BMW Automobiles Celebrate 75th Anniversary at 2004 Lime Rock Vintage Festival
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., April 7 -- Presenting sponsor BMW of North America, LLC will host a variety of special events to celebrate the 75th anniversary of BMW automobiles at the 2004 Rolex Vintage Festival at Connecticut's Lime Rock Park on September 3-6.
BMW has always ensured popular exhibits both on and off the 1.53-mile Lime Rock Park circuit, but this year fans are guaranteed a special weekend.
In its third year as presenting sponsor, BMW will assemble a collection of coupes ranging from the winner of the 1940 Mille Miglia through the iconic CSLs and 2002s of the 1970s to 2004's newest 6 Series. A large number of BMW's most significant two-door machines will be displayed on Lime Rock's grounds.
The BMW Vintage and Classic Car Club will conduct a vintage road rally beginning at Lime Rock during the Festival and spend two weeks traveling up and down the East Coast ending at BMW's Spartanburg, SC assembly plant. More than 50 vintage and antique BMW cars owned by club members are expected to participate, including at least 20 beauties from Europe. Models include the 327 and 328 from the 1930s, the 507 and Isetta from the 1950s and CS coupes and 2002's from the 1960's.
On the track, BMW will participate in both track demonstrations and racing with the 1970s IMSA 3.0CSL coupes that made BAVARIAN MOTOR WORKS famous in the U.S. "We are really excited that we can organize a reunion of these coupes on a race track where they competed in their day," says Larry Koch, Advocate-BMW Mobile Tradition USA.
BMW Group activities will, of course, not be limited to BMW automobiles. Displays and activities will highlight BMW's 80-plus years of motorcycle heritage. MINI's rich heritage will, too, be featured. The centennial of the most revered name in automotive history, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will also be celebrated.
In its third decade as one of the foremost events of its kind in the country, the Rolex Vintage Festival showcases unparalleled vintage and historic racing, a remarkable Elite Concours and special exhibits, demonstrations and functions that make each day an extraordinary experience.
On Friday, Saturday and Monday of Labor Day weekend, more than 200 racing cars representing more than six decades of racing action from pre-war machines to the exotic sports cars of the 1960s and early 1970s will compete on the challenging Lime Rock circuit.
On Sunday, automobile lovers of all ages can enjoy a combination of car shows that display a diverse mix of vintage and modern classics in one of the largest gathering of fine automobiles of the concours season.
BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 340 BMW passenger car centers, 327 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 148 BMW motorcycle retailers, 76 MINI passenger car dealers, and 25 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.