Event date: 02 April 2021

The BMW Drivers Club Melbourne recently arranged a gathering at the Sandown race track to collect and raise money for The Royal Children's Good Friday Appeal.  The weather was wonderful and Sandown is an excellent facility to host an event of this nature.   It is so well located and offers endless acres of lawned parking. A special thank you to Sandown for offering this facility as their donation to the cause.

The BMWDCM invited other clubs to participate including the Mercedes Car Club and Saab Club, this event also attracted members of the public who just wanted to show off their cars and enjoy the day.

A total of over 80 cars were on display. The final dollar amount raised will come in a few weeks once the tins have been collected and counted. 

Participating in this event, alerted me to the selfless effort our club executive put in to make these events happen.  They work tirelessly and endlessly to allow  the members to participate in a wide choice of events catering for many tastes and needs. 

Well done to the organisers and on behalf of all the members of BMW Drivers Club Melbourne, please accept our heartfelt thanks for all you do.  I am proud to be part of this wonderful organisation.

Clive Massel | Member #15
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

The weather certainly smiled on us on Good Friday when we gathered on Red Hill at the Sandown race course. It was a beautiful warm autumn day, no clouds, just a light breeze, green grass to park upon and no dust; a perfect day to peruse the examples of our favourite marque presented by members and their guests. It was also great weather for top-down motoring and so cabrios were present in profusion, with their lids off.

The ambience was very relaxed. Members chatted to other owners about their cars and their restoration experiences. Some folk picnicked on the lush grass that had been well-watered from the recent rains.

We were joined by friends from the Mercedes Benz club. They also mounted a fine display of interesting machines. And we were pleased to welcome a few other classy examples of the car makers' art; among them a 'Lambo', a Corvette Stingray and a couple of Swedish prestige models. The only unfortunate absence was the lack of any BMW bikes on display. Perhaps next time?

A fair number of the cars were on club plates but quite a few were still too young to qualify. That doesn't mean they are not interesting. Auto-engineering development and progress is always inspiring to those who love automobiles.

And just when I think I know a modicum about the history of BMW models, a lineup like this brings me back to reality. Apart from the major model changes, upgrades and introductions there have been so many tweaks, facelifts, engine options and special offerings that it seems unlikely even the most ardent enthusiast would be able to identify all of those that have been produced by the company. Learning about these variations and seeing the actual cars is one of the pleasures of being a member of an owner-drivers club.

Some of the examples that caught my eye this time were these:

• A very tidy late 1980s E-30 325i cabriolet. This example is a 5 speed manual, but most of those delivered to Australian customers came with the smaller 2L mill and were automatics. In my none-too-humble opinion the E-30 model convertible is still the prettiest example BMW has ever offered. Perhaps I'm a tad biased as I also drive one.
• The early 1980s BMW 325e E-30 Baur convertible. The coachbuilder, Baur, has a long association with BMW. Their 'roll cage' design was originally a BMW approved aftermarket option. It was offered by Baur for the E-21 3 Series but was covered under the factory warranty. Later, BMW built the E-30 convertible design in-house. Baur had developed it for them.
• An elegant 1982 BMW 318i E-21 2-door coupe. The E-21 models were in production for 8 years until 1983 and were the first of the 3 Series. They began with carburetted motors but the later editions were equipped with fuel injection.
• A fine 1970s BMW 2000CS series 4-cylinder manual coupe. These Karmann designed cars were produced for 4 years in the late 1960s. BMW called them part of their “New Class” range. They were intended as a cost-effective replacement for the Bertone-designed 3200CS and they leaned heavily on that design. That may have been the goal but these cars were never inexpensive. You either loved or hated the front end. Most folk were less than enthusiastic about it. The model was superseded by the BMW E-9 range.
• The 1981 BMW 323 E-21 John Player Special. It's always great to see a well kept example from Australian Touring Car Championship history, and from a time when cigarette company sponsorship was not confined to history. The JPS team raced from 1981 to 1987.

Kent Fuller | Member #191
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne

Our Good Friday Appeal display was proudly supported by Sandown Raceway, Makulu Vehicle Storage and Shannons Insurance.