idrive magazine.

Club partners.

Members are welcome to submit their business to be shared on the Club Partners page on our website and idrive magazine. 

We believe in supporting those who support us.  If you would like your business listed email us with your details.

____________________

As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290 
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Proudly supported by:

All Commercial/All Residential Real Estate
Adex Detailing

Bell Motorsport

Berwick BMW

BM Tech

Creative Custom Cars
German Auto Haus

Mornington BMW

Shannons Insurance
South Yarra BMW

Southern BM

Traction Tyres

Waverley BMW

 

Dear members,

Farewell to 2021 and Happy New Year to 2022! I hope the new year brings us all good health and good fortune.

I hope you are all enjoying a break from the craziness that has been the last 12 months and enjoying some family time again, or a trip away for some R&R, like Jo and I are.

December came upon us quicker than we were all expecting, and just like that it is gone, but it has left us with some very good news we will share with you at a very special member Zoom meeting in the second week of January. Keep an eye out for the event notice because it is really one you don't want to miss!

10 December was our first event for the month, which was a twilight drive leaving from Jay Leno Garage Car Products. Thank you to Nev and Evan for putting on a fantastic BBQ with all our members being well fed.  It was great to be able to get to see all the products and also to test drive some on our cars, thanks again guys.  We set off on our drive with Peter Williams at the helm, leading us on another fantastic drive through some roads I had forgotten were even there. One of my favourite parts was going down the Memorial Avenue which has trees dedicated to our fallen soldiers of WW1 and along the old Calder Highway. When I was a child mum used to pack us in the back of the station wagon and head off home to Mildura every chance we got. We must have driven up and down the old Calder hundreds of times. Ah, the memories… We ended at South Werribee beach which was another spot I had not known of and if it had been a warmer evening it would have been lovely to explore, but the winds were cool so we all huddled around our cars and chatted.  It was great to see so many new members attending and some really amazing cars.   Look out for more Twilight drives throughout summer.

On 12 December Jay Leno Garage Products invited us and many other car clubs to join them for a Cars and Coffee morning.  This again was well attended with some great cars on show.

17 December was our live hook up with the BMW Club and Community Management Team, which was at a much more respectable 8pm, so more Australians could attend.   This was not a disappointment and as per usual, we had a great tour of the facility and found out about some amazing things that will be happening in 2022.  Be sure to watch out for these events as they are now going to be held at 8pm so we can all enjoy them.

We have opened EOI for AGP and we have had a massive response to this as per normal.   As mentioned, this is just and expression of interest and not all cars registered will be able to be on display, as we only have 20 spots and we do want a wide range of cars and colours, to make it more interesting. Personally, I’d like to see more M cars too, to help celebrate 50 years of BMW’s M division in 2022.

Some of you may have noticed that Jo and I officiated at the Bathurst 1000 this year.  Wow this was an amazing event and to be in the thick of things officiating was just awesome.  As an official at Supercars events you get well looked after.  At Bathurst we got free camping in the officials’ campground, which is in the middle of the track just behind the pit area, near where all the trucks park.  Each official is given a guest ticket for the whole event, so even if you are wanting to officiate and your partner doesn't they can still attend and join in most of the fun.   You are given breakfast, lunch and some nights dinner - food is no issue, if you come away from this event and you are hungry, I will be very surprised. On hot days you also get ice-creams and plenty of drinks.  They cater for all dietary requirements as well.  You are also given a very smart uniform.  At Bathurst we all got two shirts, a warm jacket, a cap, a bucket hat, thermos flask, diary and much more.  They really do appreciate all the hard work the officials do for them, and they look after you.  I was a scrutineer which enabled me to go pretty much anywhere which was awesome.  I looked after the GT cars and the Supercars.  Jo had it tough and was in the Supercars office, which she said was hard, but someone had to do it (LOL).  She was in the main office above pit straight with her own private balcony, aircon, full catering, you name it, and drivers popping in daily.  We intend to do this and other Supercars events in 2022, Covid permitting, so if you think this would be a great way to watch the race, and it is, make sure you have your Motorsport Australia licence and Working with Children Check and look out for my emails letting you know when the registrations are open. We will be running a few officials training events through the year again, so keep an eye out for them.

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas with your family and friends.  Our hearts go out to those who were not able to be with their loved ones, due to Covid restrictions or any other reason.  I'd also like to extend our sincerest condolences to one of our members who lost his son just before Christmas.

Looking ahead to 2022 - as I mentioned, keep an eye on your emails for notification of our first Zoom event in the second week of January. It will be something very special.

On 16 January we are back into the full swing of things again, with Round 1 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship at Phillip Island.  Entries are open now, so get in quick to avoid missing out!

We are hoping to have a Coffee & Cars meeting at some stage in January, so keep an eye out for your email alerts.

26 January is our Australia Day drive and lunch to Marysville.  There will be prizes handed out for best Australiana car and people.  Join in the fun of the day.

The last Friday night of the month will again be an online event with the BCCM Team in Munich, which will be one not to miss. Put this in your diary and log on at 8pm to hear from BMW Classic in Munich. They will have some very good news for us, so we encourage you all to log in.

30 January is German Auto Show at Sandown Red Hill area.  We really need some officials to attend on the day.  If you are interested, you can register to be an official here. 

If you are wanting to display your vehicle there is still time to get your entries in.  It doesn’t need to be a car, nor a BMW, as long as it is a German vehicle of some description.  Don't forget, this is a car show, not a concours or show and shine, it doesn’t have to be perfect, just wash it and come along and join in the fun and make this a fantastic event to kick off the year.  This is going to be a huge event with plenty of trade stands and food vendors.  If you are wanting accommodation, be sure to give the Park Royal Monash a call and let them know you are attending this event and you are a member of BMWDCM and they will look after you.  We are staying there for a couple of nights this is a great new venue very close to Sandown.

We will also be having our big reveal of our new club trailer at this event.  Some of you may have seen it at the Christmas Show & Shine, but it will be unrecognisable now with its new wrap.

We have also booked in some Driver Training and Come & Try Days for the year ahead.  If you're interested in finding out what all of the motorsport fuss is about, these days are perfect.

In March we also have the return of the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals, hosted by BMW Car Club Canberra.  We have already got a large number of members attending. If you haven't yet registered, we recommend you do so as soon as possible. Many of us are staying at the QT, but it is up to you of course where you want to stay.  We will also be doing a drive up for those who want to do a more scenic drive and then there will be others who will be towing and/or will just do the quickest route up.  This is going to be a great event and there is something on everyday which will suite you all.

We have also released an expression of interest for a first aid course which will be funded by a grant which we have already received.  There will be limited spots and preference will be given to officials of the club. The date and venue will be confirmed early in the new year once the calendar is final.

I would like to also take this opportunity thank Shannon Cooper and his family for their ongoing support of our Welfare team. You may not know but our Welfare team have been doing some great work with some of our members who have been in need.  I am very proud of this group of people, keep up the great work.

We have applied for more Government grants to assist us with making our Come & Try days more affordable for those who would like to attend.  Thank you also to Makulu Vehicle Storage for coming back on board with a scholarship grant for 1 person per Come & Try day.  This will pay for the winning member's entry and day licence.  You will need to provide your own vehicle and safety gear for the track. If you'd like to apply, keep an eye on the entry forms for the Come & Try events.

I would like to thank all our sponsors and advertisers for their support in 2021 and those who have renewed for 2022.  Your support of our club is greatly appreciated. To our members, make sure you mention you are a BMWDCM member if you use any of our sponsors so they see the value in advertising with us.

In 2022 we are hoping to re-visit some of the events which were cancelled due to Covid, such as whale watching in Port Fairy and the Tassie trip.  Look out for emails and keep a check on our calendar throughout the year for updates on these.

Our online store is always open and remember if you are wanting a radio, mic, or antenna before a drive event, be sure to pre order and we will make sure we bring them with us on the day fully charged. The same goes for any merchandise orders, we can deliver them at any event as long as you let us know which event you are wanting to pick them up from.  Postage is also available at an extra cost.

There is limited stock of the Steven Richards BMW GT3 M6, so if you are wanting one, don’t leave your order too long or we will be sold out.  Once all stock is gone, they will not be replaced.  

Looking back at 2021, I am very proud of our club and how we still managed to hold events and interact with all our members either in person or via zoom.  Our membership also reached 650. Considering we have only been up and running for not quite 4 years, this is just astonishing.  Well done to you all and thank you for your ongoing support.

Looking ahead to 2022, we are all praying will be a much better year but I am not too sure with the ever-growing Covid numbers.  Rest assured we will do our best to keep you entertained and engaged with the fantastic events you love, working with the ever-changing covid safe environment we are now living in. 

On behalf of myself and my very hard-working committee, I would like to wish you all a very safe and Happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you all out and about in the new year.  Remember we are a proud BMW Club, but we also love to see your other cars too, so when applicable bring out your other pride and joys too.

Drive safe and I look forward to seeing you in 2022.

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

What is it? Jay Leno’s Garage Car Drying Towel

What does it do? Err, it, well, dries your car. Replaces the long established chamois.

Does it work?  Yes, very well.  It is softer than a chamois, easier to keep clean and soaks up more water needing less wringing out. Unlike a chamois it does not need to be “conditioning” by getting it a little bit wet and softened up.

Is there a snag?  The only drawback is towards the end of drying a larger car it can get properly wet and can not be wrung out to be properly dry again. It will still work but just not quite as well – still as good or better than a chamois by this stage. But if you want to go and dry another car, best get two towels.

In fact, I would suggest two towels anyway and use the second one to dry up any traces left behind, get the water out of crevices, behind trim etc which is almost impossible with a chamois. And you can use this second one for a final buff.

What does it cost?  $33.96 with club discount.

Where can I get it? Online at jaylenosgarage.com.au.

Anything else?  They’re a club sponsor and great people mad keen on cars.

Lawrence Glynn | Member #3
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

The test phase for the BMW M4 GT3 drew to a close in December with the final tests in Daytona (USA). The new GT flagship is now ready for its first races in the hands of BMW M Motorsport teams. First up are the endurance highlights in Dubai (UAE) and Daytona in January 2022.

The test phase for the BMW M4 GT3 drew to a close in December with the final tests in Daytona (USA). The new GT flagship is now ready for its first races in the hands of BMW M Motorsport teams. First up are the endurance highlights in Dubai (UAE) and Daytona in January 2022. BMW Team RLL, Turner Motorsport, Schubert Motorsport and ST Racing have already received their cars ahead of their starts in the two 24-hour races. Meanwhile, delivery of the BMW M4 GT3 continues.

“After all the testing, we can hardly wait for our BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers to finally go head to head with quality opposition on the racetrack,” said Mike Krack, Head of BMW M Motorsport. “So far, everyone who has driven the BMW M4 GT3 has been extremely positive about it. As such, we are confident that we will be competitive from the word go and in a position to challenge for top results. The extremely high demand for the BMW M4 GT3 has exceeded our expectations. We are very pleased and honoured by this trust. We are now looking forward to seeing how our new car fares in the hands of many different drivers and teams at racetracks and in racing series all over the world.”

First up, on 14^th/15^th January, is the 24h Dubai, for which Schubert Motorsport has already registered BMW M works driver Nick Yelloly (GBR), Jordan Witt (GBR), Marcel Lenerz and Jens Liebhauser (both GER) for the #30 BMW M4 GT3. ST Racing lines up with two cars. Jon Miller, Chandler Hull (both USA), Nick Wittmer and Louis-Philippe Montour (both CAN) will be at the wheel of the #28 BMW M4 GT3, which, like Schubert Motorsport, is registered for the top GT3 class. In the Pro-Am class, Samantha Tan (CAN), Bryson Morris, Anthony Lazzaro, Harry Gottsacker and Tyler Maxson (all USA) will share the driving duties in the number 1 car.

Two weeks later, BMW Team RLL and Turner Motorsport will start with a total of three BMW M4 GT3s at the “Rolex 24” in Daytona. At the wheel for Turner Motorsport in the GTD class will be BMW M works driver Jens Klingmann (GER), together with the US trio of Bill Auberlen, Robby Foley and Michael Dinan. The drivers for the two BMW M4 GT3s in the GTD-PRO class will be announced in January.

The season kicks off in February for Walkenhorst Motorsport. The team from Melle (GER) plans to run two BMW M4 GT3s in the Asian Le Mans Series. The #34 car will be driven by Nick Catsburg (NED), Jon Miller and Chandler Hull, the #35 by team principal Henry Walkenhorst, Jörg Breuer, Friedrich and Mario von Bohlen (all GER). The very compact season consists of two 4-hour races in Dubai on 11^th/12^th February, and two 4-hour races in Abu Dhabi (UAE) on 19^th/20^th February. All the other teams will receive their cars in good time ahead of the start of the season in their respective racing series. It is already confirmed that the BMW M4 GT3 will race in the most prestigious GT series in Europe, North America and Asia, as well as highlights like the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring (GER) and Spa-Francorchamps (BEL).

BMW PRESS

Event date: 10 December 2021

A joy of being in the BMW Drivers Club is the opportunity to get up close and personal with classic BMWs of the past. And so, it was when a rare metallic green E31 840ci, one of my favourites, turned up at the final club event of the year, a twilight drive after checking out the range of car care products from a club partner.

The team at Jay Leno’s Car Garage put on a traditional sausage sizzle and gave everyone the chance to sample and buy a range of their specialist car care products. Before setting off for the drive, many members tried out products to put finishing touches on their already gleaming cars. I came away with two wash mitts and a drying towel, which I look forward to using on the next hand wash of my BMWs.

An early highlight of the drive route was Annandale Road, a twisty and undulating road on the outskirts of Melbourne Airport. I was pleasantly surprised to discover such a great road so close to Melbourne’s urban fringe.

The fantastic drive route took us on a circuit from Airport West, through Bacchus Marsh, before heading to Wyndham Harbour at Werribee South. A highlight of the drive through Bacchus Marsh was the Avenue of Honour, a 2.8km road with 281 Elms planted on either side, in honour of those who served and the fallen in World War One.

Despite chilly weather at Wyndham Harbour, there was an opportunity to mingle and admire members’ cars that participated in the drive. Unfortunately for the coffee connoisseurs and those that needed to warm up a little, the local cafes were closed when we arrived, however, this did not put a dampener on an enjoyable final event for the year.

Thanks to all who organised this event, in particular our drive master and lead navigator, always highly informative and entertaining on the UHF radio along the way.

Jean-Dominique Abraham | Member #681
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne 

Detailed 1:5 scale model of the BMW superbike.

Today, BMW Motorrad and the LEGO Group reveal the LEGO® Technic BMW M 1000 RR, or the M RR for short, which is set to go on sale on 1 January 2022.  This intricate set brings the supreme racing technology of the 156 kW (212 hp) superbike, which is designed to meet the highest performance demands in motorsport and road use, to people’s living rooms.

The record number of 1,920 individual pieces and the impressive 1:5 scale provide an indication that the 45.5 cm long LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR is a model motorcycle in a class of its own. As well as meticulous attention to technical details, the model version of the M RR offers a number of features that are sure to appeal to model building and motorcycle enthusiasts alike.

These include fully functional components such as the three-speed gearbox, the upside-down fork and the rear swingarm with suspension, as well as the dashboard with three different display options and the gold-coloured drive chain. The included paddock stand and pit board also provide authentic racing flair.

Ralf Rodepeter, Head of Marketing and Product Management at BMW Motorrad: “When the management of BMW Motorrad announced the first M model on two wheels, the BMW M 1000 RR, everyone knew that it would be something special. In the same way, the LEGO Technic team realised they needed to come up with something unprecedented to pay tribute to the M RR. The result is a motorcycle and a technical model that each represent the state of the art in their respective fields.”

The LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR sees BMW Motorrad and LEGO continue their successful partnership and offers fans the opportunity to build the first model M motorcycle of BMW Motorrad that, like its real-life counterpart, stands for technical excellence and attention to detail.

Samuel Tacchi, designer at the LEGO Group commented: “It’s been so much fun getting underneath the skin of such a significant model for BMW Motorrad. There’s a reason why these beautifully engineered bikes are so universally loved by the biking community, and we are confident our LEGO Technic version is a winner like its real-life namesake.” 

The LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR will be available exclusively in LEGO stores and on www.lego.com/BMW from 1 January 2022, and from other retailers from 1 March 2022, at a recommended retail price of €199.99 / $229.99 / £174.99.

The highlights of the LEGO Technic BMW M 1000 RR:

• Model dimensions: 27.7 cm high / 45.5 cm long / 17 cm wide.
• Model on an exhibition stand: 32.6 cm high / 45.5 cm long / 17 cm wide.

• Model on a paddock stand: 27.7 cm high / 46.9 cm long / 17 cm wide.

• 1,920 individual parts.
• Fully functional gearbox (three gears + neutral).
• Front and rear suspension.
• Gold-coloured drive chain.
• Three different dashboard options.
• Supplied with paddock stand and display plate – perfect for presentation.
• Price: €199.99 / $229.99 / £174.99.

BMW PRESS

Pieter Nota: “Already have next target in our sights: We aim for two million electrified vehicles on the roads in just two years” +++ Plans to double BEV sales in 2022 +++ Around two million fully-electric vehicles delivered to customers by 2025 +++ BMW and MINI Charging provide access to more than 250,000 charging points in Europe +++

Shortly before the end of the year, the BMW Group celebrated the delivery of its one-millionth electrified vehicle: Pieter Nota, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands and Sales handed over the milestone vehicle, a BMW iX xDrive40 (Power consumption in kWh/100 km: 22.5-19.3 WLTP), to its owner at BMW Welt on 6 December. The company included a special bonus with the delivery: The customer not only received the keys for his new vehicle, but also a BMW Wallbox, including installation, to enable safe and convenient home charging, as well as a credit for public Europe-wide charging with BMW Charging.

“The delivery of our one-millionth electrified vehicle marks a milestone in our transformation – and we already have the next one in our sights: We aim to break through the two-million mark in just two years,” said Nota. “Thanks to our steadily growing product range, we are setting ourselves ambitious sales targets, in particular for fully-electric vehicles: In 2022, we aim to double this year’s sales. By 2025 the BMW Group will have delivered around two million fully-electric vehicles to customers. We expect at least one out of every two BMW Group vehicles sold to be fully electric by 2030,” Nota continued.

The BMW Group released two key innovation flagships, the BMW iX and the BMW i4, onto the market in mid-November. Both models are being very well received by customers worldwide – as reflected in new orders from around the globe.

Over the next year, the BMW Group will expand its electrified product line-up to include fully-electric versions of the BMW 7 Series and BMW X1. The high-volume BMW 5 Series will be added to the electric portfolio in 2023. The successor to the MINI Countryman and the all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre will follow. By 2023, the company will already have at least one fully-electric model on the roads in about 90 percent of its current market segments. Over the next ten years or so, the BMW Group plans to release a total of about ten million fully-electric vehicles onto the roads.

The Neue Klasse, which is uncompromisingly geared towards electric drive trains, will make a significant contribution to BMW Group sales volumes from the middle of the decade.

The MINI product range will already be exclusively all-electric by the early 2030s and Rolls-Royce will be an all-electric brand from 2030 on. All future new models from BMW Motorrad in the field of urban mobility will also be fully electric.

The successful ramp-up of electromobility will depend on swift and comprehensive expansion of charging infrastructure. The BMW Group is making a vital contribution to this. “Electromobility needs holistic thinking and implementation. That is why we don’t just offer our customers highly attractive electrified cars; we also make sure charging is easy and convenient. Our commitment spans the entire value chain: from compelling products and services through strategic investments, all the way to building our own company charging infrastructure,” says Dr Andreas Aumann, head of Strategic Product Management at the BMW Group.

BMW Charging and MINI Charging provide customers with access to one of Europe’s largest charging networks, made up of more than 250,000 charging points. With the “Active” tariff from BMW and MINI Charging, customers can charge at an attractive market-specific fixed rate that ensures full transparency. The BMW Group also offers various home charging solutions with its wallboxes. With the pan-European high-power charging network IONITY, in which the existing shareholders and new investor BlackRock additionally invest a total of 700 million euros for network expansion, the roaming partner aggregator Hubject and the strategic mobility provider Digital Charging Solutions GmbH, the BMW Group holds a stake in three companies that will play a key role in the continued ramp-up of electromobility. With more than 5,000 charging points, the BMW Group also operates one of Germany’s largest company charging networks.

BMW PRESS

idrive magazine

CLUB PARTNERS

Members are welcome to submit their business to be shared on the Club Partners page on our website and idrive magazine. 

We believe in supporting those who support us.  If you would like your business listed email us with your details.

____________________

As always - thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing you at an event soon!

President | Graeme Bell 0407 186 296
Vice President | Jo Mawson 0412 661 900
Secretary | Lawrence Glynn 0414 563 290 
Treasurer | Shaaron Glynn

Proudly supported by:

All Commercial/All Residential Real Estate
Bell Motorsport

Berwick BMW

BM Tech

Creative Custom Cars
German Auto Haus

Mornington BMW

Shannons Insurance
South Yarra BMW

Southern BM

Traction Tyres

Waverley BMW

Zagame Autobody

 

Dear members,

It’s so nice being out and about again. Since the lockdowns have ended and all the restrictions have slowly lifted, we’ve returned to our busy schedule of running all the events you love to come to, and we love to run for you.

6 November saw our first face to meeting for what seemed like years, returning to the Naked Racer in Cheltenham. This was very strongly attended, and we had a fantastic night with lots of old and new members coming along to see everyone and grab a very nice dinner, also take in the amazing collection John has accumulated there.

Due to covid and rescheduled dates, we had a clash of events on 21 November with our Go Karting event and our final round of the Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship for the year clashing.

The Stony Creek Karting event started with a drive through some amazing roads to end up at Stony Creek Karting where approximately 20 members enjoyed some fun on the go karts.

At our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship final round at Phillip Island we had over 20 members enjoying the track and some getting some on-track training from me, as I lead a group of E30 race cars out on the track, to show some of our new E30 racers their race lines. They all loved this and all achieved PBs while doing this.  Weather was amazing too, so everyone went home extremely happy. Thank you again for AROCA for putting on these great events and inviting us to join them again this year.

25 November was our third regional Drop in Donuts at Geelong, these nights are growing in popularity, and it looks like this will be a regular occurrence going into 2022.

On 27 November we had our monthly hook up with BCCM, again attended well and some great information from Munich about new and exciting things to come in 2022. It's just a pity it was on at 4am here. The good news is that the next one is a much more respectable 8pm - watch your emails for the event notice and log in and say hello to our friends from Munich.

On 28 November we held our Annual Christmas Show and Shine Picnic at Cruden Farm. What can I say? The weather was amazing, gentle breeze with beautiful blue skies. A perfect day to bring out the family and your pride and joy for a wonderful day in the sun. Jo has excelled herself again, finding us the perfect location and organising another amazing event to cap off another very successful year for the club.

We arrived to set up at 7.45am and were soon followed by a steady stream of cars which just seemed to grow and grow, which was amazing. We had all sorts of beautiful cars, a large range of BMW, Mercedes Benz, VW, Holdens, Ford, Mazda, Austin Healey, Porsches, Minis, Datsun, so many beautiful cars, I am sure there were more brands, the display went on and on it looked amazing. I’m guessing at 100 cars plus and over 180 attendees.

If you have never been to Cruden Farm I suggest you pay it a visit, such a beautiful estate with beautiful gardens to stroll through.

We raised $920 from our raffle which will go to the Smith Family and $203.50 in donations from our breakfast BBQ egg and bacon rolls, which will go to the Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal. Thank you to Matt Kenny from All commercial/All Residential Real Estate for kindly bringing his lovely BBQ trailer and his band of merry men and women who cooked away like professionals all morning. Thanks also to Phil Kolar for donating the eggs and the wonderful people at Bell Motorsport who donated the bacon and rolls etc to feed the hungry hoards.

We were very lucky to have Santa attend as well, who gave out lolly bags to all the children, big and small. Thank you also to Paul Holliday for taking some photos, which I am sure you will have seen on or social channels by now.

The day was just perfect. Weather, lots of cars, lots of people and an amazing place to hold it. This will become our Christmas picnic location from now on. I must say a huge thank you to everyone that helped on the day too, Jo, of course, for everything you do, planning and organising, then running around all day like an energiser bunny. Shaaron and Lawrence, with set up, staging the cars on display, selling raffle tickets, judging cars, then packing up at the end. Paul and Jo Holliday for all your help setting up, photos, selling raffle tickets and everything else you do. Tim Oh, for all your help setting up and then packing up, directing cars and judging, Steve, Andrew, Mark, your help in judging the cars and everyone else I have missed, thank you. Our events like this are so fantastic because so many pitch in and help out and makes our job so much easier and even more enjoyable.

We really appreciate the help packing up at events like this and makes it a lot easier for us when we get home. In fact, this time, as soon as Jo and I got back we unpacked the club trailer and put it away, hooked up our caravan and loaded up ready to head to Bathurst at 5am the next morning, as we are both Officiating at the Bathurst 1000 over the next 6 days. It will be a huge event and it makes it so much easier when everyone pitches in to help us pack up, so thanks again.

Something you may have seen in the photos or on site if you were there, is our new club trailer. This will be officially launched at the German Auto Show we are hosting in January, but those on site got a glimpse of what we have been working on over the last few months. It is a great asset for the club and makes it so much easier to bring all the club gear to any of our events and provide a base for everyone in the club to work from at events. By the time you see it again it will finished being customised to suit our needs and it will be wrapped and look amazing, you won’t be able to miss it!

10 December brings us our last official event for 2022, which is a Twilight drive, leaving from Jay Leno Garage Products in Airport West. We will be meeting there at 5pm for a sausage sizzle then heading off at 6pm sharp for a lovely drive to Werribee South.

On 12 December Jay Leno Garage Products have invited our members, as well our other clubs, to a cars and coffee event, so this will be an unofficial BMW Drivers Club Melbourne event, but we encourage you all to attend as it should be a great day.

A bit of a reminder too, your very hard-working committee will be taking a short break over Christmas. So, if you have club permit paperwork that needs to be signed or new cars to be added to our register, please don’t leave it until Christmas Eve and expect we will be available to help you out. As much as we do love you all and bend over backward to help all our members, even we need a couple of weeks off over the Christmas/New Year period to enjoy some down time. So, think ahead, plan ahead and get in early.

Looking forward to 2022, our first event will be Round 1 of our Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship for 2022, at Phillip Is Grand Prix Circuit on 16 January. It's fantastic to have Traction Tyres/Yokohama back on board, sponsoring our Drivers Championship again in 2022. Thank you very much for your ongoing support of our club Andrew Mc Cathie, make sure you talk to Traction if you need track or road tyres and mention you are a member to obtain your discount.

The 2022 Traction Tyres/Yokohama Drivers Championship will again run over the four tracks in Victoria as well as a Hillclimb at Morwell. We have also booked four Driver Training/Come and Try Days at Sandown and Broadford spread over the year, so if you want to get out on the track, gain some instruction and have a load of fun, check out the Motorsport and Driver Training calendar for 2022.

On 26 January we have our Australia Day drive to Marysville, which we will be giving away prizes for the best dress Australiana car and member.

On 28 January is our German Auto Show, which is shaping up to be huge this year with trade stalls, lots of food vendors and of course everything German on display.  If you are wanting to display your German vehicle, be it Motor Bike, Car, Truck, Bus or Army Vehicle, I would suggest you pre-register to make your entry as smooth as possible on the day. We are expecting large crowds. All proceeds will be going to our Charity for this event Beyond Blue.  We will be at Sandown on Red Hill, so lot of room to spread out and make your display areas look amazing.

Finally, there is, of course, the BMW Clubs Australia Nationals being held in Canberra in March,over the Labour Day long weekend. It will be an amazing event with lots of very interesting things to do for all ages. Check out the website which is now open for registrations. If you have never been to a Nationals Event, you should come along and check it out. It is a great weekend away, we will do a group trip up to Canberra and it is a great weekend meeting and catching up with all our BMW Club friends from all over the country.

Again, it is so great being out and about and pretty much back to normal. Thank you all for coming to our events again and making all the hard work worthwhile.

If we don’t get to see you at our last events for the year, I hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year and I look forward to seeing you in 2022. Thanks again to everyone that has joined our little club and comes and helps us make this club so fantastic, whether it be helping with running the club, or just coming to events and sharing our passion for what we love. We really appreciate you being a part of our BMW family.

Take care, stay safe, have a great Christmas and see you next year.

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

Event date: 28 November 2021

Just a short note to express our thanks for the effort the committee put in to make the day as enjoyable and successful as it turned out to be. Both Pauline and I were very impressed with the venue chosen and the setting in the background. The gardens were glorious and I have never seen a tree with a National Trust Listing in my life. The array of cars on show and the interaction of all the members definitely made for a memorable day ( at least for a couple of banana benders like us ). We are looking forward to your next event to see if you can beat this one – it will be difficult I think.

Wishing you and yours all the complements of the season and hoping for a VERY PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

Chris & Pauline Buckley | Member #532
BMW Drivers Club Melbourne