The “big tent” at the Barrett-Jackson auction houses the best of the best the auction has to offer. From a regal Rolls Royce that probably hasn’t seen the road since prohibition, to a Chevelle that should require earplugs be in your ears before your butt’s in the seat, the collection under this tent really does have a little bit of everything. As I was walking through this gigantic mass of automobile history a little powder blue BMW caught my eye. With its European style and small stature it stuck out a little bit, and I wanted to know what the story was.

Upon closer inspection I could see that this ride had lots of cool modifications – just enough to make it different, but still in keeping with the spirit of the original style. As cool as the look of this car was, the story behind it is even cooler. This is the inaugural project of the Clarion Builds program, the purpose of which is to connect Clarion to a wider audience and support a great cause (more on that in a minute). This project was started in 2014, and the first year was taken to source and build this ride. Once the build was complete Clarion started showing off this car throughout the US, and it will continue to travel until it’s sold at the Barrett-Jackson 2016 Palm Beach Auction.

The concept behind the build was to bring this BMW up to present day standards while keeping the look and driving experience authentic to the original car. The stock engine was rebuilt with some performance components, and the suspension and braking system were upgraded. And of course a new audio system was installed, cleverly fitting into this car’s new interior. Clarion hopes this and future builds will help strengthen the next generation’s love of the car culture.

But that’s not all this car will do. Once it is auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson 100% of the proceeds will go toward Tgen, a Non-Profit Biomedical Research Institute. They perform groundbreaking research on the genetic components of diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease and are making a real difference in the fight against these conditions.

So make sure you look out for this sporty 1974 BMW 2002 when you are watching the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction. I can’t wait to see what they can raise for this great cause, and what Clarion Builds does next!