For Monterey Car Week, BMW is planning the biggest celebration of its centenary outside of its native Munich, and with it the biggest gathering of its classic, contemporary and conceptual road- and track-going cars that anyone is likely to encounter in one place in 2016.
The week starts at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion on August 18 and BMW will be showing 64 vintage race cars including 3.0 CSLs, M1 Pro Cars and 328s.
On August 19 at The Quail - A Motorsports Gathering, BMW will be unveiling a concept car to mark the 50th anniversary of its 2002 coupe, the first European production car to embrace turbocharging and the model that put BMW and the coupé shape on the map as objects of automotive desire. "Exactly 50 years ago, the 02 range kick-started an era of success for BMW. This compact coupe is one of the vehicles which made the brand what it is today," said Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design.
Meanwhile for the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, on August 21 the company will be showing every important car in its history including its Alexander Calder and Jeff Koons painted Art Cars, and its 1937 and 1940 Mille Miglia-winners.
One of the absolute highlights is bound to be the official public unveiling of a 1958 BMW 507 that once belonged to Elvis Presley himself. Believed to have disappeared for over 40 years, BMW only rediscovered the car when its owner, a retired space engineer called Jack Castor, started researching the history of the car he had had in his possession since 1968.
When Castor, who had planned to rebuild the car himself, realised that it was the fabled Elvis BMW he reluctantly agreed to sell the car back to BMW but only on the condition that it underwent a complete and completely accurate restoration.
"The opportunity to bring back the BMW 507 owned by the King of Rock'n'Roll to us here in Munich for purposes of restoration in accordance with the wishes of the previous owner, Jack Castor, was a dream come true for all those involved," said Ulrich Knieps, Head of BMW Group Classic. "This was an exceptionally fascinating project. The outcome is not simply a source of great pride to us. Jack would undoubtedly have been delighted by the outcome."
Unfortuately Castor passed away in November 2014 before the car could be finished, and so BMW will be presenting the finished car as Castor's legacy as well as the former property of the King of Rock n' Roll.
