Fresh Roads, Familiar Icons
Fresh Roads, Familiar Icons: How the E38 & E39 Community Kept the Spotlight in 2024‑25
1. Monterey, California – Legends of the Autobahn
Held during Car Week, Legends turned the Pacific Grove golf links into a living catalog of German engineering. Alongside BMW's brand‑new G99 M5 Touring, enthusiasts parked a concours‑level E39 M5 and several tastefully preserved 540i Sports under the Monterey sun. The cross‑section proved how comfortably these late‑'90s flagships share turf with today's halo cars.
2. Zandvoort, Netherlands – Bimmerfest Europe 2024
The continent's biggest BMW party filled the circuit's steep banking with 1,800+ cars. Standouts included a Manhart‑built 850CSi running an S62 V8 from an E39 M5, plus multiple manual‑swapped E38 740iLs in the Classics paddock. Builders mingled trackside, trading tips on V8 timing tools and updated VANOS seals while watching time‑attack sessions thunder by.
3. Offenbach, Germany – 7‑Series "Südhessen" Stammtisch (#154)
Proof that not every gathering needs media crews: twice a year, the 7‑er BMW Freunde Südhessen reserve the Käsmühle restaurant, rope off the rear lot, and fill it with long‑wheelbase E38s—many still on original DIN plates. The October 2024 meet drew 25 cars (and even more stories) for schnitzel, technical deep dives on M73 cooling quirks, and sunset photos in the orchard behind the Biergarten.
4. Kent, United Kingdom – RADwood UK 2024
''80s-'90s nostalgia reached peak neon at Chatham Dockyards. Amid cassette‑mix soundtracks and arcade free‑play, a lineup of RAD‑era BMWs included a slammed E39 540i Touring on Style 32s and a period‑correct Oxford‑Green E38 728i on Rotiforms. Judges praised the cars for "keeping OEM dignity while leaning into '90s swagger."
Why These Meets Matter
Diverse stages, one spotlight
From the manicured greens of concours events to the cracked asphalt behind a village pub, the E38 and E39 platforms manage to look perfectly at home. A freshly detailed 740iL can win silverware under Pebble‑Beach‑style scrutiny on Saturday, then park beside a turbo‑diesel workhorse at a Sunday Cars & Coffee without losing an ounce of charisma. The variety of venues keeps the scene fresh and proves that these chassis still shine wherever enthusiasts gather.
Skills that travel farther than the cars
A few minutes of conversation can save someone weeks in the garage. Tips on torquing VANOS bolts shared trackside at Zandvoort soon surface in a Frankfurt driveway; a custom wiring diagram for an M5‑powered Touring drafted in California appears on a Dutch forum a month later. Hands‑on knowledge moves through the community as quickly as fuel through an M62, turning weekend hobbyists into confident problem‑solvers.
The parts you can't order online
Shadow‑line window trims, unblemished burl‑walnut dash inserts, period‑correct Xenon projectors: these pieces rarely pop up on classifieds anymore. Meets have become informal swap‑meets where rare spares change hands before they ever reach the internet. Owners who travel home with a perfect rear parcel shelf or a NOS climate‑control pixel ribbon call the journey a success even if they never entered the show field.
Looking Ahead: What's Next for the E38 & E39 Community
Legends of the Autobahn 2025 – California Dreaming, 30 Years On
As the E38 and E39 platforms hit the 30-year mark, Legends of the Autobahn 2025 will give them center stage. The organizers have confirmed a dedicated anniversary showcase titled the "E38/E39 30-Year Spotlight." Expect carefully curated examples of 7s and 5s, factory-original oddities, and a speaker panel featuring former BMW engineers reflecting on the design and philosophy behind these modern classics. The event promises to be as much a historical tribute as a car show.
Bimmerfest Europe – V8s on Dutch Asphalt
Set against the fast curves of Circuit Zandvoort, Bimmerfest Europe will introduce a V8 Classics Corral—the first time E38s and E39s will be formally gathered and displayed as a distinct group at the event. Early registration data already points toward a record-breaking turnout for these models, with builders from Germany, France, and Belgium confirming attendance. From manual-swapped 740iLs to supercharged 540is, the spotlight will be on performance as much as preservation.
Südhessen 7-Series Stammtisch – A Family Tradition Rolls On
In Offenbach, the Südhessen Stammtisch will mark its 160th meeting in spring 2025. More than just a local gathering, the event has become a pilgrimage site for 7-Series loyalists across Germany. As always, there's no registration fee, no media hype—just handshakes, shared diagnostics, grilled sausage, and the low rumble of V8s echoing off the forest roads. Bring a 7, and you're in.
Across oceans and Autobahns, these upcoming events show one thing clearly: the E38 and E39 aren't just surviving—they're being celebrated.