It was saddening to note in one of the lists that the tragic accident at
Charles de
Gaulle two days ago has no LBC content. While I have never subscribed to
'political correctness' it was even more distressing to note that just one or
two
people seem to have treated the matter with a degree of entirely undeserved
flippancy and irreverence.
For the benefit of one or two smart alec's who endeavoured to make a sic joke
of that
devastating incident, they should know it have a more than tenuous LBC
connection
and very much along the lines of posterity.
Until BMW announced its intention to dispose of Rover earlier this year, the
Managing
Director of BMW's museum operation in Munich (BMW Mobile Tradition) was totally
committed
to a major overhaul of the replacement parts operation through British Motor
Heritage of
the marques that are no longer being made - as well as MG in its current and
earlier
forms. This vision, if it can be called such, was simply because BMW had the
finance
and determination (unlike a succession of Rover executives?) to recognise that a
properly developed parts operation for the older car was a viable and
undoubtedly
profitable business opportunity.
This man was Christian Eich and a more determined, committed, dedicated
and enthusiastic advocate of the British sports car (of any make) would be hard
to find.
It's worth mentioning as well that apart from all these qualities, Christian
was a
gentleman in the true sense of the word.
It should be noted that he in particular fought tooth and nail against the BMW
board
for the British Motor Heritage collection at Gaydon to be passed on to new
owners
who would further develop it as he had wanted to do himself.
It is he who was the prime architect in ensuring that the Heritage Centre in
England with
its archive and 400 odd vehicle collection, not only survived in its entireity
but became
part
of the overall deal in the transfer of ownership of Land Rover to Ford.
I am saddened to report that not only Christian, but his wife, their two
children and
his mother and father in law all died in that crash. There is a widely held view
at both Gaydon and Munich that in the inter-regnum, BMW's classic car operation
in Munich
will be greatly disadvantaged by his tragic passing. He was a wonderful man
with a unique and very special common-touch that was the envy of many.
To the crash itself, new amateur footage now doing the European (and world?) TV
networks
suggests that one of the main fuel tanks inboard of the engines had become
severely
ruptured - either by an exploding landing wheel or something else that had
damaged it as
a result of some major adjacent component failure.
John Macartney
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