One year, one hall. BMW at Techno Classica 2010.

Essen. Visitors to the BMW Group Classic stand at the Techno Classica 2010 show in Essen, Germany can enjoy a preview of everything the custodians of BMW heritage have up their sleeves for the current year. For everything from celebrations of vintage motorcycle and car anniversaries to the latest additions to the range of services offered by the BMW Classic Center, Hall 12 will be the place to be. “At Techno Classica we will be showcasing the full spectrum of what we do,” says Karl Baumer, Director of BMW Group Classic. “The crowds of visitors to Essen will be able to explore in their own time our plans for the current year.” The BMW and MINI Clubs will once again represent an integral element of the Group’s stand, their motorcycles and cars highlighting the enthusiasm that fuels their nurturing of the brand and its vehicles.

BMW Classic Center: the first port of call for customer restoration

The specialist workshop at BMW Classic now not only repairs and restores its own classic vehicles but also those belonging to customers. This means that the BMW Classic Center can now claim to offer a full range of services for owners of vintage BMW vehicles and young classics from the brand. Like new vehicle customers, they can now hand their pride and joy over to specialists with access to the most reliable well of expertise available – that of the manufacturer itself.

BMW Classic sets up its own Motorsport department

BMW Group Classic is further expanding its activities, having set up its own Motorsport department at the start of the year. The new wing offers support on every aspect of classic racing machines from the BMW and Mini brands. The working brief of the motorsport experts ranges from service and repair advice to parts procurement and full restoration.

GS – two letters with a history of success

In 1980 BMW Motorrad launched the brand new R 80 G/S, a powerful riposte to the prevailing trend towards specialist machines. G/S referred not to “Geländesport” (off-road sport) but to its broad “Gelände/Straße” (off-road/road) capability. 30 years ago the concept of the all-purpose motorcycle appeared to have run out of road. A clear engineering and design blueprint had set the course for the mass market, but BMW was determined to buck the trend with a new breed of motorcycle: the R 80 G/S. The bravery of the company’s decision-makers was to be vindicated with a run of success which continues today – 30 years later – with no end yet in sight.

A long line of high fives

The handing of the baton from the “Neue Klasse” to the 5 Series in 1972 marked both a change in nomenclature and a new era in design. The number 5 immediately became synonymous with unmistakable driving pleasure in this market segment. And ever since then, the design of BMW 5 Series Saloons has summed up the exquisite balance of sporting capability and elegance, accurately reflecting the blend of driving dynamics and comfort achieved through superior drive and chassis technology. The BMW 5 Series range embodies the broad-based development expertise of the Munich-based carmaker in highly concentrated form.

A race to go down in the history books: BMW at the Mille Miglia

70 years ago, all eyes in the motor racing department at BMW were focused on one single aim: the 1st Gran Premio Brescia delle Mille Miglia. A total of five racing sports cars from Munich were entered for the legendary race. Unfortunately, preparations did not exactly go without a hitch, and the BMW team almost ran out of time. However, when the BMW cars powered over the finish line in Brescia on 28 April, they achieved something few had dared to expect: overall victory, team victory, and third, fifth and sixth place in the overall classification. On this April day BMW celebrated its greatest racing success to date on four wheels. The 1940 Mille Miglia was the culmination of a process of development which had started with the design and presentation of the BMW 328 – not only one of the most beautiful sports cars of the pre-war period, but also the most successful sports car in European competition in the 1930s.