To celebrate 100 years of BMW, America\u2019s Car Museum (ACM) is opening a new exhibit “BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation” starting May 7, 2016 to highlight some of the brand\u2019s vehicles.<\/p>\n
While BMW began manufacturing airplane engines in 1916, it wasn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n
In the 1970s, BMW began marketing as \u201cThe Ultimate Driving Machine\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 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,\u201d said ACM Curator of Exhibitry Scot Keller.<\/p>\n
Cars featured in BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation include:<\/p>\n
1938 Frazer-Nash BMW 328 Roadster
\n1939 BMW 327\/28
\n1957 BMW Isetta 300
\n1959 BMW 507
\n1972 BMW 2002 tii
\n1973 BMW 3.0 CSL
\n1974 BMW 3.0 CSL Batmobile
\n1978 BMW M1 Art Car
\n1980 BMW M1
\n1988 BMW E30 M3
\n1988 BMW M6
\n2000 BMW M5
\n2003 BMW Z8 Alpina
\n2006 BMW Z4M Racer
\n2011 BMW 1M
\n2016 BMW i8
\n2016 BMW i3
\n2016 BMW X6<\/p>\n
Motorcycles featured in BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation include:<\/p>\n
1954 BMW R68\/1400
\n1955 BMW 500cc Bonneville S\/C Racer with sidecar
\n1968 BMW R60\/2 cafe
\n1975 BMW R90S
\n1975 BMW R90S<\/p>\n
\u201cBMW\u2019s centennial celebration is a huge milestone, which we wanted to honor in a big way,\u201d said ACM CEO David Madeira. \u201cThe support we received from the BMW community resulted in more vehicle submissions than any other display in ACM\u2019s four-year history. It allowed us to secure a robust assortment vehicles and led to one of our best exhibits to date.\u201d<\/p>\n