The History of the Club
As an enthusiastic BMW model car collector, Ralf Stolpe, who is still the
first Chairman of the Club, thought long and hard about how it might be
possible to help the many collectors and friends of BMW models to get in
touch with each other. At the end of 1991, he hit on the idea of bringing
all the BMW fans into a Society, and on 11.1.1992
he founded the BMW Model Club in Hannover with eight other model collectors.
After finally sorting out the last bits of paperwork, the society was
formally entered into the Official Register.
About two weeks before the meeting of the BMW Club Europe on 7.11.1992 in
Nuremberg, a further major step was taken - the Club was officially accepted
into the association of the BMW Clubs of Europe as the "BMW Modellclub
Deutschland e.V.". This means that it is the only official,
BMW-supported club in Germany for BMW models of all types and all scales.
The Club has been an exhibitor at trade fairs such as the "Techno
Classica" in Essen, the model car exchange organised within the IAA in
Frankfurt and other major model exchanges and now also has its own Internet
homepage: "www.bmw-modelle.de",
all of which has increased membership from the original nine members to a
total of around 80 members world-wide.
The Purpose of the Club
The Club is a non-profitmaking body with no commercial purpose. Its aim
is to help all those with an interest in BMW models to exchange experiences,
search for and locate models and, to a limited extent, plan leisure
activities together, all on a non-political, non-sectarian basis. In the
second half of this year, it will be possible to do this on a joint visit to
Schuco in Nuremberg and at the
Annual General Meeting in September/October in St. Peter-Ording. The purpose
of the Club is solely the collection of BMW models and the exchange of
information relating to this collection.
Above all, the Club strives to work together with all BMW communities in
Germany and abroad, with BMW AG in Munich, with authorised contract
retailers, the companies in the accessories industry, the authorities
responsible for road traffic and regulation and in particular with the
manufacturers of the models.
Membership
Ordinary membership of the BMW Modellclub Deutschland e.V. is open to all
those - including spouses and partners provided one of the partners collects
BMW models of any scale - who are interested in the purpose and aims of the
Club and who wish to fully share in the rights and obligations of ordinary
membership. Acceptance as a member is given in writing and must also be
confirmed by the Board in writing. The new member recognises the Articles of
Association upon acceptance.
The condition for
acceptance as an ordinary member of the BMW Modellclub Deutschland e.V. is
the ownership of a BMW model collection.
- Ordinary members must be at least 18 years old.
- Extraordinary membership is open to anyone who wishes to
promote the aims of the Club but without the rights and obligations of
ordinary membership. Extraordinary members have neither an active or passive
right to vote.
The membership fee for ordinary members is current DM 80.-, plus a
one-off registration fee of DM 40.-. For passive members (family of active
members), the fee is DM 30.-.