Michael Satterfield
To celebrate 100 years of BMW, America’s Car Museum (ACM) is opening a new exhibit on May 7 – “BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation” – to highlight some of the brand’s most gripping vehicles. BMW has amassed a strong sub-culture by redefining performance luxury vehicles, such as the 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL, 1988 BMW E30 M3 and the forward-looking 2016 BMW i8, which are all in the display.
While BMW began manufacturing airplane engines in 1916, it wasn’t until 1932 when the Munich-based company put together its first automobile. It built a reputation for producing exciting cars at the same time that the German autobahn was conceived.
In the 1970s, BMW began marketing as “The Ultimate Driving Machine” and has used the tagline for countless iconic road cars since. The slogan, coined under the guidance of industry luminary Bob Lutz, is widely recognized as one of the best of all auto manufacturers and has served BMW well for the past 42 years.
To pay respect to such a storied brand, ACM enlisted the help of several of its long-time backers – including ACM Board Member Manfred Scharmach, renowned BMW collector Peter Gleeson and Brooks Motor Works owner Kevin Brooks – to ensure that BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation would have an unmatched assortment of vintage and modern BMWs for guests of all ages.
“A big thanks also goes out to the BMW Car Club of America and all who submitted their vehicles for helping us fill the display, with nearly two dozen vehicles, it is truly a must-see for BMW fans!” Said ACM Curator of Exhibitry Scot Keller.
The BMW Car Club of America, which alerted its member-base that the Museum was looking to represent BMW’s history with a wide range of cars and motorcycles, will be holding it’s Puget Sound and Oregon chapters meet-up at ACM on May 15.
Cars featured in BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation, include:
• 1938 Frazer-Nash BMW 328 Roadster
• 1939 BMW 327/28
• 1957 BMW Isetta 300
• 1959 BMW 507
• 1972 BMW 2002tii
• 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL
• 1974 BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile
• 1978 BMW M1 Art Car
• 1980 BMW M1
• 1988 BMW E30 M3
• 1988 BMW M6
• 2000 BMW M5
• 2003 BMW Z8 Alpina
• 2006 BMW Z4M Racer
• 2011 BMW 1M
• 2016 BMW i8
• 2016 BMW i3
• 2016 BMW X6
Motorcycles featured in BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation, include:
• 1954 BMW R68/1400
• 1955 BMW 500cc Bonneville S/C Racer with sidecar
• 1968 BMW R60/2 café
• 1975 BMW R90S
• 1975 BMW R90S
“BMW’s centennial celebration is a huge milestone, which we wanted to honor in a big way,” said ACM CEO David Madeira. “The support we received from the BMW community resulted in more vehicle submissions than any other display in ACM’s four-year history. It allowed us to secure a robust assortment vehicles and led to one of our best exhibits to date.”
For more information on the BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation and other exhibits currently on view at ACM, visit americascarmuseum.org.
