The North West Region runs from the Scottish Borders down though Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales, Shropshire and Staffordshire. The region is enclosed by the North Sea to the West, and to the east by the Pennines. The North West region lays claim to having some of the best driving roads in the UK, with the Horseshoe Pass in North Wales, Honister Pass and the Hardknott Pass in the Lake District all being noteworthy and of particular merit. They all possess a degree of difficulty that represents a fine challenge to the enthusiastic driver and their “Ultimate Driving Machine!” The Lake District itself provides the perfect base for a motoring/sightseeing/walking holiday. There is little to equal the Lake District’s breathtaking array of autumn colours.
We have two major cities in the North West, Manchester and Liverpool. Both provide endless opportunities for things to see and do, and the nightlife in both cities is world-renowned. Manchester is also home to its very own Chinatown, which has the largest settlement of Chinese people in the U.K. Here you will find some of the best oriental restaurants in the country. Liverpool also boasts the oldest established Chinese community in the UK.
Seaside resorts are plentiful with the North Wales coast, Southport, Morecambe and of course Blackpool with its famous tower and illuminations. Blackpool also boasts the world’s highest roller-coaster, the “Pepsi-max big one” situated at the Pleasure Beach in the resort. Blackpool is also home to TVR Sports Cars, which the club has visited on several occasions.
The region is also home to Bentley Motor Cars (now owned by VW/Audi) at Crewe in Cheshire. Again the club has visited this prestigious manufacturer and plans to do so in the future. Jaguar has also decided to assemble cars here in the North West, and we hope to visit the world of the “big cat” soon.
The North West is also home to four motor racing circuits, these being Oulton Park in Cheshire, The 3-Sisters Raceway at Wigan, Lancashire (home to our skid-pan sessions), Anglesey Circuit on the Isle Of Anglesey and Aintree Motor Racing Circuit, Merseyside. Aintree is adjacent to the horseracing venue of the same name, which is of course home to the world famous “Grand National”. The club visits Oulton Park on a regular basis (mostly to watch the BMW Kumho Challenge series of course!) and quite a lot of North West members of the Car Club are season ticket holders at Oulton Park.
Shoppers are well catered for in the North West, with the region boasting some of the best shopping opportunities in the country. Manchester and Liverpool both offer superb shopping centres and the new Trafford Centre situated due south of Manchester is a dream for the dedicated shopper out there! Bolton, Preston and Chester all deserve a mention, as they all have a nice variety of shops to browse round.
If millionaire watching is your thing then pay a visit to the North Cheshire villages of Alderley Edge, Prestbury and Knutsford. Ferraris, Lamborghini’s, Bentleys and Porsches abound in these millionaire’s playgrounds. Alderley Edge is also home to more millionaires per square mile than any other area in the country, including Kensington and Mayfair!
Our role as the committee in the North West Region is to provide a variety of activities throughout the year for club members. The region is very active, and we organise at least one event per month for club members to enjoy.
We have taken tours round car manufacturers (as mentioned previously), we have also visited Manchester Airport taking tours around the fire dept and aircraft maintenance hangers, visited various museums and tried our hand at karting and ten-pin bowling. We have also visited the Concorde Exhibition at Manchester Airport and our club stand can be seen at many Classic Car Shows throughout the North West. We have also added Clay Pigeon shooting and Field Archery to our list of events, with full tuition from club member Paul Kelly, the current long course world champion!
We also enjoy “cruises”, essentially a drive-out over challenging roads in the region, including one route through North Wales, Cheshire and Derbyshire dubbed an “Economy Run” that proved anything but for most of us!
We also arrange dealer visits to BMW dealers that allow our members the chance to drive all the latest new models from BMW. We have an excellent relationship with all the BMW dealers in the North West Region, who all give good support to the club and it’s members.
Our premier event is the annual “BMW Northern Festival” at Tatton Park, Cheshire. The show attracts over 1500 visitors every year and consists of an annual regional Concours de’Elegance, a Show & Shine competition that is open for ALL BMW owners to enter and displays from the likes of the Clubs M Power and Z Register and the Coupe Section. There is also a kiddie’s fun fair to keep the little ones happy! The event is also well supported by BMW traders and is sponsored by Bluebell BMW of Wilmslow, who provide a stunning display of new BMWs, so there really is something for everyone.
We also meet socially for a chat and a drink and maybe some food at ‘The Swan’ at Bucklow Hill, Cheshire, which is situated on the A556 and literally five minutes from Junction 7 of the M56 and Junction 19 of the M6. This makes ‘The Swan’ accessible and central for most people, so why not pay us a visit? We can guarantee you a warm welcome by all BMW Car Club members here in the North West region.
(Please refer to the main club event page for dates of forthcoming events and meetings at The Swan).
Click here to view specialists in the North West
Click here to find your local BMW dealer
View the North West Region events calendar
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Owners of Modern BMWs
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