BMW Classic CCA

here is a strong 2nd to that motion ... i have been very happy to be a member of CCCA. great information about classic BMW and Dirk owns some of the finest examples
 
I left the BMWCCA thirty years ago. No, they left me when the Roundel pivoted to "the future." Meaning cars I had interest in or use for. More chips followed by more chips then Screens and more.

I am old school, frozen in time back in the BMW world of the late 60s and 70s. Dirk's quarterly magazine is like a blast from the past. Nothing like it on the planet.
 
Good to know. I am also exclusively interested in bimmers that are old enough to vote or order a beer. A friend let me drive his brand new M3 and while it is fast and competent, it does nothing for me.

I looked at the CCCA website and it looks pretty thin. Do they organize any events, or is it mostly a magazine subscription?
 
@Minivansomern, read the description again. Dirk organizes drives all over the country and in Europe. They are featured in articles in the "Classic." A couple of years ago he organized a drive that "began" in Bucks County, PA. Driver/members from as far away as FL and TX and beyond attended. My failing memory says they pushed on to Saratoga Springs or was it Lime Rock and then...

There are mini "Local Chapters" my words, organized ad hoc by local groups that do drives, help each other out with everything automobile and just have fun. Our group in Bucks County, "The Rocket Dogs," does all of the above. We have a core group of about 15 committed members and a mailing list of 53.

The six front pages from "The Ultimate Classic" tell you how deep the commitment and interest in "our" cars is.

Steve
 
Minivansomeren said:
Good to know. I am also exclusively interested in bimmers that are old enough to vote or order a beer. A friend let me drive his brand new M3 and while it is fast and competent, it does nothing for me.
Earlier this year Dirk has sought volunteers to be area representatives. I volunteered for the PNW
I looked at the CCCA website and it looks pretty thin. Do they organize any events, or is it mostly a magazine subscription?
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Earlier this year Dirk requested volunteers to be BMWCCA area representatives in order to organize more local events, drives C&C’s etc. I accepted tor be the rep here in the PNW. There are more throughout the country. So there may be one in your area. Our first PNW event is also featured in the current club magazine. It’s a great issue if I do say so myself.
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Aaah yes I missed the line about the organizing drives, good to know. I assume they have some sort of chapter in the Southwest?

I guess I’ll “join the club” and see what is available around me. Like I said, it seems like a better fit for me than the BMW CCA.
 
In 1974, a board member of the BMW CCA started a special interest group within the club for owners of prewar and early postwar BMWs. These members were mainly interested in technical information and parts to keep their cars on the road. They weren’t especially drawn to the social aspects of the BMW CCA or to the autocross events popular with 2002 and E9 owners. Before long, the group split off and became the BMW Vintage Club of America.

In 2004, the club was renamed the BMW Vintage & Classic Car Club of America and received official recognition from BMW AG in Munich and BMW North America. Under the leadership of Goetz Pfafflin, the club organized annual driving tours around the country and published a quarterly newsletter.

In 2016, Goetz approached me. He wanted to retire as president to write his memoirs, and if I didn’t take over, he planned to shut the club down. Not wanting that to happen, I stepped in, shortened the club’s name, and revamped the newsletter into what is now a 64-page publication exclusively devoted to classic BMWs and their owners. Membership has since increased from 200 to 600.

We have no professional staff and no professional writers. The Ultimate Classic depends entirely on members to contribute articles and photographs, and I must say, they do a terrific job. I organize annual driving tours, and several members have stepped up to arrange local events, often in cooperation with nearby BMW CCA chapters. After all, we are all friends with a shared enthusiasm for these cars.

To borrow from JFK: “Don’t ask what the club can do for you, but ask what you can do for the club.”

Annual dues are $60, which cover the printing and distribution of The Ultimate Classic.
 
I joined Dirk and other members in August 2023 on his vintage drive to the PNW from Monterey Car Week. In July of 2024 my wife and I drove to Santa Fe NM and met up with Dirk and approximately 12 cars from the East Coast and Texas and we drove for eight days through the mounts of New Mexico and Colorado including Pike’s Peak. My coupe did 3,300 miles round trip from Huntington Beach and temps were 100 degrees crossing the Colorado River into Arizona and the a/c did an adequate job. Yes even Zenith carbs have no problem handling 14,000 feet! There are no regional chapters but events happen in many areas when members step up to organize events. I have written many articles for Dirk as have others on our Forum like Steve and John.
 
That all sounds awesome. And I meant no disrespect with my question about the magazine subscription. The ultimate classic looks gorgeous btw. I just don’t have much reading time because I have young kids, a busy job, and 2 old bimmers to maintain. I have lots of issues of grassroots motorsports (also great content) that stack up and don’t get read.

I do like to write (for fun, not professionally) so maybe I’ll contribute an article if I get an inspiration.
 
I was a CCA member for many (20+?) years. I started when it seemed like the only "reasonable" parts and information source, and I was coming out of my air-cooled VW days. I wore my Circle Tire t-shirt (which has inexplicably become very small) just the other day.

I was chapter president, newsletter editor, Treasurer, Board member and all that for years, went to Chapter Congresses, the '95 O'fest, and several newsletter editor gatherings. We organized two high performance driving schools from the ground up. I have had 27 bimmers (including 15 2002s), the three beemers (serial owner, no doubt about it). Crashed two, rebuilt one, several parts cars have come and gone. I'm usually a third-tier owner or further down the chain, so they keep me busy. The E46 currently has trans trouble and is in the shop the last two days. I hope it's because they haven't had time to look at it yet.

CCA started to fade from my interest when (IMHO) Carla Harman (then a BMWNA employee) rose within the national ranks and the direction and editorial stance of the Roundel changed. BMWs were becoming yuppie cars and belonged to folks whose only interest was being seen in one. They were also mounting in complexity, which has certainly shown no sign of letting up. Lord help me if my 2019 530e develops an out-of-warranty issue, I'll pay the piper then, for sure.

The local chapter essentially faded and disappeared after years of not maintaining minimum requirements set by the national organization. It gradually merged into the dealer space and vanished.

Doing what I did for the Chapter was an essentially thankless job. As treasurer, I got several nastygrams from a member, threatening legal action. I don't miss any of that; the internet generally and this forum in particular have taken over the headspace I had for CCA.
 
I've been a member for a few years now and while I don't have much time to participate in events currently (kids, darn it) I very much enjoy the magazine and appreciate Dirk's efforts as well.
 
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