To celebrate 100 years of BMW, America’s Car Museum (ACM) is opened a new exhibit on May 7 – “BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation” – to highlight some of the brand’s most gripping vehicles. BMW has amassed a strong sub-culture by redefining performance luxury vehicles, such as the 1973 BMW 3.0 CSL, 1988 BMW E30 M3 and the forward-looking 2016 BMW i8, which are all in the display.
While BMW began manufacturing airplane engines in 1916, it wasn’t until 1932 when the Munich-based company put together its first automobile. It built a reputation for producing exciting cars at the same time that the German autobahn was conceived.
In the 1970s, BMW began marketing as “The Ultimate Driving Machine” and has used the tagline for countless iconic road cars since. The slogan, coined under the guidance of industry luminary Bob Lutz, is widely recognized as one of the best of all auto manufacturers and has served BMW well for the past 42 years.
To pay respect to such a storied brand, ACM enlisted the help of several of its long-time backers – including ACM Board Member Manfred Scharmach, renowned BMW collector Peter Gleeson and Brooks Motor Works owner Kevin Brooks – to ensure that BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation would have an unmatched assortment of vintage and modern BMWs for guests of all ages.
“A big thanks also goes out to the BMW Car Club of America and all who submitted their vehicles for helping us fill the display, with nearly two dozen vehicles, it is truly a must-see for BMW fans!” Said ACM Curator of Exhibits Scott Keller.
The BMW Car Club of America, which alerted its member-base that the Museum was looking to represent BMW’s history with a wide range of cars and motorcycles, held it’s Puget Sound and Oregon chapters meet-up at ACM on May 15.
“BMW’s centennial celebration is a huge milestone, which we wanted to honor in a big way,” said ACM CEO David Madeira. “The support we received from the BMW community resulted in more vehicle submissions than any other display in ACM’s four-year history. It allowed us to secure a robust assortment vehicles and led to one of our best exhibits to date.”
For more information on the BMW: Propelling a Century of Innovation and other exhibits currently on view at ACM, visit americascarmuseum.org