Written By: William Burns , Staff Writer
RENNTOBER: A European car weekend nestled in the mountains of California.
Last weekend, hundreds of Volkswagens, Porsches, Audis, Mercedes, and many other European car owners gathered in Big Bear California for an annual event called Renntober. This event was founded for the European car community to be able to get together with other passionate people for an entire weekend, without the hassles of a normal car show. What sets this event apart is there is no judging, no contest, no registration, and it is completely free.
Walking through the event, you could feel the light hearted and fun energy that surrounded the whole area. People laughing, talking, and bonding over their cars. Rich, poor, young, old – it didn’t matter, as long as you were respectful and eager to learn or teach; everyone treated you like a friend. As I walked around and found what quickly became one of my favorite cars of the show, an 80s white BMW, the owner came over to talk to me. I learned that he came from a wealthy family and had successfully bought almost all of the dream cars on his list This did not stop him, however, from saying, “can I see a picture” when I told him about my own project car. I quickly answered back, “of course, but it’s not running yet.” The two of us laughed and continued talking about our cars, both learning from the other’s niche knowledge.
BMW E30 M3 – Photo by William Firetag
Later on in the day, my friends and I met the owner of a MK4 Volkswagen Golf. As we talked and learned more about the extensive work that had been done to the car, we also learned that he had driven a long distance to get here. “Me and all these cars next to me live about a mile from each other in Arizona. We road tripped four hours to get here,” he explained to us. In a heavily modified car like that, driving over an hour on the highway wouldn’t be fun, let alone four. The commitment of this group shows how special this car show is to the community of people it attracts every year.
Volkswagen Golf R32 – Photo by Christian Herrera
The event was nestled back in the mountains, right by Big Bear Lake. The event created a cool and relaxing setting for every car – no matter how ‘nice’ – to get a chance in the spotlight. It also allowed the owners to take a break from their lives and spend the weekend focused around their passion. Some drove out of state, even a few from out of the country, just to be a part of this special event, cradled in the mountains of California. With this year being the largest turnout of any year prior, the tenacity of so many people to make it there is becoming increasingly significant and was proven this year. Even if that meant driving all day in their loud lowered car with no AC. Many attendees are still eager to come back next year – I know I am. The environment that Renntober creates year in and year out is something truly special. As the event grows bigger and bigger, I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this unique car show. Perhaps you may find yourself there too?
MK1 Golf (blue), BMW F30 (black), and Skoda (white) – Photo by William Firetag