We are very pleased to welcome Julie Ahern into the Committee Support role of Dealer Liaison.
Julie is a highly experienced marketing and advertising professional who has spent many years running her own successful marketing agency. With a strong background in marketing strategy, promotions and client management, Julie prides herself on outstanding customer service skills.
A proud BMW X1 owner, Julie is excited to combine her passion for the BMW brand with her professional strengths as she steps into the Dealer Liaison role. She is genuinely looking forward to building relationships and ensuring that every dealer enjoys and exceptional experience.
The Festival of Motoring at Cruden Farm delivered a memorable day of camaraderie, colour, and chrome, beginning well before engines ever reached the paddocks. Our morning kicked off with a swift rendeavour at the local Hungry Jacks, where caffeine flowed freely and Lawrence set the tone with a clear and enthusiastic briefing on our display plans for the day. With bellies full and expectations high, the group was ready to roll.
Departing in an orderly fashion, we made our way towards Cruden Farm, anticipation building with every kilometre. Entry was made via a long and winding track that felt like a ceremonial approach rather than a driveway. It was the perfect prelude to what awaited us. Upon arrival, vehicles were parked in precise formation, transforming our allocated space into a cohesive and eye-catching exhibit. Club flags were raised, individual vehicle posters positioned, and our BMWs proudly stood shoulder to shoulder, gleaming in the summer light.
Surrounding us was an extraordinary cross-section of motoring history and passion. From the unmistakable presence of Singer, Jensen Interceptor, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, and Bentley, to the character and charm of Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Volvo, Rover, and Austin Healey, the variety was immense. German engineering sat comfortably alongside Ford, Holden, Mercedes, Volkswagen, custom builds, vintage vehicles, and countless other marques, each telling its own story.
The Festival of Motoring once again proved why it holds a special place on the calendar, not just as a car show, but as a celebration of the people, friendships, and shared pride that make the automotive community thrive and support the Redkite Charity supporting families facing childhood cancer.
Michael Mimmo #515
As we close out another remarkable year at BMW Drivers Club Melbourne, I want to take a moment to reflect on the wonderful spirit, generosity, and camaraderie that define our community.
We, personally, have had some challenges the last year and it is our friends and family in this community that keep stepping up to help when needed and offering the support we all need from time to time. For all of you that have called or messaged or dropped in to see how we are, you have no idea how great that feels. So thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. It reaffirms how wonderful our club is, and you are all a part of it.
December brought us one of the most enjoyable events of the year – our Christmas Show & Shine and family picnic on the 7th. We were treated to a fantastic turnout, with an impressive array of cars gleaming in the sunshine and creating a display that truly showcased the pride and passion of our members. Even more importantly, together we raised a much needed $1350 for Prostate Cancer Research, a cause close to many hearts.
The atmosphere on the day was simply brilliant. Nearly everyone walked away with a prize from this year’s raffle, and the smiles, laughter, and festive cheer made it a day to remember. My heartfelt thanks go to every volunteer who helped the event run so smoothly. Your time, effort, and willingness to pitch in are what make days like this possible.
As we head into the New Year, Jo and I want to wish each of you a very happy and safe New Year. We look forward to seeing you all soon, though it may be a little later than usual for us. My treatment for throat cancer begins on the 5th of January, so for the first few months of the year we may not be as present at events as we would like. We appreciate your understanding and support during this time, and we will be around whenever we can.
For those with CPS vehicles, please remember that while Jo and I may be less available in person, renewals will continue as normal. You can renew via email, download and complete (but do not sign!) the Club Endorsement Form and email to cpsrenewals@bmwdcm.com.au , or, if electronic is a challenge post the CPS renewal form as received from VicRoads along with a stamped self-addressed envelope to 11 Jean Place, Grovedale, VIC 3216 and we will ensure they are processed promptly.
A sincere thank you to our generous sponsors throughout 2025. Your support means the world to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2026 as we continue building a strong, vibrant, and inclusive club community.
Our online merchandise stocks are fully up to date, so if you’re looking for new items over the break, feel free to place an order through our online store. We’ll have your items posted out as quickly as possible.
As many of you enjoy some well‑earned downtime with family and friends, please take care on the roads and drive safely. For those who continue working through the holiday period, thank you for keeping the wheels turning – quite literally.
Thank you all for your friendship, your enthusiasm, and your unwavering support throughout the year. Being part of this club is a privilege, and Jo and I are grateful for each and every one of you.
Take care, enjoy the break, and we look forward to seeing you in 2026.
Warmest regards,
Graeme Bell | President
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne Inc.
PO 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
Many Thanks to Lawrence for organising tonights Coffee & Chat in Geelong. A great group of Enthusiasts. Lots of discussion, most of it car orientated. And several very interesting cars to look at.
Reinhold Schutz #701
Absolutely perfect day for our end of year Show and Shine and Xmas get together.Sun is shining, lots of cars and people coming in to share in the day.
Winners of the Show and Shine were : Under 120,000 kms Paul Caruso 1982 BMW E21 Alipna C1 2.3 Over 120,000 kms Simon Wilkins 2001 BMW E39 5 Series Non-BMW Matthew White 1935 Singer Bantan Special People's Choice award Matt Kenny BMW 840 Ci Our thanks to the Show and Shine Jdges Igor Kay, Luke Devlin, Jess Palmer, Daniel Roberts, Steve Garth, Russell Eastaway.
Thank you for another wonderful year of our amazing club. Look forward to seeing you again in 2026.
As part of BMW's "Neue Klasse" (New Class) step change in its product portfolio they have introduced a new BMW "Roundel" logo.
You have too look hard to tell the differences but the main change is to strip out the "chrome", which is line with the overall design language which is cleaner and uses much less fussy detail.
The badge differs from the logo used in letterheads, media etc.
You can read the history of the logo here and, no, it never was a propeller!
November was a month full of adventure, camaraderie, and memorable moments for our club. As we head into summer we look forward to longer days and sunny days. Perfect for getting out and enjoying our cars and our get togethers.
Canberra Adventure
We kicked things off in November with a large group of intrepid travellers heading off on a 10 day adventure to Canberra. Along the way, we detoured through the Snowy Mountains, where the Alpine Coaster at Thredbo gave us all a thrill and plenty of laughs. There was even some snow still on the hills up there. Canberra itself proved once again to be a fantastic city, with some truly amazing driving roads to enjoy. It was wonderful to have a friend from the NSW club join us for part of the trip, and equally special to catch up with our Canberra mate from E30 Racing. You can read more about the fun we had here.
Sandown Historic Racing & Calder E30 Round
While we were away in ACT, a group of our enthusiasts proudly represented the club with a display at Sandown Historic Racing. A big thank you to Simon Wilkins for picking up the banners and flags and flying the club colours while we were gone. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, our members were racing at Calder for the final round of E30 Racing. We managed to watch the races on Blend line TV and Jo provided lively commentary as we drove home through some spectacular roads, making the experience even more enjoyable. Read the report here.
Challenge Bathurst
As the month drew to a close, members travelled to Bathurst to take part in Challenge Bathurst. I’m proud to say we had entries joining our group from across the east coast and South Australia, and equally proud of the volunteers who gave up their time to help run this iconic event. Without officials and volunteers, none of these events would be possible, so thank you to each and every one of you. Especially since our medical issues prevented Jo and I heading up again. I was very disappointed not to be up there again this year. This is a fantastic event and about the only way any of us normal people can get to drive one of the best racetracks in the world, as fast as you like. For information on how to get on track at Bathurst feel free to chat to Jo or myself. But here is what happened.
Midweek & Twilight Drives
With the weather warming up and the days growing longer, midweek drives returned to the calendar. A great group headed off to Lorne for a mid-week evening drive, enjoying fantastic cars, great company, and a beautiful night. Our final drive for the month was a Twilight Drive to Panton Hill, which sold out quickly and proved to be a huge success. These later drives are clearly becoming more popular, and we’ll look at adding more of them in the future as the weather warms up and the evenings get longer.
Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship
November wrapped up with Round 8 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship. It was a pleasure to be out there supporting potential new racers, and I even had the chance to conduct a couple of OLTs (Observed Licence Tests) on the day.
A Personal Note
As I mentioned earlier, sadly, Jo and I were unable to attend Challenge Bathurst this year. Jo was rushed into hospital the week before with kidney stones and required emergency surgery. She has two more surgeries scheduled over the next month, so her journey isn’t over yet. Before heading to Canberra, I also discovered a lump in my throat, which was later diagnosed as cancer of the left tonsil. With this news, we had to make the difficult but necessary decision to put our health first. Knowing that Lawrence and the team were officiating at Bathurst gave us peace of mind that everything would be well looked after.
I have spent a few days at various hospitals over the last two weeks, having pan-endoscopy, biopsies, PET and CT scans and talking to specialists, next week we meet with them again to set the plan of attack to treat the cancer and move forward. Looking like Chemo and Radiology, so I might be out of action for a few weeks.
We are both determined to face these challenges head on, and while there may be times when we’re out of action, we’ll continue to support the club as much as we can. The strength of our community and the generosity of our volunteers remind us why this club is so special. Thank you all for your emails, calls and texts of support, it really is comforting to know we have so many friends in our corner.
Looking Ahead – December & Beyond
December brings a quieter schedule as we head into Christmas. Our annual Christmas Show & Shine at Cruden Farm is just around the corner, and we’d love to see as many members as possible there. Helpers are still needed, so please put your hand up if you can assist—it’s not too late to register and bring the whole family along.
We’ll finish the year with a relaxed Coffee & Chat (used to be called donuts!) night in Geelong, the perfect way to wind down after a busy season.
Events to Diary in 2026
Final Thoughts
As 2025 draws to a close, I can’t help but reflect on what an incredible year it has been. From epic road trips to thrilling race days, BMW’s 1-2 at the Bathurst 12 Hour, from casual coffee catch ups to twilight drives, we’ve shared so many experiences that embody the spirit of our club.
Last but not least our fantastic BMW Clubs Australia Nationals that was one to remember.
I had hoped to finish the year with good health news, but life has given Jo and I another journey to navigate. Even so, we remain grateful—grateful for the support of our members, the dedication of our volunteers, and the friendships that make this club feel like family.
Please remember to check that your CPS registrations and membership renewals are paid up. With the silly season upon us, it’s easy to forget, and we’d hate for anyone to have their registration cancelled due to a missed payment. We are all volunteers and deserve some time off over Christmas, so if your Club Permit is coming due get it to us early rather than last minute for a signature as we may well be away over the break and you will then have to wait to get it signed.
Thank you all for being part of this wonderful community. Here’s to a joyful Christmas, a happy New Year, and an exciting 2026 ahead.
Don't be put off by the hints of rain in the above photograph. Thanks to the vagaries of Victoria's weather our drive was rain free, although some roads were damp and best treated with caution.
We did not totally escape the ironies of life as the start point Peter had changed us to, in order to avoid the crowds at the original location which failed to materialise, turned out to be very crowded thanks to an unforseen market/fair. However, we all made it out in a reasonably tight group.
The first leg took us to Yarra Glen along pleasant and interesting roads, as expected from a Peter Williams drive.
We had short "comfort" stop which seemed to include a fair bit of chat before the second leg to the Panton Hill Hotel. This leg included some more challenging, but still open enough, roads the best of which were along the slightly greasy Buttermans Track. Thanks to our use of the TourBoss app and radios, no one was pressured to go faster than was comfortable in a vain attempt to keep up.
The pub was very busy (always is apparently which is a good sign) but we had a deck all to ourselves so no shortage of space. The good was excellent and the company even better.
And, yes, the rain did catch up with us but only after a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
We were fortunate to enjoy a beautiful, bright, and sunny spring evening for our drive to Lorne.
This mid-week outing proved to be both exciting and demanding for BMW enthusiasts, featuring lots of twisty roads and breathtaking scenery—at least for those able to glance away from the wheel.
Once again, Lawrence expertly organized a fantastic drive, culminating at the Lorne Hotel along the Great Ocean Road, where we were treated to spectacular views, excellent company, and delicious food, making the event truly unforgettable.
Thank you Lawrence,
Cheers
Terry and Anne Lane #965 and #1112
Australia is a notoriously flat continent where any hill bigger than a pimple can be called a mount or mountain. Not so around Bathurst, lying in the remnents of the Blue Mountains which are part of the mighty if somewhat mis-named Great Dividing Range (not technically a range).
For here lies Mount Panorama, so named because of the spectacular views which caused the Bathurst City Council to construct a road up and across the mountain to take advantage of said views. This is no pimple but a proper mountain and the road is now world famous as the Bathurst Mount Panorama Motor Racing Circuit, iconic and one of the most challenging tracks in the world. So when an motorsport event primarily aimed at amateurs is organising here, the name Challenge Bathurst is both entirely apt and a bit of a warning.
Such a magical track, take a look at the photo - the track starts about level with where I stand and climbs steeply (far more so than it appears on TV) above and across the "Mount Panorama" cut into the hillside, and then plunges down again just as steeply. All using normal public roads (closed obviously and well surfaced but narrow). One of the few, maybe now the only, internationally certified tracks where the entire competition layout can be driven on public roads.
I spent the first two days (Thursday and Friday) flag marshaling, my first "proper" flag marshalling in over 50 years!
Day one was just past the exit of the dipper which is narrow and fast, we could almost touch the cars as they skimmed the wall at our feet. Tricky to pick an impending overtake (blue flag) but fortunately no incidents in our section (yellow flag). {Other flag colours are available for specific duties!}
Day two was at the end of Conrod Straight entering The Chase. Breathtaking speeds (300+ km/h or or 190 mph) in a "gentle" bend creating enough g-force to really tilt even stiffly sprung race sedans on their suspension, followed by hard hard braking. Tremendous. The closing speed between some competitors meant a blue flag well before an overtake and the sheer speed meant watching the next flag point down the track so as to mirror their yellow to provide enough time for the driver to react.
2 incidents, including a monster trip across the gravel trap shown here and the one on the other side of the track, ending in a roll over (no injuries), showed just how quickly things go wrong and the vital role of marshals in ensuring it does not get worse and is dealt with efficiently and safely.
And there is the communication back to race control - flag points are the eyes and ears on the track and vital to not only the safety of all but the efficient running of the event.
On our feet and on our toes all day, but what a great 2 days.
Saturday was spent in the pit garages with our group of 17 cars (out of a session of up to 55 cars). For reasons unknown the PA was not working in any of the garages and the paddock PA could just about be heard inside but not understood. Time passes quickly and missing the call to driver's briefing or dummy grid can be disasterous. I was able to help out a little by keeping an eye on the clock and stepping into the paddock to hear the PA. Apart from getting a car left over from Thurs/Fri evicted from one garage things went pretty smoothly and the rain stayed away.
I was very impressed by both the lap times and the comradeship of our group. As best as I could tell there was a lot of respect out on track even if that was not always reciprocated by others in the same session.
The Saturday and Sunday sessions were Regularity, one point for every 1/10 of a second slower than your nominated time, 2 points for every 1/10 faster. Chris Price, in his M140i, from BMW Car Club Queensland is to be congratulated as the winner of (at least) our session (Group D) with a mere 41 points in total from 4 20 minute sessions.
Our group was well represented in the top part of the results so good work all round.
Lawrence Glynn #3
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