I want you to meet my good friend, Afonso Conceicao. Afonso owns the only other confirmed E21 Baur in Connecticut, and I am very proud to call him my friend. I thought that this might be an opportune time to do a post featuring Afonso, since this weekend (July 26, 2015) is the BMW CCA CT Valley Chapter's annual Show and Shine in Manchester, CT, and that is where Afonso and I, ----and our Baurs---- first met back in 2011!
BTW, Afonso was born in Brazil, and that hat is from Brazil! I love this pic! Wow! Perfect shot!
You will notice that we are both driving in the Baur-unique Landaulette style! Targa-top on the car, rear soft top wide open! We sit in shaded comfort with a 70mph gale blowing through the Baur! Gotta love that! It was a great ride!
Here is a little side note on Afonso. He came to the US back in the '70's as a teenager. He used to race Mini Coopers at Lime Rock back in the day, in the course of which he had occasion to not only meet, but to actually race against, none other than Paul Newman! Ask him about that! He has stories! :)
Anyway, here is a long overdue feature on Afonso's Baur! Afonso is the owner of the earliest known Baur in the US : A000048. That is the 48th Baur of a total of 4595 built. It was originally imported to Canada, and found its way to the US eventually. Afonso bought from a person in Massachusetts.
First, here are some pics Afonso sent me, taken when he first bought Baur #000048 in October, 2005
It is a 1978 320/6. If you are not familiar with what that means..... it is the original BMW 'baby six'. The first M20 engine was a 2.0 liter carbureted inline six, and this is an example of it! It is a very torquey, fun car to drive, as anyone who owns one will attest!
Notice that it is carbureted, not fuel injected. Afonso has since changed the carburetor, and installed a mechanical fuel pump.
This is the original craigslist ad that Afonso responded to. Those are Afonso's handwritten notes under the pictures. Great stuff!
It still has less than 70,000 miles on it, btw! ;)
It still has less than 70,000 miles on it, btw! ;)
This group of pics (below) was taken by Davey101 of Bimmerforums at the BMWCCA Connecticut Valley Chapter Show and Shine, July 2009. This was my first introduction to Afonso. When I saw these pics. I was determined to find the "other' E21 Baur in Connecticut!
The earliest known E21 Baur in the US: A000048-01! Wow! Kudos, Afonso!
So I attended one of the BMW CCA Connecticut Valley Chapter's (CVC) events, an Ice Cream Social in Colchester. I met Lance Johnson and Dave Rich there, both Officers in the Chapter. I asked if they knew who the other Baur owner might be, and if I could get in touch with him.
Dave Rich stated that he knew who he was, and very graciously offered to contact him for me. Sure enough, later that very evening, I got a call from Afonso, the other Baur owner, and the rest is history! We agreed to meet at the up-coming CVC Show and Shine at Wickham Park in Manchester. Thank you, Dave Rich!
Here are a couple of poor quality phone pics from that first meeting in Manchester.
This is a rare Baur Badge, which Afonso has recently re-installed on his Baur!
We actually made it into the media back in 2011! This is a spread from the CT Valley Chapter magazine, Die Zeitung, from the summer of 2011.
Our two Baurs are at the bottom of the spread near the centerfold. The pic was taken as we were preparing to head home.
Afonso and I at the BMW CT Valley Chapter Show and Shine 2011. First meeting, and it was a great time!
This is Afonso's Bauri in 2011, and, by pure coincidence, I am captured in the pic, extolling the virtues of his beautiful Baur, no doubt! ;) This is a screen shot of the Die Zeiteung article above, and that is the source of the pic. :)
Vintage at Saratoga 2012
The following summer we helped organize a group of Baur owners from New England and New York to attend the Vintage at Saratoga together as a group in July 2012, Saratoga Springs, NY. The result was the largest known gathering of Baurs ever in the US! We had 7 Baurs on the field: 6 E21 TC1s, and 1 E30 TC2!
July 2012 CT Valley Chapter Show and Shine, Manchester CT
These two pics were taken at the BMWCCA Connecticut Valley Chapter Annual Show and Shine 2012 at Wickham Park, Manchester, CT, and they appeared in the sept/Oct 2012 edition of Die Zeitung, the Chapter magazine. Those t-shirts were just officially introduced at the Vintage at Saratoga NY about a week earlier, and they sold out!
Here is the reverse of the t shirt showing the Baur as : "Four Cars In One"! Coupe, 'Targa", Landaulette, and Convertible! This pic is by Lance Johnson, taken at the Misquamicut BMW CCA Social with the Boston Chapter, June, 2012.
For a short time, Connecticut was home to THREE Baurs, after our friend Rob Theriaque bought Baur #917 in Philly and brought it back to CT. (It was once owned by Josh Lyons of Mystic.) The Connecticut Valley Chapter's annual Humpa Picnic in Glastonbury, CT provided us with the occasion to get all three CT Baurs together in one spot!
The meet up.
Afonso and Rob standing next to Rob's Baur. Rob has since sold his Baur and become a father! Congrats, Rob and Abby!
Rob, Afonso and Baur A000048.
Here we are together again at the Bav Auto October 2014 Show and Shine in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Hi-rise camera shot of Bav Auto 2014. E21 Baurs (Afonso's and mine) can be seen at the upper left of the pic.
Afonso and I awaiting admittance to Bav Auto Show and Shine 2014.
The meet up before the show.
The Bav Auto Show and Shine October 2014.
I love this pic! You can see the photographer's shadow with the camera on a long rod at the lower right of the pic. (L to R) Afonso, Tom speaking to a new Baur owner from NY and his friend. He had just bought our friend Matt S's beautiful cranberry Baur from Philadelphia, but the car was not present at this show. We hope to see it soon!
Baurs on the Mass Pike Friday afternoon enroute to Saratoga! Pic by Jose Rosario.
At The Parting Glass for the Meet and Greet Dinner.
On the lawn of The Saratoga Automobile Museum
Two Baurs, with my son Brian in the white shirt approaching the camera.
This is one of my favorite pics!
The Three Amigos at The Cantina, Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY. July 11. 2015. (L to R) Afonso in the Baur t shirt, '02 owner Joe Cunningham, and Tom Schuch. Three Connecticut Yankees, more or less. ;) Afonso's Baur can be seen parked on the street in the background. What are the chances of that!!! Pic by Brian Schuch, whose dinner can be seen at the left of the table. :)
Here is a view from the opposite side of the street. The first table in the little alleyway is where we were seated for dinner on Saturday night after the Vintage show. Is that perfect, or what? ;)
Stopping for gas after having breakfast with the BMW guys and gals at Wolff's Biergarten, Albany NY July 12, 2015. Baurspotting Baur and Afonso. Pic by Brian Schuch.
On the road again! Notice those sharp yellow headlamps!
Heading home from the Vintage at Saratoga, July 12, 2015.
Here is Afonso's Baur in a pic that was used to advertise this year's Show and Shine in Manchester this coming weekend! I believe the pic was taken at least year's event. Afonso's Baur is the 5th car from the right.
Here are some of Afonso's other cars:
Afonso with his 535is.
OK, yes, Afonso also has this little Porsche 911! ;)
And full circle back to the Baur! Yes that is a Range Rover in the pic also.
STILL my favorite pic! ;)
Kudos, my friend! I look forward to seeing you at the Show and Shine this weekend, and to many more future BMW Baur events!
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