To celebrate 100 years of BMW, America’s Car Museum (ACM) is opening a new exhibit “BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation” starting May 7, 2016 to highlight some of the brand’s vehicles.
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 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, BMW collector Peter Gleeson and Brooks Motor Works owner Kevin Brooks — to ensure that BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation would have an 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.
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 2002 tii
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 cafe
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, visit AmericasCarMuseum.org.
[Source: America’s Car Museum]
