Dear members,

This year we didn’t have much of a break over the Christmas/New Year period because we wanted to keep on doing the events we all love whilst the weather is great and while the Covid conditions continue to allow us to run events. As we have seen over the last two years, things can change in an instant.

2022 kicked off with our first event at Philip Island on 16 January - round 1 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship.  This event was very well attended, the weather was amazing, and it was also the first time we got to show off our newly wrapped club trailer/HQ.  Over 30 BMWs hit the track and lots of smiles were on faces as they left the track. 

18 January was our Very Important Zoom Meeting where we had over 100 members log in to hear some very special news.  The first item on the agenda was to show off our newly wrapped mobile club HQ/Trailer which we are very proud of.  The second item on the agenda was to announce that our Jo had been awarded the Clubs Australia Award of excellence last year, this award was for 2020 but is always awarded in the year following.  Jo has also been award a Motorsport Australia Service Award for 2021 and this year due to COVID there will not be a live presentation but a video presentation which will be streamed on Facebook on 23 February at 7pm.  More details will follow once we know the full details of the live feed.   We are very proud of Jo and it is fantastic she is being recognised for her efforts and volunteer work, not just by us or BMW Clubs Australia, but by Motorsport Australia too. Well done, Jo.

We also mentioned at the Very Important Zoom Meeting that we are now the second largest BMW Car Club in Australia! In only 3 years, 8 months and 2 weeks, our Club has gone from an idea to the biggest Victorian BMW Car Club, and we are continuing to grow. It continues to amaze me the way the Club has grown, but it shouldn’t. Like they say, build something good and they will come. Together we have all built an amazing Club, with a true family atmosphere and a friendly and welcoming ambience at every event we run. Well done and thank you all for joining or family.

The final and most important announcement on the night, was that our little club, which is not too little now currently at 669 members, was awarded BMW International Club of the Year for 2021.  This award has only been given to 8 clubs worldwide previously and we are now #9 and the first club in Australia to be awarded.  I am so very, very proud of our Club.

It cannot be underestimated, what this award means. It is recognition and affirmation of what we already knew, that we are members of the best BMW Club in the World. This is not something that is given lightly or even every year. Once a club is nominated it has to be scrutinised by both the BMW Clubs International Council and BMW Clubs and Community Management in Munich and takes a year to be decided upon and awarded. It is a huge honour that recognises not only the Club and it’s members activities, but the way the Club represents the values and the ideals of the BMW brand, how we interact with other clubs, how we give back to the community and our charitable and volunteer work. Each and every member of our Club should feel proud that they have played a role in us being awarded this great honour. As it is each of you that come to events, help out, enjoy the activities and give freely of your time to grow the Club, it is you that have earnt the Award. 

On 26 January we all enjoyed a beautiful day out with 44 members joining in our Australia Day Drive to Marysville.  We started in Officer to then enjoyed another of Peter Williams’ drive routes via some amazing roads through Warburton and arriving in Marysville for a beautiful lunch at the Elevation 423.  Some then stayed and enjoyed the scenery and we had a swim in the stream to cool off as the temperature was quite high. 

On 28 January was our BCCM live link with Munich and again we had a great attendance, and the Munich staff were very impressed with how many logged on.  We were surprised with an announcement that our Club’s Award was already on the Wall of Honour at BMW Classic which we are hoping to be able to visit in person one day.

30 January was our biggest event for the year, German Auto Show.  This event has been in the planning since May 2021 as it was supposed to be held in August 2021, but due to Covid it was held and rescheduled to 30 January.

It turned into the biggest event we have run to date, by far. Picture over 500 German cars, over 1,000 visitors through the gate to have a look, a beautiful Melbourne Summer’s Day, and all up resulting in $10,500 raised for Beyond Blue! What an effort, what a day it was. Thank you to the 30+ volunteers we had helping us on the day, we couldn’t have done it without you and every single one of you deserve a medal.

What a huge month we have already had and there is so much to come in 2022. Keep an eye on the calendar and your emails for upcoming events. We aren’t taking a break, with an evening visit to Berwick BMW this Friday night (4 February), to check out the newly released BMW 2 Series Coupe, then off for a twilight drive through the hills to the Yarra Valley. Should be another fantastic event.

The following weekend we have Round 2 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship, at Sandown on Saturday and Torquay Motor Show on the Sunday, another very busy weekend!

The last weekend in February also sees the first round of the E30 Racing Championship at Sandown. It would be great to see a lot of you come along and cheer on our members that will be racing there, be sure to come and say hello if you do. The Club Mobile HQ will be there, so you will be able to find us.

There are lots more events coming for you to enjoy through February and with other huge events, like the Geelong Revival Show and the BMW Club Nationals in Canberra both in March, the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix, weekends away and all the other events you love, 2022 will be our biggest, busiest, and best year yet and I look forward to sharing it all with you.

Drive safe and see you soon.

Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.

P.O. Box 81, TYABB   VIC   3913
Incorporated in Victoria #A0102695G
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc is a member of: BMW Clubs Australia and the BMW Clubs International Council
Motorsport Australia Affiliated Motorsport Club