The Vintage Hot Springs, North Carolina – 2019

Every year in May, Hot Springs, NC becomes the hot spot for more than a thousand BMW fans, and especially those with a fondness for the vintage models. This year, 678 vintage BMWs took to the display, while dozens more enthusiasts, in more modern models, parked across the way to enjoy all the cars, vendors, and camaraderie on offer.

While the show itself takes place on a Saturday (this year it fell on May 18^th) the whole affair is a long weekend for many participants. Enthusiasts arrive from all over the country and begin the only good kind of tailgating, in the hotel parking lot. Some go on tours of the local attractions, while others traveled from the Asheville, NC area down to Greer, SC on the Friday before the show to take in the latest BMW CCA Foundation exhibit Grand Opening. In the end, it’s all about the Saturday show with all the cars and their owners getting together to renew old acquaintances and make some new friends.

This event gets bigger and bigger each year and if you own, or have ever owned, any BMW from the 60s, 70s, or 80s, you’ll enjoy this show. Entrants are essentially limited to BMW chassis that originated in the 1980s or prior decades. As an example, the E34 5 Series ran into the 90s, but started in the 80s, so that is about the newest car on display. However, as I mentioned, many owners of more modern generations come as spectators to see all the amazing cars and meet their owners and to see old friends.

For more information, visit: www.atthevintage.com.

~Bob Morin