Responsibility towards customers, guests and employees has meant that the organisers of the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este – the Grand Hotel Villa d’Este and BMW Group Classic – have decided not to hold the famous beauty contest for classic vehicles as initially planned at the end of May 2021. The Organisation Team is now planning a new date full of confidence and anticipation. Today, the team is already looking forward to being able to join together with classic fans from all over the world and celebrate a Festival of Elegance from 1 to 3 October 2021. The hope is that the later date will enable guests to be offered a superlative programme at the highest level – in line with the experience they have been accustomed to at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

Marin Dumitrescu was born in Oltenia, Romania, on 19 January 1919 – that was almost exactly five months before the fledgling company BMW had gained its first world-beating record. On 17 June 1919, test pilot Franz Zeno Diemer took to the skies from Munich’s Oberwiesenfeld airfield on his record-breaking flight. Powered by a BMW IV aeroengine, his aircraft from Deutsche Flugzeugwerke ascended to an altitude of 9 760 metres. No aircraft had ever flown that high before. Marin Dumitrescu was also a big fan of flying from an early age. He not only became a talented aircraft mechanic but also an exceptional racing driver. During the 1940s, he notched up an array of titles on two wheels in speed racing and motocross competitions in Romania. Always on the search for new challenges, Dumitrescu modified a BMW 328 at the end of the 1940s before going on to win around 80 circuit and hillclimb races between 1949 and 1958. His biggest success: The victory at the Sinaia Hillclimb in 1950, “the race of my life”, as Marin Dumitrescu recounted in the autobiographical video documentary “The Race of My Life”. He came from behind and caused a surprise by crossing the finishing line ahead of the favourite and winner of the Monte Carlo Rally in 1936, Petre Cristea. In 2012, Marin Dumitrescu was awarded the National Order of Faithful Service with the rank of knight for his racing activities, the highest award in the Republic of Romania.

It was the sensation of the rally winter in 1964: A diminutive red Mini Cooper S with rally driver Patrick “Paddy” Hopkirk from Northern Ireland at the wheel left all the more powerful competitors behind and secured overall victory in the Monte Carlo Rally. At a stroke, the pint-sized car became an iconic legend. Originally, the little runabout had been designed as an affordable and economical means of transport, but this success definitively catapulted the classic Mini into the role of a sports car. In 1965, Finnish rally driver Timo Mäkinen continued the success story and in 1967 the Finnish “Rally Professor” Rauno Aaltonen also triumphed driving the classic Mini. Today, the three title wins at the Monte Carlo Rally represent the quintessential sporting flair of the British marque. However, many people are unaware that between 1959 and 1970, a total of 77 works Minis were built for campaigning in motor racing and they lined up at the start of more than 300 competitions – rallies, rally-cross and circuit races. “Works Minis In Detail” tells the stories of each of the 77 Minis – in fantastic photos, reports on experiences and portraits. The book is produced by Herridge & Sons Ltd Motoring Publisher and can be ordered for € 64. 

You might be looking for a tailpipe trim for the BMW 3.0 L, an intake pipe for the BMW 2002 tii or a cylinder head for the legendary BMW 328. Alongside a large selection of authentic replacement parts, the BMW Classic Parts Shop also features the latest remanufactured components for around 20 different BMW models. For example, the BMW 328 produced between 1936 and 1940 had the reputation of being the dream sports car of its era, and with a production run of just 464 units, it was a coveted rarity even when it was still being produced. It’s therefore no surprise that present-day keepers of the vehicle want to retain their sports-car classic in a maximally authentic original condition. The BMW Classic Parts Shop is in a position to meet this desire. Classic enthusiasts can here find more than 60,000 parts items. The list of remanufactured components is regularly updated as soon as the inventory is supplemented by additional parts. And in addition to many services related to classic vehicles produced by BMW, replacement parts can also be purchased directly at local level from certified BMW Classic Partners for automobiles and motorcycles (see below for addresses). The cylinder head for the BMW 328 is one example of a classic part that can be purchased there.