Splendor Under the Oaks
Sunday in the park, with friends.

Running late, running hard on the smooth ribbon of Highway 412 west through the heart of Oklahoma's northern plains, the 635CSi and I are enroute to Stillwater on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in early June.

My '86 coupe is one of 32 German vehicles from all over Oklahoma converging on Boomer Lake Park, where a veritable smorgasbord of BMWs, Porsches, Mercedes', and VWs will rest on the grass for a few hours at the Sunbelt Chapter's first All German Car Show.

The event is a "Show and Shine", with no formal judging and the winner chosen by popular vote in the form of dollars placed into a glass Mason jar by each car - the South still lives! More importantly, all money thus raised goes to the Payne County Youth Services program.

Today I just happen to be the last car enroute, having gotten away later than planned on the 2-hour drive from my home in northwest Arkansas. But no matter. The late start gives me a good reason to extend the white coupe a bit beyond the norm, and she responds like a champ as the big-six turns a leisurely 3000 RPM and the onboard computer reads 85 mph. Light traffic on one of Oklahoma's nicest high-speed turnpikes only adds to the joy of the drive, as I look forward to seeing all manner of cars (and motorcycles) from the Fatherland. The two hours fly by, and before you can say sportlichkeit, we're there.

Sunbelt poobahs Bill Basore, Charlie Snyder, Buddy Butler, J.R. Schneider and Mike Wilcox have chosen a gently sloping hillside overlooking Boomer Lake as the stage for today's show. As I turn into the parking lot, a beautiful collection of German cars beckons me to join them under the trees. I pull onto the grass, driving slowly past BMWs old and new. Finally, I back the coupe into a shady spot under the sweeping branches of an old oak beside an appropriately forest green '90 750il.

As I wipe away the bugs from the Sixer's windshield and front end, the 750's owner greets me from his lawn chair under the tree. His car wears a for-sale sign that proclaims $9000; he tells me he brought his car back from the dead, including a nice repaint and rebuild of the 12-cylinder. A lot of engine, a lot of car, and no doubt worth the asking price. Too bad I don't have a spare 9K in my pockets. I do well to pony up the $10 registration fee and buy a cold drink.

Leaving the coupe, I walk up and down the rows of cars, inspecting the handiwork of each owner's spit and polish, thinking of the untold hours and dollars spent on each vehicle. There are relatively few show cars in this group; most are daily drivers, but that just motivates me all the more as I admire them and unwittingly compare them to my own car. The 635 is my daily driver, and I enjoy watching from a distance as several owners walk around her with critical but appreciative eyes. Just as I am doing with their cars.

Bits of conversation pepper my little inspection tour. Chris Gant reveals that he made the expensive looking custom grills on his black '95 M3 with mesh purchased at Ace Hardware. Orlando Vidhl relates how he took delivery in March of his black 2000 323ci at the port of Houston under BMW's military purchase plan. David Reynolds tells me about the torque of his silver '91 850i's twelve cylinders. Sherri Butler stands proudly by her pristine yellow '95 M3 as we discuss how much it helps paintwork to keep a car garaged over the years. Some teens walk around Buddy Butler's '72 orange 2002, exclaiming how cool it is and wishing BMW still built it. Phil McCown tells a fellow Beemer owner how he rebuilt his black 1960 R60 from a hunk of junk to its present like-new condition, current mileage 163.

And on down the line I go, each owner with a story to tell, proud of their car or bike, glad to be here today and happy to talk to you about their Bavarian baby. BMWs were the most numerous marque in attendance, but other German beauties were there too, including Mercedes, Porsches and VWs. The owner of a new black SLK mit kompressor demonstrated his power hardtop to an admiring crowd, while next to it an immaculate top-down '85 380SL sat ignored, its original invoice sticker posted on the raised passenger window: as delivered, the SL sold new for $45,448.

That prompted some thoughts about my Sixer, which cost nearly as much in '86. Would I have chosen it over the Mercedes, had I mortgaged the farm back then to come up with 45 large? But, of course. It's all a matter of freude am fahren, don't you know?

Finally, I admit to spending the most time at the show with two non-BMWs. A concours red convertible '71 Karmann-Ghia with factory air (both natural and man-made), and a tan '69 Ghia coupe brought back memories of my first car, a '68 Ghia. Sitting on the grass, both cars still possessed an abundance of that marvelous character, the product of Italian design and German mechanicals, which so attracted me as a college student nearly 30 years ago. The '68 VW was my first coupe, but not my last, as I looked toward the white 635CSi sitting under an oak. As much as I loved my Ghia, there's no doubt which car I would rather drive away in from Boomer Lake today.

By 4pm and the end of the show, the jar by Jim Schlesselman's silver 2000 323i had collected the most dollars, and in this show, money talks. Jim was breaking in his new Bimmer the right way, driving cross-country from his home in Long Beach, California to see relatives in Oklahoma by way of Florida. Kind of nice that he could win a Show and Shine at the same time, and kind of nice to be there to see the smile on Jim's face as Bill Basore gave him his trophy.

As a matter of fact, kind of nice to be there, period. Thanks to all the club guys & gals who worked so hard to make it happen, especially to Jim Schlempert. Thanks also to the Stillwater Convention & Visitors Bureau, Stillwater merchants and Pepsi-Cola for their support, and to all the owners who brought their machines.

Under the oaks on a beautiful Sunday afternoon in early June, it was the place to be. -Rick Sparks

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