BMWCCA Membership???? Any Thoughts????

verde2002

verde2002

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I have been a member for a decade now and more and more I feel like the club just isn't like it used to be. The Roundel magazine isn't anywhere as interesting as it used to be, in fact my last three issues I have yet to even open. There used to be a lot of meets at local BMW dealerships and educational classes at different BMW shops which I used to attend but those seem to be long gone. The only emails I seem to get from them now are for raffle ticket sales on yet another car giveaway or a track day usually far far away. I am a Los Angeles chapter member and have a feeling this will be my last year as a member. Any thoughts? Is it the Los Angeles chapter that has changed, is this the case everywhere or maybe I have changed and lost interest?
 
BMW is changing

BMW continues to grow and change. WHen I first joined, nobody knew what BMW stood for (most common guess was British Motor Works). Today I'd argue that new BMW's are just commodity European luxury cars and the shift in membership has followed that change to some lesser degree. Other clubs I belong to have also changed over the years, with the general membership less and less interested in the mechanical side and more into it for the social benefits. Like you, the Roundel is no longer read on the day of arrival.

What I see out here in NE is that clubs focused on one specific BMW model have grown larger and more active (such as the E9 group or the local '02 register).

Maybe one way to look at it is that I'm stuck in the past while the national club has moved forward.

But, CCA is so cheap that I've stayed in. I get it all back via parts discounts and I do go to at least one meeting per year.
 
You only need to attend one event like a clean car contest/display to make it worthwhile. As mentioned the online parts discounts are a good reason as well. I don't expect the Roundel to cater to all my wishes but it has a good mix of articles on vintage machinery and events throughout the year.
 
i really don't have much to do with the local chapter, i don't autocross, do drivers schools or race ... local chapters used to be involved with tsd rally, which is how i got into BMW in the 70's. i will occasionally go to a clean car contest, and i've been to a few oktoberfests - mainly for the tsd rally. but there are always some great people at that event. those are the reasons i have stayed in the club.
 
I'm a CCA National Board Member. We are having our yearly party Octoberfest in Monterey this Aug. Why not stop by for a day or two and engage with fellow club members and see if you like it. As far as your comment regarding Roundel. We have just gone through a pretty extensive re do so tear open one of them and comment on the current product. That would be very helpful to the club. While your in there, take a look at the page listing all the club benefits including the rebate for both new and pre owned BMW's. You have some nice cars, bring them out to play with us.
 
I won a 325iS in the '92 Oktoberfest raffle, and received $500 incentives through the BMWCCA when we bought our 328ix and 128i. Even without the added benefits of great technical support, the Roundel, and local meets, it has been a very beneficial membership.
 
Wow, you are the 2 person I've come in contact with who has won a car. Thanks for your nice words about the club. One more thought, if the club is not offering something you need, let us know.....or better yet help create it. As a good friend of mine used to say "If your ship doesn't come in..........swim out to it".

Steve
72 3.0CS
89 E30 M3
08 328 it
 
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