johnl
Well-Known Member
The Lineage of Bavaria 3131431
Built May 12, 1972 & delivered to Max Hoffman May 17, 1972
This will be a long read so should you not have the interest please stop now. I've been a “car guy” all of my life and enjoy documenting and sharing data on the cars I collect. This is what I'll try to do here but first I feel you need to know some background about me.
I'm currently 66 years old, soon to be 67. I've collected cars that have special meaning to me for over 50 years. Currently there are eleven in that group. I've done frame off and more minor restorations over the years.
My car collecting started in 1963 with my first Ruby Red Sunroof Volkswagen. That car remained in my ownership for over ten years. It was instrumental in meeting my wife of almost 43 years on a blind date. She was blind and I was the date..
Besides meeting my wife it was the foundation of Der Kleiner Panzer VW Club which is revered throughout the world today as a benchmark. http://www.dkpcarclub.com/ I am one of the founders and remain active in this club which is in it's third generation currently. It was through this association that I first met Joe Schneider, the first BMW Dealership in Orange County, California. Today we own two beetle sedans, a 1963 in mostly stock form and a 1960 Cal-look sedan which is producing somewhere in the range of 200HP. Oh and yes it is VW powered, not Porsche and not Turbocharged.
My other collector car interest has always been Chrysler with emphasis on the 300 Letter Series built from 1955 through 1965 with only about 17,000 units during those years. Currently we own three, a C300 (1955), 300B (1956) and a 300C (1957) which has been on display at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles for the past year. Our C300 was there when it opened and remained for close to two years. I'm on the Board of Directors of the Chrysler 300 Club Internation and a model year consultant for the '55-56 years. http://www.chrysler300club.com/
Other Chryslers in our collection are a 1953 Imperial Newport (823 built). This is an original car and may be the best original in existence and has a history of it's own. We also own a 1955 Imperial Newport which was close to a frame off restoration. Last is a 1955 New Yorker Deluxe Town & Country wagon (1036 built) that has a Hollywood history. Last year we sold our 1960 300F long ram car (934) built. Should you have interest in any of these cars go to YouTube and type John Lazenby Chrysler and you can watch a documentary on them.
I've been around BMWs since 1965 and have owned them since 1974 starting with a '72 Agave Bavaria. We loved that car and still wonder to this day why we let it go. There have been 3, 5, 7 and a couple of M cars in the mix over the years. Never owned a four cylinder and prefer the in line 6 over the V8 examples.
I've been in the automotive parts business for 43 years and still go to work five days a week. Last March my life changed significantly as I collapsed in my driveway. This resulted in two heart surgries within the month of April and a visit to emergency in between just for good measure. After all of that I began to look at life differently and try to appreciate the gift I've been given even more.
I'm trying to wind down my business life and also thin out the car colletion as it is just to much to maintain.
Recently we sold our 43K E39 M5 which was pretty much mint and not modified example. The car got very little use and it was a step in thinning the heard. I had no intention of looking for another BMW but then the idea of a Bavaria kept creeping up.
My longtime friend John Wickstrom, owner of Hansa Motors in Hunington Beach, CA had a very nice one owner car that I knew much of the history and saw the car everytime I visted his shop. The story behind the car was John had purchased it from Magna Schley who in her 80s stopped driving. Her sons Mark and Paul have been VW friends for years and were the first ones to cover the ¼ mile in a VW powered VW sedan in 10 seconds. https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150734481419344&id=229345954343 Mark & Paul own Schley Products Tool Co. located in Anaheim. They have also built a museum dedicated to the VW performace history.
When John Wickstrom aquired the Bavaria he did a full on restoration sparing no cost and using only factory German parts. This was a project done with his son Andreas and was to be his car when completed. Tragically Andreas took his life 12 years ago http://lang.presstelegram.com/projects/suicide/part4.asp and the project came to a halt.
For years I'd see the car but never asked what John's intentions were as it was so difficult for him. Recently on a visit John announced to me that he was planning on selling many of his cars and I immediately asked about the Bavaria. I feel that no one had gone there before me. After a few weeks of negotions we came to an agreement. I knew the day we picked the Bav up it was difficult for him. He wanted no photos of us together with the car and as I drove out I saw him through the rear view mirror with a lost look on his face.
While the negoations were going on regarding a purchase I contacted Mark & Paul to get details of the car. What I learned is that they pick the car up at the NJ docks around Labor Day of 1972. The car was driven to Skip Hamm BMW in Hanover, PA for the dealer prep. Skip was also a VW drag racer campaining the NED Bug back in the day. After that it drove to Indy and from there was transported to Southern California and Magna drove it from that time forward putting about 97K on the odometer.
Magna Schley was the head dietiation at Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach. One of her more famous patients was John Wayne and as her son Mark relayed to me “you know John, that car has been in John Wayne's driveway”. Being a huge John Wayne fan all of my life that made it just a bit more sweet. http://articles.dailypilot.com/2003-02-15/news/export27239_1_hoag-hospital-fish-harbor-area-happy-birthday
According to Mark she only drove in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach making right turns. He did tell me that one time the three of them took it to Las Vegas. When she signed the Pink Slip which I have a copy of the car was never registered in John Wickstrom's name, thus I'm the second registered owner.
I've had several qualified BMW friends over to inspect the car and they all seem amazed at the overall condition. Some even say it is as new.
Plans for the car is to work out a few mechinical issues and then drive it. I've been gathering parts for a 5 speed conversion (currently an automatic). Once the trans conversion is complete the car will be driven, enjoyed and very appreciated as we feel so fortunate to have such a wonder piece of history.
We already have plans to drive over and pick Mark & Paul up, take them to lunch and then drive out to the cemetary for a visit with Magna. According to Mark they can't wait.
Now you know the rest of the story.......................
