Excellent point, Chuck. Valentino Campagnolo, are you listening?
BMW is already:
A) The car company that the most car companies want to be / emulate; and
B) The marque that the most dealers wish they were selling!
It is also majority-owned by one family (the Quandts) that has steadfastly kept from selling out to the Auto Industry vultures (Ford, et al.)
BTW, did y'all know that American Motors, in its heyday in the '60s, came very close to buying a then nearly-bankrupt BMW? The world is glad we dodged that bullet!
Greg Parker A2 MI USA
(Die-hard 2002 & 2002tii owner over the last 20 years)
Chuck wrote:
> Years ago BMW actually sent out a questionnaire about what parts were
> needed to keep 2002s operational and proceeded to get the parts
> remanufactured. They also created an award winning museum 30 years ago
> and raced "art cars" painted by Stella, Warhol and Calder among others
> at the 24 hrs of Le Mans. A very "enlightened" corporation!
>
> I think eventually BMW will be used as a model by companies such as
> Campagnolo and Shimano to emphasize their heritage and at that point
> brake shoes and gum hoods will be available from OEM.
>
> Chuck Schmidt
> SoPas, SoCal