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From YourSITE.com Events Coverage Who says rivals can’t get together and have a good time? Each year, clubs representing Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche owners in the Washington, DC area band together to put on an enthusiast-driven concours exclusively for German automobiles. Owners from the local DC, Maryland and Virginia areas flock to the event, as do others from further reaches like Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia and North Carolina.
Audi attendance at the event is usually lower than the other marques, and this year drew particularly low numbers because of a scheduling conflict with the Potomac Chapter’s of the Audi Club of North America, who hosted a track event the same day. Nevertheless, the event drew several ur-Quattros alongside a V8 and some newer offerings. With no scheduling conflict to slow attendance, BMW owners turned out in droves. A truly wide range of Bimmers were displayed, including a number of 2002s, CS Coupes, 3 Series of every generation, 5ers, 7ers and more. Z Coupes and Roadsters were also prevalent, with several M Moadsters and even a Z8 there for the pleasure of admiring eyes.
Two older Bimmers were the highlight of the BMW display, each painted British Racing Green and featring an M-transplant. The first, a 2002, seemed freshly built with an E30 M3 engine, Recaro interior and little more than Panasport wheels to give away what lies beneath to cars that might encounter this beast at a greenlight. The second was a CS coupe with an M6 engine transplant. Like the ’02, the CS had little more than Alpina wheels to draw attention. Inside, the cockpit was virtually stock. Aside from a Gullwing SL, the equally large Mercedes field featured many sedans and roadsters of almost every body style. Most of the Mercs shown were vintage, though seemingly all were pristine.
The local Porsche Club of America chapter is quite large and rather active, so it’s no surprise that Porsche had one of the largest fields at the event. Cars ranged from 356 Coupes, Cabriolets and Speedsters to virtually every generation of 911 available, up to the latest 997 coupe. The October date of the Deutsche Marque Concours was actually something of a rain date. The rain may never have materialized in the Spring when the first event was planned, but recent precipitation caused enough concern that organizers cancelled the event at the last minute when the park informed them cars would not be allowed onto the grass. Although the springtime event wasofficially cancelled, not everyone received word before setting out to Vienna, and an impromptu gathering ensued in one of the park’s large parking areas. The BMWCCA officers thought quickly and ordered some food for those who decided to stay, and a more casual affair took place with equal enthusiasm. Photo galleries from the impromptu Spring gathering and the actual event last October can both be found at the link below.
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