Jay Leno's Garage: Lisa and Her BMW 1600 "Derby"

The classic BMW community is one that is strong, passionate, and almost as close as you can get to family. It is through this community that we often meet some of our best friends. That said, if you've been following our blog over the last year+, you'll recognize both Lisa and her beloved BMWs.

Lisa has been involved with classic BMWs most of her life, and her latest addition--a pristine 1967 BMW 1600--is one that she holds near and dear. Both she and the car have truly interesting stories, which we have taken great joy in sharing with the rest of the world. As far as story sharing goes, there are few more exciting showcases than Jay Leno's Garage. We recently took a trip down to LA with Lisa and both of her cars to visit Jay, and talk about Derby. We were joined by Bill Arnold, an original pillar of the 2002 community, and his family. 

Below is the YouTube episode that was filmed on our trip, as well as some behind the scenes photos that we shot along the way. Please enjoy, and feel free to let us know what you think in the comments section. 

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Credit to Walker Dalton for the group photo.

The experience as a whole was amazing, and we are grateful for the opportunity to meet Jay and his film crew again, and to enjoy these cars together. We'd like to extend a big thank you to everyone involved with this awesome story. 

San Francisco Flair: Lisa's BMW 1600 "Derby"

Anyone who has followed our blog over the last year surely remembers our first story about Lisa, which featured her incredible Schwarz 2002, "Tesoro."

Now Lisa is back with yet another project, which is a different flavor from the usual, and an entirely unique classic. As somewhat of an unplanned purchase, this 1600 was imported late last year, and roadworthy here in the States by January. The car is mostly original, having undergone a mild restoration some 10+ years ago. Lisa prides the little car for its originality and rarity, and feels an obligation to maintain its condition in order to educate those who aren't familiar with this portion of BMW's history. The 2002 is arguably one of BMW's most beloved vehicles to have ever rolled off the assembly line, and Lisa knows this better than most. That's why this early 1600, in its museum-esque state, is so special to her. 

We met up with Lisa in San Francisco a few weeks back to shoot in various parts of the city. From the Haight-Ashbury intersection to Crissy Field, the car looks good just about anywhere you put it. Please enjoy the following photo gallery, and look for more of Lisa's classics coming soon!