19 August 2019

How did Ringo Starr keep his drum kit in a classic Mini in the early years of the Beatles? This is just one of many questions that the enviable MINI enthusiast from Athens Dimitri “Dee” Fragos talked about on his “Incredible Mini Tour” around England. He celebrated the brand’s 60th anniversary by driving all over England in a white classic Mini on a road trip of more than 700 miles, going to other fans who had invited Fragos to visit them. The tour tells a lot of stories about the history of the brand but there is even more about the current lifestyle of the fans.

Just seeing a BMW 3.0 CSL in the spoiler version known as the “Batmobile” from the early 1970s at close quarters would already be an experience. The “close-up” video series from BMW Group Classic gives a perfect view. The camera approaches slowly and respectfully, passes carefully over the contours, as though it wanted to caress this dream automobile – that is as aesthetic as it is exciting. More close-ups from BMW history are shown on YouTube, including the BMW 328 Touring Coupé from 1939 and the BMW V12 LMR Le Mans winner. Tip: Make sure that you activate the sound on your device. This is because there is an audio sample of the engine running at the end of each video.

Atmosphere, passion for detail, sophisticated ambience. This is valued equally by friends of classic vehicles and up-market café establishments. Café Mo66 welcomes both types of aficionado and it offers a grandstand place for all the activities at the headquarter of BMW Group Classic on Moosacher Straße 66 in Munich. You can drink wonderful coffee or have a snack in the historic gatehouse building with a perfect view of all the action at this exciting location. Right opposite is the historic workshop and all the comings and goings in the courtyard are rather like a blue-ribband automobile show.

Some fans look out for faults in the equipment featured in films. They are keeping an eye open for things that are not quite in keeping with the era of the film. And they post their findings on websites. Owners of classic cars are perhaps not quite so rigorous as this, but these vehicles are also automobile time capsules that need to be historically “correct”. An authentic restoration also includes an engine compartment with all the authentic name plates and decals. BMW Group Classic therefore has lots of memorabilia like this in stock. Type plates for numerous series such as the first generation of the BMW 5 Series, the BMW 7 Series from the third generation and the BMW Z1. Many of the items that were in the car when it was originally purchased are once again available for sale in the Parts Shop, for example running-in instructions and notes for the colour of the paintwork. A word of warning: A number of plates should only be fitted by the professionals at a BMW dealership or subsidiary. Everything then remains reliable and authentic.