshield

Farm" for Ziggy's annual birth-

with a brand new one in its original box.

BMWs assembled at "Ziggy's

day party. Ziggy owns a well-respected shop in Doylestown, PA that has been

there for as long as anyone can remem-

ber. It could probably be dated by the oldest 2002 part resting in his incredible

parts stash. And I can attest to its depth

54

wiper motor four years ago. He appeared

A member of our local Rocket Dog

group, Lance Sabouni won people's choice

with his Chaminoix 3.0CS. The prize? A

But I digress, it was his party, so of course

large Continental Tire Clock that someone

a singer who sang Happy Birthday along

were a couple of other marques present,

there was food and a cake, a guitarist and with the dozens of well-wishers. The

weather was perfect, the variety of classic BMWs was amazing.

suggested he hang in the bedroom. There but it was a classic BMW day for sure.

- Steve O’Neill

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

BM W NO RT H A ME R I CA’ S 5 0 T H A N N I VE RSARY

Winner of Best BmW was a rare turbo

model 2002 owned by Gary Bossert.

CONCOURS on the PALISADES

By Denis Glennon. Photos by Klaus Schnitzer

The 4th annual Concours on The Palisades

was held in Fort Lee, New Jersey on Sunday, July

13. Theme this year was the celebration of BMW North America’s 50th Anniversary. BMWs span-

ning all five decades of BMW NA’s 50 years were aligned on Main Street in the center of town from pre-1975 through 2025 all parked by

decade. BMW NA participated and generously displayed their latest range of gas, hybrid and

electric models. Approximately 3,000 spectators passed through the event displaying 120 cars of which 40+ BMWs.

Winner of Best BMW appropriately was a

2002 – the icon that started it all for BMW in

North America – in this case the very rare turbo model, owned by Gary Bossert. David de Luca’s 1974 3.0CSL won in its pre-1975 class.

Best pre-1975 BmW, a 3.0CSLowned by david de Luca.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

Mark your calendar for next year: Sunday, July

12, 2026, Concours of the Palisades, Ft. Lee, NJ.

55

56

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

1939 328 Wendler Cabriolet (85419) restored in early 1990s by freuden-

berger. Sold Broad Arrow Villa d'Este $266,515. Well bought. Now for sale by

German dealer for $446,000.

1971 3.0CSL (1 of 169 carb). Non-original color. Needs TLC. Sold on BAT for $170,500.

1972 2002tii in colorado orange. Very nice car in excellent condition. Sold on 1965 1800 TISA, ex-Pat deWitt car. sold on BAT for $99,750.

1969 2000CA. Solid car, recently services, ready to enjoy. Sold on BAT for

BAT $54,600

1972 2002tii. Restored, rebuilt 2.2 liter engine. Sold on BAT for $91,350,

$11,812. Very well bought.

that's a $24k drop from three years ago.

1971 3.0CSL (1 of 169 carb) faux-bat mobile, 3.6 liter replacement engine,

1972 Bavaria. Baikal blue of saddle leather. Refurbished. Sold on BAT for

rough condition. Sold $125,000 on BAT.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

$57,750

57

58

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

CLASS IC M A RK E T WATC H

1973 3.0CSi in Baikal blue. Beautiful. Restored car. Excellent auction on BAT

1989 E30 M3 Cecotto (1 of 500) with 123k kms sold on Broad Arrow Villa

where it sold for $131,250.

d'Este for $106,606.

1973 3.0CSL Batmobile. Sold on Cars and Bids for $381,000

1990 E30 M3 Sport Evo with 122k kms Sold BAT $165,500.

1974 2002 Turbo. Sold Mecum Indy for $181,500.

1991 Z1 Alpina RLE with 30k kms. Very nice car. Sold Broad Arrow Villa

1980 M1 Procar body package with 91k kms sold at Broad Arrow Villa d'Este $698,154.

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

d'Este for market-correct$133,258.

2000 Z8 with 4,900 miles in desirable Topaz blue over creme-black.

Ex George foreman. Sold on BAT for $309,750.

59

60

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

ADVERTISE YOUR COMPANY HERE

Contact Dirk de Groen ddegroen@yahoo.com

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

61

T H E

F I N E

P R I N T

The BmW Classic Car Club of America, Inc. (the Club) is a Florida not-for-

profit corporation. The Club is officially recognized by BMW and is a member

of the Classic and Type Section of the International Council of BMW Clubs.

The Club is an independent organization and not affiliated with the BMW

Group or BMW of North America. It is the only official BMW club in America solely dedicated to classic BMW automobiles.

The Club’s mission is to promote the interest in, the ownership of, and

preservation and restoration of classic BMWs, to encourage their use and vis-

ibility, to provide a forum for the exchange of information related to classic

BMWs, and to foster social contacts among its members. Ownership of a clas-

sic BMW is strongly encouraged but not a requirement. The annual member-

ship dues are payable in January of each year and are published on the club’s website www.bmwccca.com.

The Club issues a quarterly newsletter (The Ultimate Classic) which will be

provided in electronic and/or paper form to all members in good standing.

Material sent in for publication remains the property of the Club. Articles pub-

lished in the newsletter may not be published anywhere else without specific

written authorization from the president of the club. All ideas, opinions, and

suggestions expressed in regard to technical or any other matters are solely

those of the authors, and no authentication, endorsement, or guarantee is

expressed or implied. The Club assumes no liability for any of the information

contained herein.

The Ultimate Classic is produced by Parabolica Publishing LLC, specialists in the creation of automotive-themed publications. cmannis@parabolicapub.com

C L U C

C O N T A C T

OWN THE BADGE

BmW Classic Car Club of America Dirk de Groen • 1201 Manati Avenue Coral Gables, FL 33146 (305) 801-7010 • ddegroen@yahoo.com www.bmwccca.com

62

Welcome New members Kai Xing Winchester, MA

Scott Andrews Petaluma, CA

Raine Mantysalo finland

Joel Barbarito Midland Park, NJ

Curt Richards Lexington, KY

Dee Dhaliwal Diablo, CA

Patrick Willcutts West Hartford, CT Bill Brown Traverse City, MI

Mark Helseth Minneapolis, MN Jeffrey Joseph New orleans, LA

John Niedernhofer Del Mar, CA Philip Lucas Cincinnati, oH

Shawn Bramble Methuen, MA

Stephen Grocher Mount Vernon, NY

Grille badges are available at $30 each, including postage within the united States. Contact dirk de Groen at ddegroen@yahoo.com to place your order.

Jeff Scholler orange, CA

Paul Hogan Cincinnati, oH

Jeff Whitcher University place, WA Michael Bannister Tallahassee, fL Darko Spoljaric Seattle, WA

Dale Dasker Lake oswego, oR

Maris Mangulis Cranberry Twp, PA

Thomas Magno Winchester, MA

Thomas Vance Clemmons, NC

Evan Bockelman Camas, WA

VISIT WWW.BmWCCCA.COm TO JOIN THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC

83rd EDITION • SUMMER 2025

63

64

THE

U LT I M AT E

CLASSIC