We had a great relaxed Friday night at Hawthorn BMW for our Oktoberfest evening. Something a little different to just a cars and coffee meet up. With a few sporting their traditional Bavarian outfits, with plenty of German snacks and even some beer and other drinks on hand, there was of course lots of the best Bavarian cars to admire!
Some of our members brought out their new toys for the members to check out. Walter’s M5 Competition and Ange’s M4 Competition sitting side by side out the front had lots of members looking inside and under bonnets. It paired nicely with Hawthorn BMW’s M2 Competition in the front window.
Thank you to the fantastic Team at Hawthorn BMW, for not only hosting us for a casual get together, for coming on board as our preferred dealer, but for offering to extend the new BMW Corporate package available to members out to 5 years or 80,000km! What a fantastic group of guys! Make sure that you give Riley at Hawthorn a call if you are in the market for a new car. For more information on the BMW Corporate package and what it means to new car buyers, click here or feel free give either Jo or myself a call and we can tell you more.
Not only are Hawthorn BMW great supporters of BWMDCM, but Riley and many of the sales staff at Hawthorn BMW, have joined the club as members as well! Thanks guys, we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy the club as much as we do! It's great to have you on board!
Graeme Bell | Member #1 - President BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
Easter, Friday 19th April to Monday 22nd April 2019 All Clubs Australia Members and Families are invited to join us at Novotel Melbourne St Kilda, 16 The Esplanade, St Kilda.
ACCOMMODATION: Please note accommodation is required to be booked directly through the Novotel on (03) 9525 5522 during business hours and state that you are part of the BMW Nationals 2019. Alternatively log on to the Novotel website at https://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1506-novotel-melbourne-st-kilda/index.shtml for specials that may be available. As it is Easter, bookings should be made as soon as possible to secure your room.
REGISTRATION: Registrations for the Nationals will open shortly. Introductory presentation can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZAGWPHqMIE
CHECK-IN ON THE EASTER WEEKEND: Will open from approx. 2pm on the Friday - Meet the Nationals Organising Committee, grab your welcome pack and have a look at what St Kilda has to offer. Plenty of secure parking on site with trailer parking available.
FRIDAY NIGHT MEET AND GREET COCKTAIL PARTY AT NOVOTEL ST KILDA. Cocktail Party: We ask that most participants arrive in time for the opening meet and greet scheduled to commence at 7pm. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know the other attendees (many coming from Interstate). Canapes will be provided at $35.00 and drinks will be at bar prices.
SATURDAY SHOW OF EXCELLENCE AND MOTORSPORT AT SANDOWN RACECOURSE. Show of Excellence: Do you love to show off your vehicle? Well we have been fortunate enough to secure the area around Sandown Racecourse to host our Show of Excellence event. Commencing at 10am the judges will walk through the criteria and start the show! Prizes will be awarded to the category winners at the Sunday night presentation dinner. Entry is only $10.00 per car so it’s well worth entering!
MOTORSPORT MANIA! That’s right, BMWCCV are excited to announce that Sandown Park Circuit, “The Home of Horsepower” will be all ours for the day! More details are to be released about the day, but for $275.00 you can have a ball (Please note Motorsport regulations do apply). We may be able to offer Pace Car Laps during the day.
SATURDAY NIGHT DINNER AND RIDES AT LUNA PARK. Saturday night you are in for a treat. The Committee has arranged for a night out at the famous Luna park at St Kilda! Only a short walk from the Novotel, enjoy a buffet style dinner at $55.00 at Luna Park followed by reliving your childhood with an unlimited ride package at $25.00.
SUNDAY TOURING EVENT THROUGH THE TREE LINED HILLS OF THE YARRA VALLEY.Touring Event: A couple of options for today. An earlier start for those wanting to travel a bit further on a spirited drive or for those that want to go at a slower pace, a later start and a shorter trip to our luncheon destination at the RACV Country Club at Heasleville. Cost for lunch will be $50.
SUNDAY NIGHT PRESENTATION DINNER TO BE HELD AT THE FAMOUS MCG.Sunday night it’s time to party. The formal presentation dinner is set in the Jim Stynes room at the iconic MCG, included is a tour of the National Sports Museum, a 3 course meal and drinks at $120.00. Prizes, presentations of awards and we expect to party on well into the night.
MONDAY STAYER’S BRUNCH AT THE NOVOTEL ST KILDA OR SELF-DRIVE OPTION ALONG THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD.
Stayer’s Brunch. For those that are not in a hurry to get on the road we have arranged a relaxing morning at the Novotel St Kilda where we can catch up and say our final goodbyes. Brunch is at own cost. Great Ocean Road: The Great Ocean Road is an iconic road that hugs the southern coastline of Victoria! You can travel this famous piece of tarmac at your leisure as a self-drive option.
We look forward to seeing you in Melbourne in 2019! Please register your interest and any questions to nationals@bmwccv.com.au
The most beautiful motorcycle classics will once again attract two-wheeler fans from all over the world to Cernobbio in Northern Italy between 24th and 26th May 2019. Once again, a unique collection of elite rare beauties from different eras of vehicle history will come together at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2019 in the parkland of Villa Erba located on the shores of Lake Como. The Concorso di Motociclette is one of the spectacular attractions of the event for public spectators and contributes to the distinguished character of the show presenting rare classic vehicles. For the ninth time, it will be a fixed element of the exclusive beauty contest for historic vehicles that will this year celebrate its 90th anniversary.
This year’s weekend of classics is represented by the motto “The Symphony of Engines – 90 Years of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este & BMW Automobiles.” to match this and another anniversary. As the organisers, BMW Group Classic and the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este present particularly sensational automobiles and two-wheeled chart toppers from all eras of vehicle history: motorcycles which are not only admirable as exhibition items but are also roadworthy in almost all cases. They demonstrate this on the Street Run when the participants parade in convoy on the Saturday from the parklands of Villa Erba through the streets of Cernobbio to the grounds of the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este where all the motorcycles taking part in the competition are presented to the public on the shores of Lake Como. On the Sunday, the two-wheelers are the focus of attention at Villa Erba where they are presented to thousands of visitors.
In 2019, the Concorso di Motociclette also offers a fascinating overview of the history of motorised transport on two wheels. As usual, the Selecting Committee applies a great deal of care in choosing the rare gems from all over the world. The motorcycles permitted to line up on the starting grid here all need to have an impressive and exclusive history.
The rare gems on two wheels will compete in five award categories for the favour of the Jury. The Selecting Committee has already defined four vehicle classes for the contest:
This category harks back to the year 1969, which was a very special year in motorcycle manufacture. Big-bore machines with two, three and four cylinders fuelled the motorcycle boom during the 1960s even further. Brands like BMW, Honda, BSA, Kawasaki, Laverda, Moto Guzzi, Norton and Triumph were the key protagonists at the time.
In the 1950s, motorcycle racing attracted hundreds of thousands of fans throughout Europe. Anyone with the necessary financial means could even have a racing machine built with a roadgoing license at their local dealership. Alongside the successful brands produced in the 1960s, manufacturers like FN, Gilera, Jawa and Velocette were also popular.
Emperors, kings, heads of state – were always accompanied by motorcycle escorts when they came on a state visit – a ceremony recalled by this competition class. Manufacturers like BMW, Honda, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi and Triumph delivered specialist model versions with special equipment such as side panniers, radio equipment, pennant holders, and running boards instead of footrests.
Exceptional motorcycle studies have now become a tradition at Villa Erba. As in the last two years, there will also be a dedicated class for the most unusual and spectacular two-wheeled concepts from motorcycle manufacturers as well as from independent designers.
The definition of these four vehicle classes opens the nomination phase for the Concorso di Motociclette 2019. Owners of exceptional historic motorcycles are invited to apply for a place in the beauty contest – irrespective of whether or not their vehicle matches one of the categories already defined. The other categories in the contest will be announced later.
For online registration, you can go to the official website at http://concorsodeleganzavilladeste.com.
Entry tickets and visitor packages can also already be booked there now.
BMW PRESS CLUB
On Sunday the 14th October Hawthorn BMW were lucky enough to be given the opportunity of visiting the 2018 Motor Classica event. Riley and Sally both attended and found the experience educational, motivational and overall fantastic. It was very fortunate to be able to go along to see all the different cars especially being exposed to a bit of BMW history. It was a great feeling to be a part of the BMW Driver’s Club Melbourne display and to show off one of our very own special vehicles amongst the wide variety of BMW vehicles. We want to thank BMWDCM for the experience and opportunity and cannot wait for all our future engagements.
Riley Aickin | Member #175 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
Since joining the Bell Motorsport family, I have been increasing my knowledge of Motorsport and upgrading my CAMS licences to suit the areas I wish to volunteer in.
To start with, I did the basic General Officials licence which is an online module. It allowed me to help in a general capacity at any event. I also got my Working With Childrens Check done, as all CAMS officials now need one.
After falling into an administration role, I found this was one area I loved and enjoyed, so I upgraded to my bronze. This involved another online module and an assessment at an event by a recognised CAMS assessor.
Shortly following this I upgraded to my Bronze Circuit Licence, which involved a 2-day stint on a flag point at a State level event. I did this at an August Access Phillip Island race meeting, being assessed by VFT. While out there I found I really was enjoying this role and joined as a volunteer flag marshal. VFT (Victorian Flag Marshalling) are a great group of poeple and welcomed me with open arms. They set me up on a 10-day training schedule, where you get accessed by your peers and officials after the event has been completed. This has allowed me to volunteer at V8 rounds and get up close and personal to some amazing racing.
My final upgrade was Bronze Event command, which was assessed at Haunted Hills early this year, and it was also preceded by an online module. Event command (Clerk of Course) is basically the head of the event so you oversee all the other officials and volunteers and control the event, along with the Event Secretary.
This past weekend both Graeme and I volunteered to help at the AROCA 12-hour regularity event at Winton Motor Raceway and it was a busy weekend with lots to keep us on our toes. Graeme was the Chief Scrutineer for the event, so he was busy Friday afternoon until the end of the event on Sunday afternoon.
I was officially in administration, so that meant check in on Friday and Saturday morning but a few weeks before the event. A few weeks before the event I also volunteered to assist with flagging as well. This I was able to do after lunch on Saturday once I had managed to get all drivers checked in and all the team manager packs back. I also received a lovely note from a team to say thank you for my efforts.
Once my administration assistance was done, I was put on turn 9, which is just at the back of the track, after the cleavage and was kept extremely busy blue flagging and black flag relaying, calling defects on cars.
Sunday, we went out at 8.15am and were out on points all day until 4 pm. Some of us were on our own, others had trainees helping. Sunday was massive and by the end of the day I hardly had a voice left with so many different calls back to Race Control, but I loved it.
These events are amazing and without volunteers they don’t happen. I urge you to come along to anyone of our motorsport events and talk to us or anyone else that is volunteering and see if there is any area you might be able to help in.
To become an official there is not cost but your time. I find it very rewarding and love every part of it and only wish I could do more.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice there are plenty of areas at a motorsport event for all sorts of people, we would love more helpers to allow senior officials the chance to dedicate themselves to making the event run smoothly.
Jo Mawson | Member #2 - Vice President BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
I have to admit I couldn’t hide my delight when the BMW Drivers Club Melbourne invited me to be a part of the club’s “Motorclassica” display. I felt flattered to be asked to bring not just one of my Beemers, but two.
Sure, it was a slight logistical headache, to get both cars into the Exhibition Building (having to jump-start one of them just as we where due to head in added to my grey hairs) but good friends are always available to assist, and due to the timing of it, I had to enlist two helpers, one for the drive in, then and another for the return journey.
Being (practically) retired, I have a lot of spare time, so also took the opportunity to volunteer at this automotive extravaganza. I was excited to go there each day, flash my pass, and walk around like I owned the place.
Although our display was outside, watching the owners prepare their magnificent showpieces inside, was a lesson in car detailing. The shine on some of these precious, timeless and often irreplaceable machines was a sight to behold, with lustrous paint and shiny chrome work that you could see your face in (scary…) The detail in the presentation of these wondrous pieces of “movable art” was as miniscule as using small, fine brushes and cotton buds. Maybe that one small crevice that didn’t get attention was the difference between winning and losing.
The upstairs area was constantly a buzz as well, with displays limited to the smaller, (and no doubt lighter) cars such as Isetta’s and Gogomobiles, plus a large array of pristine vintage Motorcycles. Most of the businesses pedaling their services, and food stalls and coffee stands also were housed in the second level.
Outside, there was a large marquee serving any number of refreshing beverages, both alcoholic and otherwise, coffee, ice creams and delicious meals. The shade and the seating it provided was a welcome escape from the constant sunshine each day.
I spent roughly 5 or 6 hours on site on each of the three days. With so much going on all the time, and people everywhere to either assist or just to talk with, I truly felt like I was in my element.
There were lots of people swarming around our collection of BMW Beauties, both old and new. A lot of intelligent questions were asked (plus the occasional SILLY ONE!!) notwithstanding, the comments were always complimentary, and the stares and sighs, and long loving glances at Bavaria’s finest was a constant common denominator. Although many seemed to lust after my E9 3.0 Csi, I think the car that most couldn’t go past was the delightful Black E30 M3 parked next to me, and to be brutally honest, it constantly had my adoring glances as well.
The days seem to fly by, and all to soon it was over, with only 361 days until it comes around again, so mark it on your calendars now.
Special thanks has to go to Lawrence Glynn for arranging our clubs inclusion, and planning the whole thing with his customary military precision. As for me, I feel privileged to have been a part of it, and look forward to next years event, scheduled for 11-13th October 2019.
Steve Garth | Member #40 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
The legendary series of Automobile Artworks is coming to Munich. At the new special exhibition entitled “BMW Art Cars | How a vision became reality.” visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the World of BMW Art Cars at the BMW Museum. Between 10 October 2018 and February 2019, they will be able to admire seven out of the 19 vehicles in existence. Apart from the first four Art Cars known at the “Big Four” executed by the artists Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol, the rolling sculpture #17 by Jeff Koons will also be on show. Another highlight of the exhibition is provided with the latest BMW Art Cars #18 by Chinese video artist Cao Fei and #19 by US artist John Baldessari as these cars celebrate their premiere in Europe and take the legendary series forward. The special exhibition also salutes the work of the French originator Hervé Poulain. As an auctioneer and racing driver, he always straddled the worlds of art and motor sport. He created a link between the two genres with his idea of establishing a synthesis between art and motor sport that has continued to this day. The exhibition presents a range of documents from his collection alongside works from the visual arts with themes dedicated to motor sport.
Cao Fei and John Baldessari are following in the footsteps of their illustrious predecessors as the youngest artist and the oldest artist. They were selected by a Jury made up of museum directors and curators to design the latest artworks to join the collection – two BMW M6 GT3 automobiles. The 40-year-old Chinese artist Cao Fei links video art with 3D animations along with elements of virtual reality to present scenes of social watershed in her home country. Her BMW Art Car #18 finished in carbon black reflects the speed of change taking place in China and the traditions and future of this country. She takes the collection into the 21st century with the first BMW Art Car combined with an Augmented Reality-Video.
The work of US artist John Baldessari has ranked among the pioneering achievements of contemporary art since the 1960s. The legend of American conceptual art has implemented his famous hallmark in the 19th BMW Art Car, and as a confirmed minimalist he has worked exclusively with the colours red, yellow, blue and green. The BMW Art Car #17 created by Jeff Koons in the form of the BMW M3 GT2 makes a strikingly gaudy impact at the special exhibition and represents a Pop Art hommage to Koons’ role model Andy Warhol with a lively mix of graphic designs, vivacious colours and representations of speed and explosive forces.
The “big four” made their contributions thanks to Hervé Poulain’s contacts with the most significant Pop Art exponents of their time. On his initiative, the US artist Alexander Calder painted a 480 hp BMW 3.0 CSL in powerful colours and gave it elegantly curved surfaces in 1975. Hervé Poulain himself drove this car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1975. The artwork created by New Yorker Frank Stella in the following year similarly lined up on the starting grid at Le Mans in 1976. Pop Art legend Andy Warhol followed suit by immortalising his contribution in an artwork with a highly individual approach. By contrast with his predecessors, he did not first construct a true scale model of the vehicle before handing over the final design to his assistants. In 1979, he himself painted the BMW M1 Group 4 automobile from start to finish. He accomplished this in just 28 minutes. When the camera teams arrived to film the action, the artwork was almost completed. Only the final brushstrokes could be documented on film.
Other renowned artists from different countries and art genres have designed BMW series automobiles and racing cars, including Austrian painter Ernst Fuchs (1982), Spanish architect and sculptor César Manrique (1990) and British painter and draughtsman David Hockney (1995), before US artist Jeff Koons concluded the series for the time being with his Art Car #17 in 2010. The legendary series looks back on a history lasting more than 40 years and it has been continued with the BMW Art Cars #18 and #19. The Art Cars are now being presented at the special exhibition in the BMW Museum and this heritage can be experienced until February 2019.
On a Tuesday night where it would have been easier to stay home because of the poor weather conditions, we had a great evening at the October Members Meeting at Essendon BMW.
The new showroom looked fantastic, it was great to see the new BMWs and MINIs up close and personal. The staff who stayed behind on their own time also made us feel very welcome and were happy to answer any questions we had.
It was fantastic to see some new faces, with some of our new members attending. "As a new member to the club, it was a pleasure to meet ... some of the other members. to my delight I also won the door prize (car detailing kit) and have put it to good use in keeping my car looking as good as the day I bought it. All in all, it was a great night..." - Constandinos Tzovlas (#121).
Thank you to Essendon BMW for having us, the new dealership is fantastic. We can't wait to visit again soon!
The Committee | BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
It was a marvellous day for a car drive Clear skies and big yellow sun Twisty roads made me feel so a-live Out of town and we’re having some fun.
We’re on a club drive, we’re going to Healesville The straight route would take hours one But we’re taking the back roads for some thrill It’s the best way to get from Brighton.
And all the great feeling that you get from B M And all the sheer pleasure you get, from them And we just had one more car drive with you, our club.
With sincere apologies to Van Morrison’s Moondance but I couldn’t think of any better way to start the article!
Yes, this is the club drive from Brighton BMW’s highly impressive new facilities to the Healesville Sanctuary via some interesting roads, thanks to Peter William’s route plotting skills.
The new showrooms are double storey and spotlessly clean, neither of which applied to the new car dealerships of my acquaintance when I started driving in the 1970’s, so things have moved on a lot since then.
And if you are after an M-car they have a special area upstairs just for that, which is where they served us morning tea with yummy cakes etc and the now staff operated café coffee machine downstairs – no more push button automated systems, this is proper coffee.
In fact, the whole ambience is that of a very upmarket shopping mall, although not too many of those would move 100 designer items per month at $50,000+ per item. And its that sales volume which dictate a much larger delivery area which can easily hold 5 cars – the average sales being 4.25 per day!
Servicing has also had a huge upgrade with spacious well light work areas and a mixture of more traditional four post hoists and easier to work around scissor lift hoists. With the Express Lane system your car can be serviced while you wait and, if you want to, you can even watch and stand under you car in two specially designed service bays with the technician explained what they are doing and what all the bits and bobs are under there.
Suitably refreshed and impressed we headed off through the traffic to the city limits and some twisty roads. As the road opened out and climbed the views started to unfold before us and the traffic thinned, allowed for a bit of responsible spirited driving at times and an excellent opportunity to evaluate the X2 lent to Shaaron and I as part of the Royal Children’s Hospital fund raising prize from Good Friday.
And we certainly picked the right day for the drive as the weather was glorious and just the right day for fun drive enjoyed by our members..
Lawrence Glynn | Member #3 BMW Drivers Club Melbourne
MONTH IN REVIEW
September kicked off with AROCA Sprints at Sandown, with a fantastic turn out of BMWDCM members and we were pretty lucky. The rain held off for most of the day and we managed to get most of our sessions in under dry conditions. Special thanks to Phil Kolar, who attends many of our track days with his son Blake, for cooking up a storm with Jo Mawson – the egg and bacon rolls for breakfast the sausages etc for lunch and coffee all day was fantastic! Read more about the Sprint day here.
Our September members meeting was at Makulu Vehicle Storage. Thank you to Clive and Jesse for putting on a fantastic night. Read more about our night here.
On 22 September we started our day at Brighton BMW's new facility with a guided tour and a scrumptious morning tea. We were then led to Healesville Sanctuary by Peter Williams on a fantastic drive for a fun day at the Sanctuary.
Some of our members also attended the VACC Centennial display in Bendigo. It was a beautiful day with 100 cars from 100 years. Read more about the Centennial display here.
MEMBERSHIP UPDATE: 230 MEMBERS
Welcome to all our new members, we can't wait to welcome you in person at the next event!
For more about our month, catch up with our September update from Graeme Bell here.
THE MONTH AHEAD
EVENTS NOT TO MISS!
This is not just for the 8 Series Register but an open Show N Shine day for all members whether you have a BMW or not. Followed by lunch, some fun and games and watch the great race on the big screen.
Although we will be having a feature display of the spectacular 8 Series cars, we would like you to come along and bring your beauty. We are looking for special cars in the club to come out be shown off regardless of condition.
You can even choose to join us after for Lunch, Cup Sweeps and some fun in Steeple’s Restaurant. Click here for more information, to register and find out how we judge the winning vehicles.
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We are very lucky to have received support from Bendigo Bank, Mornington. Bendigo Bank Mornington are offering fantastic deals for our members. If you're interested in finding out more about this new partnership, click here.
President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296 Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900 Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290 Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.
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