toad wrote:
> John Macartney wrote:
> >
> > 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
>
> Thank you John for your sincere and meaningful candid comments.
>
> Toad
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