This week, we’re in Munich for a series of exclusive events hosted by the M brand and BMW Welt, followed by a trip to the M Festival and the legendary 24 Hour of Nurburgring race. While in the Bavarian capital, the folks over at BMW Romania invited us to explore the new BMW Classics facility which opened this past March.
BMW Group Classic integrates the museum, the archives, assistance for the press club and BMW Center, and manages the organization of specific events. Moreover, BMW Classic has always tried to get closer to its clients: if only a few years ago the service shop was repairing exclusively cars in BMW Classic collections, nowadays the shop provides repair services and restoration to all cars, including the client’s cars.
BMW Group Classic collections are not only stored in the museum, but they are also displayed at various events across the globe. We first visited BMW Group Classic in 2011 where its location was within a few minutes from BMW Welt in Munich.
Still close to the BMW Welt, the new location lays on the grounds where the first BMW foundation was built 100 years ago. The new location includes a historic gatehouse along with two separate buildings which host the largest historical BMW exhibit.
The collection of cars in this new facility is simply overwhelming. BMW’s entire history is carefully exhibited allowing its lucky visitors to be immersed into an unique experience. From the moment you step in and until you leave, your attention is captured by some of the most exclusive BMWs ever built, from one-off models to innovative concepts and racing winners, and even some special BMWs used in Hollywood flicks.
Our host Florian Moser walked us through the entire collection. Pre-war cars, a handful of immediate post-war cars (including a 700) and then the Neue Klasse cars, 2002s, legions of 3ers, 5ers, and 7ers, are just the appetizers on a 10-course menu. An odd duck or two thrown in for good measure, like the McLaren F1 car and the highly-modified 7 Series used in the James Bond’s “Tomorrow Never Dies”. The McLaren is equipped with a BMW engine. Only four such cars were built at that time.
The iconic BMW 507 Roadsters are also present, including the only yellow-painted 507 in the world valued at over $2 million.
The 1600-02 series was very beneficial for the company’s future, so it earned a place in BMW’s history. Actually the 1600-02 is the first middle class car, launched in 1961 and built starting with 1962. This is the ancestor of the first 5 Series, and a very important car to BMW.
BMW 3.0 CSL was BMW’s first attempt to build a lightweight car, for enhanced sportiness. In the ’70s, BMW won the European Championship 6 times. An orange-painted CSL proudly stands in the Classics building.
This concept – BMW Just 4/2 – represents an early attempt of BMW to build cars for urban environment, a lot of the technology here being taken from motorcycles.
The M1 Procar race car took part in the ProcarSeries in 1979 and 1980, just before the launch of the F1 series, and has won several championships with Nelson Piquet behind the wheel.
BMW Individual Program is also well represented by the first 7 Series to be modified with non-standard trims and colors.
The BMW Isetta, interminably cute, immediately recognizable, truly is an iconic ʻ50ʻs car. There really has been nothing like it before or since in BMWʼs line-up. This one was made for Lufthansa.
The photo gallery below gives you a closer look at the BMW collection found in the heart of Munich.
