derBayerische March/April 2022 - 25

T H E
friend, Manny Nieves, about heading
to the show together. We quickly
hopped on a caravan from the
Clarion Inn and we were on our way.
We stopped halfway to Hot Springs
to top off our tanks and I found that
Ben Younce was leading the group
in his 1988 Cirrusblau E28. Ben is
yet another person I've spoken to
online a number of times, but hadn't
met in person until this event.
After driving some great roads
into Hot Springs (and seeing a bear
on the side of the road), our group
arrived at 9:20 a.m., just after the
gates opened. We parked in rows
on the large grassy field of Hot
Springs Resort and Spa, completely
surrounded by picturesque mountains.
Both the wonderful scenery
and collection of BMWs were a lot
to take in. The weather was excellent
- blue sky with scattered
clouds, temps in the low 80s, and a
nice breeze to keep things cool.
I walked up and down the aisles of
cars for hours, making introductions
and talking to the happy attendees.
Everyone had been waiting
over a year for this event. With each
pass I'd notice new details that I
hadn't previously seen: a perfectly
original 2002, an original 2002
turbo, an M42-swapped 2002, a
turbo-charged M42-swapped 2002
- oh my!
As sponsors, BMW CCA and
the BMW CCA Foundation both had
large tents set up. Odometergears,
also a sponsor, had an " art car " E24,
complete with external sound
system, playing a variety of music
for the guests to enjoy. There was a
sharpie attached to the E24's hood
with a note that encouraged all to
leave their mark.
The E9 was the car featured in
2021. In total, 13 beautiful E9s
came to the event and parked in a
long sweeping curve formation near
the entrance to the venue. Scott
said " the E9 theme was Gary Beck's
suggestion. Gary helped put it
together and organize the display. "
The show went by quickly. As
they say, time flies when you're
March I April
25
V I N T A G E
2 0 2 1
■ The E24 art car provided music and attendees could sign the hood with a sharpie.
having fun. I headed back to the
Clarion Inn after 3:00 p.m, driving
those sublime mountain roads and
reflecting on all the people I had
met, friends I'd made, and rolling
artwork I had the pleasure of seeing.
Saturday night at the Clarion was a
bit quieter than the previous two
nights. I grabbed some takeout
with my friend Manny and his girlfriend.
Like many others, we sat in
camping chairs in the parking lot
enjoying the sights and sounds of
the cars we saw at the show earlier
in the day.
Here are some things I learned
■ The feature car of 2021 was the E9.
during my first year at The Vintage.
First, as many have said, this event
is really about the people. It's a
welcoming family of BMW enthusiasts
from different walks of life all
coming together to enjoy this multiday
event together. Second, The
Vintage is a safe space for over-thetop
BMW fans. You can ramble on
about the most inane details about
these cars and your audience will
contentedly listen to you. Third, I
saw a number of families with kids
attend the event. So next year, I
hope that I'll make this a family trip.
Fourth, you don't need to bring a
vintage BMW to enjoy the experience!
There were people who flew
in and caught a ride to the show.
Some brought newer BMWs and
parked in the not-yet-vintage lot
across the street.
Thanks for putting on such an
incredible event, Scott Sturdy.
Thanks to everyone in attendance
for welcoming this new attendee
with open arms. I can now understand
why The Vintage is the highlight
of so many enthusiasts'
automotive calendars and I look
forward to seeing everyone in 2022!
derBayerische March/April 2022

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