BMW Car Club PH celebrates 14th Bimmerfest
THE BMW Car Club of the Philippines (BMWCCP) began when a group of five BMW owners got together in 2001 to form a club because of their enthusiasm for the brand. It was formally registered with the SEC in 2003 and secured formal recognition from the International Council of BMW Clubs in Munich, Germany.
The foremost role of BMWCCP is to be the local brand ambassador of BMW. As an officially recognized BMW Club (and the only BMW Club in the Philippines officially recognized by Munich), it was given the legal privilege and right to use the famed BMW roundel as part of its Club logo. It seeks to live out the concept: there is more to the ownership of a BMW than just driving it off from the dealership.
The Club conducts monthly fun drives to different destinations in the Philippines while advocating safe and responsible motoring. These fun drives are sprinkled with the occasional track days where the Club holds driving clinics to educate the owner-participants on the performance capabilities of their vehicles and how to harness these to the fullest.
Every year the club conducts Bimmerfest – a gathering of BMW owners. The 14th Bimmerfest held last August 13 at the Uptown Parade Grounds in BGC featured various models that comprise the line-up of BMWs produced in the last 100 years. They include the gamut of numbers that BMW uses to designate its automobiles, from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and X Series, to the more exotic models like the Z and M Series. Most of the vehicles that were on display are owned by bona fide members with the occasional guest cars belonging to car clubs and individuals invited by the BMWCCP.
BMWCCP members are a diverse lot including doctors, engineers, lawyers, accountants, pilots, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, techies, nerds and gear heads of various ages looking under the chassis, admiring the alloy wheels, or peering under the hood then gathering to discuss various aspects of the vehicle in eyeballs, over dinner or just a cup of coffee.
BMWCCP has been actively engaged in various advocacies such as preservation of the environment, support for Earth Hour, and charitable activities such as involvement and support for the Red Cross and the World Wildlife Fund. The BMWCCP also supports an orphanage for abandoned children.
Due to its pro-active, innovative activities in the Philippines in promoting passion for the BMW brand; promoting safe and responsible motoring; and, more importantly, advocating on environmental protection and social responsibility, BMWCCP was bestowed the International Club of the Year Award in 2016 by the International Council in Munich.
Last July, after much suspense but without much fanfare, the BMWCCP accepted the keys to a BMW E90 Service Mobile. Asian Carmakers Corporation (ACC), the Philippines’ exclusive BMW importer and distributor, turned over to BMWCCP President Atty. Ericson Ang, a founding member of the club, an BMW 3 Series (E90) service vehicle. Ang thanked ACC for supporting the BMWCCP’s initiative to acquire a club service mobile. Ang stated, “The Club is happy to mark this turnover event as another milestone in the history of BMW Car Club of the Philippines. It highlights the continuing relationship, cooperation and mutual support that Asian Carmakers Corporation-BMW and the BMWCCP have maintained over the years since the Club’s formal registration and recognition by the International Council of BMW Clubs in Munich in 2003 and its place under the Asian umbrella organization.
“Acquisition of the BMW Service Mobile reaffirms the Club’s passion for the BMW brand. It is testimony to its faith in the robust build-quality and superior engineering that goes into every BMW vehicle as it emerges from their factory for the first time, be it an old or new model. The presence of the Service Mobile during the Club’s fun drives in and out of the Metro adds another dimension of security and assurance for club member cars during such activities. While ACC provides outstanding support and world-class service for all its client-buyers, the Service Mobile gives Club members immediate mechanical ‘first aid’ for unexpected breakdowns in far-flung drive destinations,” said Ang.
“We’ve named our service mobile SYNERGY - a nod to the combination of forces which deliver outstanding results exceeding the sum of its parts. That name symbolizes hope and faith in the BMW brand and the relationships behind it. SYNERGY was formally presented to the public at BimmerfestPH.
The BMW Car Club of the Philippines and Bimmerfest Philippines was supported by copresenters Shell V-Power and Shell Helix Ultra motor oil; major sponsors H&R, Bilstein PH, Hillsborough Car Spa, Eurovision, Dynalab Corporation, Standard Insurance; official event partner It’s Happening Events; minor sponsors Federal Tires, 3K Battery, Baskin Robbins, Sbarro, Black Mamba Energy, Bravo Food Supplements, ROTA Wheels, Lifeline, Philippine Red Cross, Leder Interia, Tire Care Sealant, Karcher, AutoGard, Aguila Auto Glass, Meguiar’s; and media partners The
Philippine STAR, Philippine Daily Inquirer, C! Magazine, Ride and Drive Philippines, Play FM 99.5, jamesdeakin. ph, Autocar Magazine, 2NER Magazine, Aksyon Sports, Katooga.ph, 9tro, Cyber Imp, The Right Wrong, LifeStyle on Wheels.