BMW Car Club of America

The BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA) is a U.S.-based organization of enthusiasts and owners of BMW-made automobiles (including the MINI). Organized into five regions and 67 chapters, the club boasts more than 75,000 active members within the United States, making it the largest BMW owner/enthusiast organization in the world.[1] The BMW CCA arranges a wide variety of social, technical and driving events, including autocross, high-performance driver's education, rallies, club racing and owner education on topics such as mechanical repair, automotive maintenance and collecting vintage vehicles.

History and structure

Founded in Boston in 1969,[2] the organization began as an owner-support network, the club exists as a separate entity from BMW AG and its North American subsidiary, although there is a close working relationship, such as discounts on vehicles and parts provided to club members by the company. Currently headquartered in Greenville, SC, the BMW CCA is a not-for-profit corporation, governed by an elected board of directors that meets quarterly. Five Regional Vice Presidents, who serve on the board, represent the interests of the chapters. Each chapter is an independent corporation chartered by BMW CCA and operates within with minimum standards of service to the membership.[3] All chapters are geographically based except for the E31 Chapter, which is a non-geographic model-specific chapter.[4]

BMW CCA Foundation

In March 2002, the BMW CCA formed the 501(c)(3) BMW CCA Foundation, a charity aimed at preserving the history of the BMW marque in the U.S., the club's history and to fund and operate what it terms the Driver Safety School Program, known more commonly as Street Survival, aimed at teaching young American drivers, age 16-21 the importance of safe driving through emergency and accident avoidance training conducted in their own cars by qualified volunteers and professionals.[5][6] In 2007, 56 Street Survival schools were held across the United States,[7] up from 34 in 2006.[8]

Roundel

Roundel is the club's national, monthly magazine. More akin to mainstream automotive periodicals than a newsletter, Roundel covers the history of the BMW marque, reviews current models and trends, offers articles on vehicle modification and maintenance, coverage of the organization's club races and columns by notable authors, racing drivers and club officials. Local BMW CCA chapters publish newsletters to inform members about upcoming events.

National programs

Oktoberfest

Each year the club hosts a week-long event, Oktoberfest, a national club gathering, that includes non-speed competitive driving events, a wide variety of technical sessions, vendor displays and presentations, as well as plenty of socializing with fellow BMW enthusiasts.

The first BMW CCA Oktoberfest was held in 1970 in Concord, Massachusetts. Since then, the annual gathering of the Club has been held every year. Here are the Oktoberfest locations and the years:

BMW CCA Club Racing

The BMW CCA organizes and oversees the BMW CCA Club Racing series, one of the largest single-marque amateur racing series in the United States. Begun in 1995, BMW CCA Club Racing has grown to nearly 50 races annually, organized by region, with more than a dozen classes for different models and levels of modification.[9]

Techfest

Techfest is not currently an active program. The BMW CCA Techfest was a national three- to four-day gathering of Club members and BMW technical experts and vendors. Techfest presented lectures, panels, and technical instruction workshops aimed at informing BMW owners on advanced repair and maintenance techniques, and also provided a forum for independent service providers and aftermarket vendors to show off their wares and services. Techfest 2003 was held in the Los Angeles, California area. Techfest 2004 was in Reston, Virginia. There was no event in 2005. In 2006, Techfest was hosted in St. Louis, Missouri. The last Techfest was held in 2007 in Tacoma, Washington.[10]

Techfest was the successor to the long-running Gateway Tech, which was held annually by the Saint Louis BMW Club, a BMW CCA chapter, starting in 1982. Although it was presented by the St. Louis chapter and staffed mostly by volunteers from that chapter, and remained a chapter event, Gateway Tech eventually became sanctioned as a regional event by BMW CCA. Gateway Tech was always held in the St. Louis, Missouri area, but attendees came from all over the United States. The last Gateway Tech under that name was held in 2002. For 2006, Gateway Tech's successor event, Techfest, returned the gathering to its roots in St. Louis, Missouri.

References

  1. ↑ "Roundel Media Kit". BMW CCA. Archived from the original on 10 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  2. ↑ "CCA/ACA History". BMW CCA Puget Sound Chapter. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  3. ↑ "BMW CCA FAQ (old)". Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  4. ↑ Wray, Roger (April 2014). "Birth of a Chapter". Roundel: 73–74.
  5. ↑ "BMW CCA Foundation History". BMW CCA Foundation. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  6. ↑ Brown, Curt (2008-02-17). "Stopping Teen Deaths on the Road". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Archived from the original on 4 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  7. ↑ "Street Survival main page". Archived from the original on 24 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  8. ↑ "Program Guide". Street Survival. Archived from the original on 24 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  9. ↑ Gilbert, Mike (2007-02-15). "About BMW CCA club racing and Spec E36". RaceFaan. Retrieved 2008-03-11.
  10. ↑ "Techfest 2007 Details". Retrieved 2008-03-11.

External links

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