On tour with winners, record holders and anniversary legends

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.