E30 M3 Special Interest Group

The first US E30 M3 Special Interest Group (M3 SIG) was started by Donna Spinelli soon after the production of the E30 M3 began. Along with the help of many M3 afficionados, Donna published newsletters which contained substantial content -- cherished by M3SIG members. Several years later, Russ Wiles picked up the M3SIG duties and further incorporated the E36 M3 -- that became the "E30/E36 M3 Special Interest Group".

In the mid 1990's, BMW enthusiast Filippo Morelli (bimmers.com) became the primary sponsor for the M3 SIG. His goals were modest but thorough -- to provide the strongest source of support to E30 M3 owners around the world. "In 1996,... along with Ben Thongsai, I began working on a BMW site, named bimmers.com... the plan was to generate web content to create online communities supporting BMW enthusiasts... we began two special interest groups supporting some of the most hardcore BMW enthusiasts -- the E30 M3 SIG and the Club Racing SIG. One group started with 20 people, the other with 4. By 2004, the E30 M3 SIG grew to over 1,000 members... We strive to create and maintain the best community environments for our members. Our focus is directed at maintaining the integrity of our online groups, which many feel is a close knit family of enthusiasts, not some random bulletin board full of passersby."
- Filippo Morelli - Pres., E30 M3 Special Interest Group

The Origins of SIGFest

SIGFest was started in 1999 by Tony Rausch. There were various online forums that allowed E30 M3 enthusiasts to share experiences and ideas, but how often did we owners actually see another E30 M3 on the road. Filippo's newly-formed BMWCCA E30 M3 SIG served as the perfect starting point for such an effort. With fewer than 40 members worldwide at the time, the first SIG Fest in 1999 had a showing of only 11 cars (which seemed large at the time).

Fueled by the support of the SIG Members, the years that followed showed the enthusiasm for this amazing car grew by leaps and bounds. As the E30///M3 SIG grew, so did SIG Fest. By 2002, nearly 100 E30 M3 had gathered for SIG Fest in Lincroft NJ from all over the east coast and beyond, attracting diehard enthusiasts from Canada, Virginia, Ohio, and even Florida for the event, which quickly evolved into a 3 day affair.

With 100's of participants, and running for over a decade, SIGFest has become the greatest E30 M3 gathering in the world. Learn more about past and forthcoming events in our Events section.

Disclaimer: SIGFest is facilitated by the E30 M3 Special Interest Group (bimmers.com), The BMW Car Club of America, our sponsors and many E30 M3 enthusiasts. SIGFest and The E30 M3 Special Interest Group are in no way associated with BMW AG, BMW NA or any BMW subsidiary organizations.