Munich. On the first July weekend this year, BMW
Group Classic is at several events in Germany and abroad with
victorious vehicles from the motor-sport history of BMW and BMW
Motorrad. Moreover, legends on two and four wheels will be celebrating
special anniversaries. The BMW M1 Procar will be returning to make an
appearance at the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) on the Norisring in
Nuremberg. Successes in the 24 Hour Race of Le Mans will be remembered
at the Festival of Speed in Goodwood in the United Kingdom. Models
from the /5 Series launched 50 years ago will be centre stage at the
BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. At their Head Office in
Munich, BMW Group Classic is also the host for the Wheels
Weißwürscht meet for historic vehicles and modern classics. This time
the meet is focusing entirely on the 60th anniversary of the launch of
the MINI brand.
Comeback on the Norisring: famous drivers in the BMW M1 relive
the Procar Series.
Exciting battles for places between Formula 1 drivers and
international privateer drivers in identical BMW M1 cars transformed
every race in the Procar Series launched 40 years ago into a truly
spectacular event. The weekend of the German Touring Car Masters held
at the Norisring from 5 to 7 July 2019 will feature a comeback of the
Procar Racers. 14 of the mid-engined sports cars built in conformity
with the Group 4 regulations and powered by 470 hp will relive the
fascination of the Procar Series, which was created specially for the
race-track debut of the BMW M1 on the Nuremberg city circuit. The
spectators at the Norisring can look forward to a total of five
appearances by the Procar Racers on the three event days. They will
include warm-up races directly before the two classification rounds
for the German Touring Car Masters.
BMW Group Classic succeeded in attracting a number of famous drivers
back to the cockpit of the BMW M1 to celebrate the occasion of the
Procar Revival. Back in 1980, Hans-Joachim Stuck finished first in the
Procar Race at the Norisring followed by Jan Lammers and Marc Surer.
This weekend, these three legends will meet again on track in
Nuremberg. Harald Grohs will also be there. 35 years ago, he drove a
BMW 635 CSi to victory and won the first race in the history of the
German Touring Car Masters at Zolder in Belgium.
Two Le Mans winners and a record-breaking title holder are
lining up at the Festival of Speed.
Superior speed and steadfast stamina enabled them to achieve success
in the 24 Hour Race of Le Mans in the past. This makes the
BMW 328 Touring Coupé and the BMW V12 LMR ideal candidates for the
Festival of Speed. On 4 to 7 July, motor-sport fans from all over the
world will gather for the high-octane garden party on the estate of
Lord March located at Goodwood in the South of England. This is when
racing cars from all eras of vehicle history will once again have the
opportunity to show what they can do. The team from BMW Group Classic
will line up at this event with the BMW V12 LMR. This is the car that
Joachim Winkelhock (DE), Yannick Dalmas (FR) and Pierluigi Martini
(IT) drove to victory in the French endurance classic 20 years ago.
The visually striking twelve-cylinder sports car with its impressive
sound will be driven by Steve Soper at Goodwood. The British driver
took fifth place in the predecessor model to the victorious vehicle in 1999.
The history of BMW at Le Mans started right back in 1939. At the
time, Max von Schaumburg-Lippe and Hans Wencher in their BMW 328
Touring Coupé were the fastest in the vehicle class with a capacity of
up to two litres and they also came fifth in the overall placings. 80
years later, their lightweight alloy racing car continues to be an
attraction. At the Festival of Speed, it will be driven by the
longstanding touring-car racing driver and BMW brand ambassador
Leopold Prinz von Bayern. A first-generation BMW M3 will also line up
at the start of the famous “hillclimb” on the estate of Goodwood
House, in the style of the private hillclimb races that were held for
the first time there in 1936. This model launched the unique career
that transformed the BMW M3 into a record-breaking winner in
touring-car motor sport.
BMW Motorrad Days: Review of 50 years of BMW Motorrad
production in Berlin.
Once again, the BMW Motorrad Days offer optimum conditions for
riding, admiring vehicles, talking shop, celebrating and having a good
time. From 5 to 7 July, the international fan community will come
together in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in order to celebrate freedom on
two wheels. At the event marquee of BMW Group Classic, there will also
be an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane with a historical
review. 50 years ago, the BMW Motorrad plant in Berlin-Spandau was
opened. Production there started with the models of the BMW /5 Series.
The models BMW R 50/5, BMW R 60/5 and BMW R 75/5 were styled as sporty
touring motorcycles in a modern design.
The motorcycle racing rider Helmut Dähne was also involved in their
development. At the BMW Motorrad Days, he will talk to visitors about
the history behind the creation of the BMW / 5 Series and also tell
them about his extraordinary career in motor sport. In 1966, Dähne
rode a BMW R 90 S to victory in the Production TT in the 1000 cc class
at the Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man. Experts from BMW Group
Archive will also provide fascinating insights into the history of BMW
Motorrad. The marquee of BMW Group Classic will be the meeting point
for the BMW Motorrad club scene.
Wheels Weißwürscht – complemented by specialities.
Everyone who is not going on holiday on the first weekend of July and
would rather go on an outing with their classic vehicle through the
streets of Munich is recommended to take time out in Moosacher Straße.
At 9.00 a.m. on Saturday 6 July, BMW Group Classic will once again
host an informal meeting at its headquarters under the motto Wheels
Weißwürscht. Historic vehicles and modern classics of all brands
are welcome. However, this time a very special invitation has been
issued to the venerable representatives of the MINI brand. The
get-together for classic vehicles is focusing particularly on the 60th
anniversary of this brand. The vehicle collection of BMW Group Classic
offers numerous rare treasures from the history of the classic Mini.
They are on view to visitors and their place in history has been
immortalised in the collection. The culinary range at the “Mo 66” café
is being expanded for just one day. Alongside the obligatory Bavarian
breakfast classic of white veal sausages – Weißwürste – specialities
from the British Isles will also be on the menu.