BMW CAR CLUB (GB)
SOUTH EAST REGION
Website design by Melvyn Pettit
Top
46th European BMW Club meeting 2008
“Welcome to Switzerland”
Report and Photographs by Melvyn Pettit
08 BMW Club Europa Meeting
So with the welcome registration e-mail from Rosetta Ciancia (automobile delegate from the Federation of Swiss BMW clubs) another BMW Club Europa (BCE) trip was on, book hotel for event, making sure of secure car parking. Now our travailing group snapped up ferry, well £14 night crossing with Norfolk line could not be missed. Quick call to Neil and Ann in Spa “are you around in August?”, “sorry mate enjoying ourselves with the motorbikes down at le-mans” came Neil’s reply. Look at map Luxembourg seems about halfway, Internet check the hotel we stayed at on 43rd BCE meeting in Luxembourg, 60% summer discount, great news. Traveling back, we will be flexible as we are planning to visit Schlumpf collection.
Monday 25th / Tuesday 26th August.
At the witching hour of 12o/c, I meet up with Barry and Ann on M20 service area. Barry has had to change his plan, as his BMW Z1 is still in bits, as he is doing a major job, with gearbox, prop-shaft, and engine, and just ran out of time to complete it. So Ann has space in the BMW X5 for a proper holiday pack. Selwyn arrives in his Blue 2000 Tii touring, he is packed for a two week trip as he will be travelling up to Holland after Switzerland meeting to 02 international meeting.
Smooth crossing and a relaxing early morning drive and arrive at Luxembourg hotel at noon. Book in, time for a drink as the rooms will be ready at 2pm. Up to rooms for Shower and change, then we walk to main square for an early evening meal in the sunshine. What a way to spend a Tuesday afternoon, Great weather, Splendid food, entertaining waiter and enjoyable company.
Wednesday 27th August. Engelberg and Welcome Photograph album
Thursday 28th August Concours Photograph album
On the message board is a notice form Ron Sharrad, a judges meeting tomorrow a 9.30am. So pick up event goody bag, also purchase a very nice event polo shirt 30SF, and 10SF for a Titlis car park pass, get money back when handing back ticket on Sunday. After a look around it time to book into Hotel, well first we had to get out the car park! Putting ticket in slot, no barrier going up! Try again, no go, so back up, and then a Swiss car leaves, have to swipe ticket on other post! We are booked into the Hotel Terrance, which we could see up the mountain from the Titlis car park, but getting there proved a bit confusing as the hotel’s very own funicular transport, which ran for the last time on 6 April 2008. Building work for the new connection to the hotel is well under way, because of this, one of the roads is blocked, finally asking a local we are directed to drive up the pedestrian area and take the small side road up to hotel. I have a wonderful view over Engelberg from my room. That evening we have an excellent meal down in the town, meeting up with Ron and Kathleen.
After a brisk awakening “water cold in shower”, breakfast and booking out, we set the Sat-Navs for Engelberg, Switzerland. Trip down through France went well, We only “lost” Selwyn at one of the “péage” toll booths, found him in petrol station with Blue and Sliver Subaru WRC police car behind him. One police officer taking pictures of BMW 2000 on his camera phone. All was OK he was a BMW fan. Slight detour near Mulhouse as Sat-Nav froze! Also met with Keith Waller’s group in rest stops, “must stop meeting like this”. Into Switzerland, purchase the motorway vignette (tax), 40 Swiss Francs (around £21). Short trip now to Engelberg.
As we are travelling though one of the many tunnels though the mountain range there is a sound of a “sharp” car horn. Checking my mirror, I see a white BMW M1 alongside Selwyn’s 02, then the M1 draws along side me and “toots” again, and it is Swiss BMW Club Habsburg member Erich Matter. After a wave and thumbs up, he plants the loud pedal, the sound of the mid-engine BMW twin-cam M88/1 3.5 L 6-cylinder engine resonating of the tunnel brings a BIG smile across my face. As we arrive and park up in the Titlis car park, Erich’s M1 parked outside the marquee.
After breakfast on the terrace over looking Engelberg, we drive down to the venue. Barry and I give our BMWs a quick wipe over, with Barry collecting fresh mountain water from the stream which runs by car park. Ron holds the judges meeting and we have time look around the BMWs arriving for the meeting and the Concours.
As Concours entrants arrived, they were entertained with an Alpine horn blowing and flag throwing display. By the due starting time of 11am, the team of Judges started to get to work. Once again the high preparation of the BMWs on show made the marking very close. BMWCCGB vice President John Safe arrived, having had a slight problem with the indicators on his ZM coupe, fixed at local BMW dealership, but finding out later the wipers now did not work! John reported later that his Wire Wizard in UK sorted Coupe out, and all is well. The weather was very hot, so the cold drinks were welcome. Lunch in the marquee, after the Concours judging was finished our group went on our own to do the short road-book tour to “Burgenstock”, Selwyn and I join Barry and Ann in the BMW X5. After forgetting to set zero kilometer, it was fun getting to our destination, the view at top in Burgenstock. After taking in the views and refreshment it was time to head back.
Change for the welcome drink, and then the Bavaria night, where after the meeting organising meeting committee speeches, BCE meeting regular Werner Senn joined the band and entertain us with his accordion. BMW Club members also had the offer of a free cigar, Selwyn was straight in, not sure if it was the cigar he rushed up for, or the chance to chat with the young lady!
Friday 29th August Driving Skills Photograph album | Titlis album
Today the skill contest was held. Like a good Swiss watch the six exercises included in the layout had to be manoeuvred with precision. Exercise 1: Drive onto yellow line, the front wheel has a marker placed on sidewall of tyre at bottom. Then you have to drive forward and stop when you think you have rotated the wheel once. Measurements taken of how far short or over you are. Exercise 2. Slalom both ways, don‘t knock over cones. Exercise 3. Into boxed area and turn car around and drive out, do not touch sides. Exercise 4. Stop on yellow line, then drive forward and stop when you think front wheel has traveled ten metes, measurement how short or over you are. Exercise 5. Stop at line, which is about 30 metres from the height measuring apparatus, you have to ask the marshals to rise or lower the band to the height you think is the correct height to just drive under, measure how much to low or high you have guessed. Exercise 6: This is the bull’s-eye manoeuvre, reverse car onto the BMW dartboard and stop with rear bumper on the bulls’ eye and car in centre.
The evening was to be one of the highlights of BCE meeting, as we had a meal at the Titlis restaurant, which needed three cable car rides to take us up and over the first mountain and through valley, passing over Trübsee then take the Rotair (revolving cable car) up to top of Titlis mountain to 3,000metres (10,000ft) for the restaurant. The welcome drink, view over the mountain ranges, fondue meal, ice cave visit and watching the sunset below us, added up to fantastic evening.
Saturday 30th August Road-book Photograph album | Prize Giving album
Four passes road-book tour. Today was travelling day, as all the members going on the tour lined up at venue ready for the 9am start. Due to numbers, we were in groups of around twenty cars in each group.
After picking up our pack lunches, Ann and Barry join me; Selwyn is doing the Veteran lake tour in his 2000tii touring. BCE stalwart Werner Senn, who will lead the group in his BMW white 502, organized this tour. While waiting for the off, our guide (BMW motorcyclists) came over and gave out the normal instructions for group driving, IE: “keep your eye on the vehicle behind, and keep them in view“. Then he explains that he knows a place for the first stop, which is not in the road-book, and this is his first time of doing this type of thing!
Selwyn’s group leads off, and we follow about four groups later, we make the first “secret” stop, only to find one other group their , another line of BMWs follow us in. After rest break we are again on our way, this time on planed route. The weather is sunny and very hot, which has brought out the motorcyclists and cyclist, which makes keeping the group together a little bit more complicated as part of the group get a chance to overtake on the fantastic winding roads as we head up to top of the mountain ranges. Our second stop is at Grimsel Pass. We have a bit of lunch and walk up to look down on the pass road we are to traverse, it was breath taking. The route wound down the mountain and then up the next mountain in the range. We complete it and then stop to look back over the pass route that we just completed.
Now on towards Andermatt, where all the groups meet up at the Historical Swiss Military building, the parade ground is soon full of resting BMW vehicles and drivers. Then being refreshed, we are on our way, there was one BMW Z3 that would not start in one of the other groups, even after being pushed the length of the parade ground. Next and last stop is a café near Sustenhospiz, the view over mountain lakes is one for the memory bank. Our guide informs us that Engelberg is over the other side of the mountain, and it will be about a two-hour drive. Again, the winding roads and mountain edge tunnels make an interesting drive. We arrive back in Engelberg at 5pm after covering over 226klms of mountain roads. An interesting day out was had by all, and we did not lose anybody on the way.
Surprise guest saxophonist was Swiss driver and Team owner Walter Brun.
Brief Motorsport History:
Walter Brun drove a BMW M1 in the M1 Procar series.
Brun Motorsport was a Swiss auto racing team founded by driver Walter Brun in 1983.
Among the cars Brun Motorsports ran was a BMW M1.They competed as a Porsche privateer team in sports car racing, running in a multitude of international championships. They notably won the World Sportscar Championship in 1986 and would later become a full-fledged chassis constructor. Brun was also briefly part of the EuroBrun Formula One team from 1988 to 1990.
Just time to return to hotel and shower and change, and it was time to head down to Sporting-park hall for the farewell meal and prize giving evening. Meet up with Selwyn, and he informs us that his day went well, even with a small route change from Werner! Entering the hall, we have a table near the front, which Kathleen Butler and Ron Sharrad had saved for us. BMWCC GB Vice Presidents Peter Rust and John Safe joined our table. The food soon arrived, which is always welcome, rather than having to queue up for it. A band on the stage entertained as the hall filled up. Soon it was speech time, and after thanking the organising committee, plus Ron Sharrad and Concours team. Mr Jürg-Dieter Hübner from BMW Classic and Guy Timmermann BCE also gave thank you speeches.
In the prize giving, I am happy to report that BMWCC GB did well in picking up silverware. Chris Turner not only one his class in the Concours with his immaculately prepared BMW Z M Coupe, he was also overall winner. Selwyn Frostick picked up first, for the Veteran run “trials and questionnaire“. Barry Gordge came second in his class in the driving skills, and the BMWCC GB came third in class for members attending and mileage covered, John Safe picked up the trophy. Well done all. The last presentation of the evening was to pass on the Leersum Glass BCE Trophy to the next years BCE meeting organising BMW club, which will be BMW Club Portugal. So make a date in the 09 diary for this event that should be held around June/July.
The following day was the International Z meeting which was held also in Engelberg, and a lot of BCE members stayed on for this event… Read the report
Sunday 31st August
Monday 1st September
On our way back to UK we visited the Schlumpf Collection at Mulhouse and Reims Auto museum