Classic Heart | The BMW Group Classic Podcast

Timo Schnee shares how his BMW love story began – from his 1 Series Coupé with Performance Parts to hosting the unique “Unterholz” community event. Plus: his goal to own a 318is Class II in every colour. Listen now!

Growing up in the GDR, Daniel Lucas dreamed of a BMW 318 / E30. Today he drives a BMW 320 convertible and aims for the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. Hear his story of classic cars, BMW bikes and the magic of driving. Listen now to Classic Heart!

Jay Ward is Creative Director of Franchise at Pixar Animation Studios and was responsible for making the ‘Cars’ films that we all love. As a Jury member at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este, he also has a second dream job. And his (crazy) collection of vehicles includes a BMW R 90 superbike.

BMW & BMX are Maxime Cassagne's great passions.

Maxime owns a number of unusual classic BMWs and is also an outstanding BMX flatland rider. He combines both passions at his repurposed fire station in the south of France and shares them with the community.

Max Heidegger modified BMW 2002 engines for racing cars in the 1970s. Max talks about this legendary era of motor sport and how he won Le Mans. As you can imagine, his son Jakob enjoyed a fascinating childhood.

Bernd Grebenauis a true BMW enthusiast. In 1987, he bought his dream car: a brand-new BMW E30 convertible in Alpinweiß. Little did he know that it would become a design icon and a lifelong companion. Still in its original condition, it embodies everything that makes BMW legendary: pure driving pleasure, timeless design, and reliability. "Like a fine whisky —still going strong," says Bernd. What do this classic AlpinweißBMW E30 convertible, the tragic accident of racing legend Jim Clark, and Bernd Grebenauhave in common? More than you might think! Find out in our latest Classic Heart German edition episode.

We are celebrating 50 years of the BMW 3 Series with a great story. Frank Kohn discovered his dream car as a child: the BMW M3 Compact E36. Unfortunately it was a prototype that never made it into series production. So Frank built it himself! His brother, Tom, shares his passion. Together they own 43 BMWs.

Arnold Schwarzenegger shares his unforgettable BMW story! When he was just 23, the iconic BMW 1600 was Schwarzenegger's pride and joy. And in 2023, he starred in the BMW i Vision Dee commercial, showcasing his enthusiasm for electric mobility and BMW's visionary innovation. Explore all this and other fascinating path-crossing between Arnold Schwarzenegger and BMW in this episode.

Surrounded by classic BMW cars all day long - that's Frank Menton's life. He talks to JP Rathgen about his responsibility as a BMW Classic Partner. The family business became an official BMW partner back in 1932. Frank also talks about his ‘non-collection’ of models including a BMW M635 CSi, a BMW 700 Coupé and a BMW 3200 CS, among others.

Baron Dominique Moorkens talks to us about the madcap days of 1970s motor sport. Baron Moorkens competed in rallies and 24-hour races in his BMW 02 after clocking off from work. He has been friends with Jacky Ickx – who later became a legendary BMW works driver – since childhood.

Which vintage clock goes with which classic BMW? JP Rathgen discusses the best styles and the perfect match with Thomas Bachmann and Joram Scher. They take a close look at the BMW Z1, BMW Z8, MINI and Concept BMW Skytop.

JP Rathgen and guests celebrate the best of 2024 in the Classic Heart studio. The season-closing episode is all about magical BMW moments, curious races and incredible repair projects. The Lap of Honour 2024 features personal highlights from Katarina Kyvalova, Simon Kidston, Sreten, Jason Cammisa and Neil Clifford.

Classic Heart's guest Duccio Lopresto gives us a personal insight into his exciting work. His career is no coincidence: even as a child, he regularly attended the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este and presented his father Corrado Lopresto's outstanding car collection. In this episode of Classic Heart, find out all about this and his favourite cars.

Car collector Paolo Milini was driving along Italian country roads in his BMW Z8 on a special mission: to plan the Prelude Tour for the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. For more stories from Paolo Milini and his unusual family business, check out this episode.

Emil Andersson discovered his love for the brand as a passanger in the back seat of his father's BMW 5 Series (E34). Today, the Swede owns an E28 5 Series and an M5. Emil loves a good equipment feature, a six-cylinder engine and the new BMW M2 Coupé. He talks about driving go-karts as a child, meeting up with friends to drift and (accidentally) painting his house in the colours of his BMW M5.

Fabrizio Giugiaro developed the BMW Nazca M12 concept supercar - at the age of just 25 - as a worthy successor to the BMW M1 designed by his brilliant father and Italdesign founder Giorgetto Giugiaro. Together, the two have made design history with creations ranging from the DeLorean to the Vision 2030 electric car. Fabrizio Giugiaro tells us the remarkable and entertaining story.

Maximilian Chester comes up with a name for his BMW 7 Series with J.P., raves about BMW Z8 headlights and says he prefers not to have a passenger. He explains how he discovered his love of cars through gaming and now reaches 1.6 million followers on Instagram with his entertaining videos as Pwuf Talks Cars. 

Tom Osterwald aka tomsdrive takes time out to explain why the BMW 5 Series (E60) and 7 Series (E65) are still looking so modern. He also provides insights into how his job as a content creator works, what the best cities for car spotting are, what current trends interest him and why the price of a car is so important to him.

Wes Young explains why he owns two BMW 3.0 CSL (E9) classics, how his BMW 5 Series (E12) came to Australia from Africa and why BMW is so popular in the car scene Down Under. 

Do you have an intriguing story to tell about classic BMW cars? Then send us an email to bmwgroup-classic@shot-one.de with some brief details about yourself and the great things you have experienced with a classic BMW.

Mechanic Dee Fragos has been repairing cars since he was 13 years old and used to get the spare parts he needed by bus. He talks about his original classic Mini pick-up, why Mini pick-ups are a little known secret and very rare today, how he was almost born in his grandfather’s Mini and how he went on an incredible tour to celebrate the brand’s 60th birthday.

Georgia Peck has a real MINI love story to tell. Brimming with adventure, she also tells us how she races motorcycles at the Malle Mile Festival, why she is fascinated by the BMW R 80 G/S and what wing walking feels like. Plus she explains how she renovated a BMW 2002 with her company Aubrey Peck and organized the memorial service for Stirling Moss.

George Bamford talks about how he shares a passion for cars with his father Lord Bamford and where they differ, how he built up his own collection, why he bought two BMW Alpina B12 Coupé as his first cars and why he loves his BMW Z1. He tells us which cars could be the next icons, what has made his Tyre Kicker Club so legendary, why he likes unusual things and how his Bamford Watch Department fulfils individual wishes.

The day after the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2024, Simon Kidston talks enthusiastically about what the event was like. He provides fascinating insights into every part of the Concorso, recounts the best stories about the vehicles and explains how the atmosphere manages to be so exclusive and relaxed at the same time.

This episode is also available as a YouTube video.

Tariq Chip Moosa explains why classic BMWs are so

important in the car scene, what BMW means to him

personally, how he built his award-winning BMW 3.0 CS

(E9) and how his company Chicanos Customs has become

the largest in the region.

Racing driver Katarina Kyvalova tells us how the BMW Z3 M Coupé sparked her racing fever and which iconic female drivers inspired her. She gives great insights into the world of classic motor sport, shares her personal experiences and offers us a preview of the upcoming events in her diary, like the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique and the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge.

Sean Myers from Precision Sport raves about his classic BMW 3 Series (E36). He tells us how he used to go to race events as a child and how he channels his passion into his BMW garage PSI in Florida. 

Stefan Bogner is a designer and photographer with family

links to the BOGNER fashion brand. Here, he talks about his

CURVES magazine and his photos of empty roads, and

provides some great inspiration for road trips. He also

shares his perspective on futuristic car design.

Randy Nonnenberg shares his stories about how he used to work at BMW M GmbH and the BMW Technology Office in Palo Alto, how he professionalised his hobby of searching for cars and founded the classic car auction site “Bring a Trailer”, why he loves his BMW 535is (E28) and what fascinates him about BMW racing cars from the 1970s.

The “die-hard BMW fan” Mike Burroughs aka StanceWorks works full-time on his restomod projects and presents them on YouTube. He talks about the challenges with his BMW 3 Series (such as an incredible engine swap), why BMW models from the 1980s are so popular today and how to buy one.

Neil Clifford, CEO of the London fashion brand Kurt Geiger, made his first list of cars-to-buy at age 8. He shares how he owned (and lost) one of the 13 Bristol Fighter models, what makes British cars unique and how British humour helps with car breakdowns. He also tells us why the BMW Alpina B5 Touring is his favourite daily driver and why the BMW Group did a brilliant job taking over Rolls-Royce.

Classic Heart with Paolo Tumminelli. The professor of design concepts provides enlightening insights into the cultural history of automobiles. He also explains why the BMW i3 was a truly new, unique and revolutionary type of car, and how it stood out in the electric car segment.

Bryan Calvero is the founder and creative director of the

lifestyle brand Period Correct. He shares childhood memories,

inspired by the Southern California music and car scene, his

model cars, and big dreams. He talks about his commitment to

young people today and his brand's mission. And he tells us,

among other things, how he ended up designing Hot Wheels

model cars.

Jim Huff is a big fan of the Neue Klasse and owns various models. He talks about what makes these four-door family cars so special to him, how he races his BMW 1800 TI at tracks like Laguna Seca and how he drives his BMW 1600 every day. He also shares his idea for the “Neue Klasse Exchange Program”.

A five-strong line-up of guests join JP to serve up some fine entertainment. With Anders Bilidt, car specialist at Sotheby’s; Can Eyilik, owner of Istanbul’s BMW Club “Driven34”; Emil Pourkian, host of the “Sundowner” in Hamburg; YouTuber Sreten, who rescues classic BMWs; and Gaby von Oppenheim, classic racing driver. They talk about their favourite events, projects, passions, motor sport, and a bunch of other amusing stuff.

Emil Pourkian embodies the new generation of classic car enthusiasts. With his Hamburg-based agency "Emil’s Garage" he puts classic cars in the limelight as a photographer, trades his favourite pieces and loves to host other car enthusiasts with his event series "Sundowner". Emil also gives us the lowdown on his 1962 Volga GAZ M21.

Together they organized the spectacular THRASH’EM event for the car community, skaters and artists. At the heart of the action was the BMW Art car by Frank Stella. Ares Georgoulas, Hiep Bui Khac and Robert Cameron explain how they create such events, why they like to bring different cultures together and where their passion comes from.

Gemeinsam veranstalteten sie den spektakulären THRASH’EM Event für die Car-Community, Skater und Künstler. Mittendrin das BMW Art Car von Frank Stella. Ares Georgoulas, Hiep Bui Khac und Robert Cameron erzählen, warum sie solche Events kreieren, wie Videospiele ihre Kindheit prägten und wie sie heute als UX-Designer oder Werber für die Automobilbranche arbeiten.

The cheerful YouTuber tells us all about his Shmuseum, why he prefers colourful cars, why customization is becoming increasingly popular and what effect this will have on the classification of “original”, and how he and his father share a passion for BMW.

Also known as aka JP Performance, the self-made German

entrepreneur and YouTube star Jean Pierre Kraemer talks

about his enthusiasm for technology, which gave him the

the sense of stability that he lacked in his childhood. He

shares with us why he runs his own car museum PACE –

which includes a BMW Art Car – as well as how his

YouTube channel is changing and how he feels about

property today.

The Head of BMW Group Design gives insights into his work and the process of designing. He tells us what made the Neue Klasse a success back in the 1960s and how this has been transformed into the latest futuristic concept car, the BMW Vision Neue Klasse.

The managing director of the Drivers & Business Club Munich

allows us a glimpse behind the scenes. He talks about the

special spirit of the club, its exclusive members and events,

and how it all started as a family business.

The automotive artist and designer shares how his renderings on Instagram sparked his career, how he now creates customizations, modifications and body kits for prestigious clients and his own company, and where he gets his inspiration from.

Charlie March, son of the Duke of Richmond, shares how his family

hosts the Goodwood Revival and Festival of Speed on their own

estate, what it feels like to race that legendary circuit, his fondest

memories, his ideas for the future and how he is launching his own

fashion label.

Remi Dargegen shares truly exciting moments from his career as a

photographer in the classic car scene, such as capturing the

atmosphere and special moments at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa

d'Este. And he tells us why his pictures trigger big emotions.

J.P. shares his impressions live from the Goodwood Festival of Speed. And Mackenzie Ebbers, another car event regular, tells us how she modifies her classic BMWs to create her own original style.

Always busy with a variety of projects, Matt Schwartz designs for his eyewear collection, plays in a band, runs the SoCal Vintage BMW community in L.A. and has been driving a BMW 2002 ever since he got his license.

Wheeler Dealers star Mike Brewer shares how he grew up in London in the 1970s, how he worked all sorts of jobs to establish himself in the automotive world, how he became a famous TV presenter buying, restoring and selling cars and why his family is so important in all of this.

David Clark, commercial director at McLaren in the 1990s, shares stories about the brand you won’t find in any books. He recounts how unconventionally the company worked back then, how he sold F1 to celebrities, how McLaren started racing and what excites him – as a partner of Jota Sport – about racing today.

Thanks to his family, the Mini Cooper got its unique racing genes. Charlie Cooper shares how his grandfather John Cooper used his Formula One experience to take Mini onto the track, how his father Mike Cooper produced racing kits for Mini, and how he himself is closely associated with the MINI brand today and also builds Cooper bicycles.