derBayerische March/April 2022 - 23

T H E
V I N T A G E
2 0 2 1
■ Mark Rodocker plans a route for the group's Blue Ridge Parkway run on Friday morning.
For those who don't know the
Editors' note: This story appeared
in the Winter 2021 issue of The
Ultimate Classic, the official magazine
of BMW CCCA. A revised
version appears here by permission.
I'm fairly new to the classic
BMW community. I purchased my
first, an Alpine White 1991 318is, in
March of 2016. The 318is is a joy
to drive, fun to work on, and sometimes
acts as a means to starting
conversations and friendships with
fellow automotive enthusiasts -
both in person and in the online
world.
Shortly after taking ownership
of the 318is and becoming involved
with NCC BMW CCA, friends and
acquaintances would tell me about
The Vintage. " Have you heard of
The Vintage? " " Are you going to
The Vintage this year? " " Dude! You
have to come to The Vintage! "
There always seemed to be a schedule
conflict whether it was work, a
family trip, or something else. And
despite my daughter (7), son (4),
and wife (I know better than that)
enjoying car events, trekking 500
miles to Asheville, NC in a two-door
coupe with a trunk half full of justin-case
parts and tools was a big
ask. The planets aligned in 2021
and I was finally able to attend.
I even managed to reserve a room at
the Clarion Inn in Asheville, which
is a central hub of activity for this
event.
March I April
history of The Vintage, in 2004 a
gentleman named Scott Sturdy
organized a gathering of vintage
BMWs at Westbend Vineyards in
Lewisville, NC. Scott said he got
the idea after attending a rather
small car show at Westbend previously
and he asked the vineyard
owners if he could try a vintage
BMW-themed car show on their
property. They agreed, and the
event was born. It was called
Vintage at the Vineyards and 55
cars participated. Each year the
event grew, eventually requiring
venue changes to accommodate the
growing number of cars and
people. The name changed to The
Vintage in 2011, when the venue
was no longer a vineyard. For the
past five years, it has been held in
Hot Springs, NC. It is now the
largest gathering of vintage BMWs
in the U.S. with registration capped
at 700 cars in 2021.
My hat is off to Scott Sturdy
and his army of volunteers. Scott
must have planned the 2021 event,
which was originally slated for May
of 2020, three times due to changing
state restrictions and guidelines.
Scott says his favorite part
about The Vintage " is meeting first
timers who have a big grin on their
face and tell me they will be back
next year. " He added, " this event is
successful due to the fantastic
volunteers that step up to help out
each year. Sometimes they're
friends who have been volunteering
year after year, sometimes they're
■ The Clarion Inn's parking lot is a show in itself.
people I have never even met
before. "
Being a member of The
Vintage FaceBook group, I have
enjoyed following everyone's
general internet hijinx and " Vintage
Prep. " A week prior to departure, I
posted on the group to find a caravan
from the D.C. area, and Joshua
Reger reached out to me. It turned
out he only lived 10 minutes away
from my house and this was his
first Vintage as well. He brought
his 1972 2002, which he restored
and assembled himself a few
months prior. Joshua did a great
job because we made the 500-mile
journey without a hiccup. Joshua
continued past Asheville to run The
Tail of the Dragon, which is a bucket-list
item to do while in the area.
23
derBayerische March/April 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of derBayerische March/April 2022
