MyE28.com DEV

Saw this morning that Bavarian Autosport is closing their doors after 45 years. Seems rather sudden. They didn't give any reasons. Really sorry to see that. Guess the market is so crowded now and competing on price isn't enough.

Wow thats unexpected...
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I wonder what can be scored on clearance?...

I loved their catalogs and photo contests. I'm going to miss them.

I wonder how much the bigots at BMWNA's Parts Division had to do with this.
BavAuto was never bottom dollar, but it seemed like they could get bits when nobody else could.

I'm maybe a little surprised, but kind of not at the same time.

The much-needed website revamp made it seem like they were in it for the long haul, but those pretty catalogs aren't cheap to print. They were also putting their name on some dubious parts of Chinese origin just like ECS in the end.

Sad to see an old name go, but at least we still have FCP, AutohausAZ, and Blunt as independent parts houses.

This was a shock to see on social media this morning. They were always helpful and reliable with sourcing harder to find parts.

I read their catalogues religiously growing up and looked forward to the photo contests. And I still have the oil service reset tool I bought from them in 1996.

That is a shock, but as folks have mentioned and in the light of all the closures/buy-outs of all the smaller performance/parts houses in the last 24 months, it's not terribly surprising.
ECS may likely be the perpetrator but certainly not the root cause. I'm sure the price gouging from BMW did not help them in the least especially since they implemented price matching.
I haven't ordered much from them in the past as I went to their competition so I guess you can say I'm to blame also; but one of my pet peeves with them was not knowing who was making their parts and that really bothered me (although they were getting better about revealing that information since their website re-vamp).

I guess their exit will be more of an emotional hit than practical; knowing that such a stalwart in BMW parts and knowledge is gone is unsettling and leaves one un-tethered.

Farewell Bavarian Autosport. You will be missed.

Lousy news for sure I use them all the time, and getting in stock parts the next day was always a bonus. They seemed to advertise a lot, and maybe that just caught up with them.

Checking their site, sounds like shopping for a buyer. ( Hope not ECS)

My first BMW I only went to the dealer for parts. My second BMW in about 88 I discovered Bav Auto and they sent me nice color catalogue and became my go-to for basic things. Years passed and the internet (forums in particular) took off and I learned (particularly with expensive stuff like a driveshaft) that there we others out there and Bav Auto slowly faded from my sight. Now I can't remember the last time I even check on them for price or availability. I am the reason they are closing up I guess

Someday people won't remember Apple or Amazon or Google either.

Sad news.

Sucks. I used a bunch of their video tutorials back in the day. Such a great resource for newbies.

I will miss their Show & Shine too.

I literally got a package from them today!!

I did an order or two from them long ago, but wasn't a big fan and hated their website. But they were (as far as I know) the last of the old mail order companies still in business. Lets see, there were 4 IIRC, Bavauto, BMP design, the Ultimate source and one more I can't remember. Signs of the times I guess.

Rocky Mountain Motor Works?

wkohler wrote:Rocky Mountain Motor Works?

No, that's not the one I was thinking of. I'm going back to mid 90's or so. I've still got some of the catalogs from long gone vendors. Still of a pre Realoem mindset saved for part numbers and interchange.

Well I used to order stuff for the E21s from them in the ‘90s. They used to sell a lot of CCA-branded stuff too. Found one of the car covers we bought from them the other day. They had headers and suspension stuff and all sorts of stuff I loved to look at but never bought.

Zygmunt Motors had a catalog like the Ultimate Source.

I always liked the color sections of the aftermarket drippage, wheels and swag the different companies offered.

I have been told it is ECS that got Bav Auto.

Blue Shadow wrote:liked the color sections of the aftermarket drippage, wheels and swag the different companies offered.

I have been told it is ECS that got Bav Auto.

Not surprising, but interesting that the place I've never bought anything from, is killing off places I occasionally did business with.

Sad to see them go. I was new to the BMW world when I bought my E24 in 1997, and BavAuto was the only place I initially knew where to buy parts. I think I bought a water pump and some suspension bits in the first year or so, but through the then-new forums I began discovering alternatives. Through the years I still would buy from them occasionally, but not enough to justify all the expensive catalogs I was receiving, so I feel a bit guilty as well.

Is there a negative opinion of ECS? Isn't it a family owned business that has had great success?

T_C_D wrote:Is there a negative opinion of ECS? Isn't it a family owned business that has had great success?

Are you maybe mixing FCP Groton up with ECS Tuning?

ECS has an abysmal reputation for many very good reasons.

Mike W. wrote:

wkohler wrote:Rocky Mountain Motor Works?

No, that's not the one I was thinking of. I'm going back to mid 90's or so. I've still got some of the catalogs from long gone vendors. Still of a pre Realoem mindset saved for part numbers and interchange.

Bimmer Parts Company (Pottstown, PA)? They closed in late 2004 when Maximillian Importing purchased them.

SlickDizzy wrote:

T_C_D wrote:Is there a negative opinion of ECS? Isn't it a family owned business that has had great success?

Are you maybe mixing FCP Groton up with ECS Tuning?

ECS has an abysmal reputation for many very good reasons.

I spend most of my $$ with Blunt and the local dealer but the local dealer was recently purchased and prices were significantly raised. Even with my 20% discount they are cost prohibitive. I am thankful for ECS alerting the world to the clearance prices on M System wheels. That ended up being great

John in VA wrote:

Mike W. wrote:

wkohler wrote:Rocky Mountain Motor Works?

No, that's not the one I was thinking of. I'm going back to mid 90's or so. I've still got some of the catalogs from long gone vendors. Still of a pre Realoem mindset saved for part numbers and interchange.

Bimmer Parts Company (Pottstown, PA)? They closed in late 2004 when Maximillian Importing purchased them.

Now that sounds familiar, I think that's it.

I spent $20 ordering catalogs once back in the 90s. My local imported parts store wasn't bad actually, but lots more in the catalogs. Including some stuff I now wish I'd bought then.

I've been buying stuff from BavAuto for 25 years. Their prices weren't the lowest, but their service was always good and they had a wide variety. Also, they had a great phone number.

The first catalog I got from them came out of the blue. How did they know I had a BMW in the first place? Did they rifle the DMV's database?

T_C_D wrote:

SlickDizzy wrote:

T_C_D wrote:Is there a negative opinion of ECS? Isn't it a family owned business that has had great success?

Are you maybe mixing FCP Groton up with ECS Tuning?

ECS has an abysmal reputation for many very good reasons.

I spend most of my $$ with Blunt and the local dealer but the local dealer was recently purchased and prices were significantly raised. Even with my 20% discount they are cost prohibitive. I am thankful for ECS alerting the world to the clearance prices on M System wheels. That ended up being great

I've also scored some deals from ECS here and there ($600 Supersprint headers come to mind) but it's hard to shop there with regularity knowing everything I know about the company. FCP is normally my go-to.

I haven't set foot in a Milwaukee-area BMW dealer since I needed a hose in an emergency for my E39 six years ago...

SlickDizzy wrote:
I haven't set foot in a Milwaukee-area BMW dealer since I needed a hose in an emergency for my E39 six years ago...

Yeah, I'd say I make a purchase about once every 3 to 5 years at the local dealer. Last item I bought, a vanos gasket for the E39, was a mere 50% over what is shown as list price at numerous places on the 'net. Big new building with a separate building for the parts dept. I guess they've got to pay for it somehow.

T_C_D wrote:Is there a negative opinion of ECS? Isn't it a family owned business that has had great success?

owners of ecs tuning
http://www.bertramcapital.com/portfolio

ABOUT BERTRAM CAPITAL
With over $1.4 billion in committed capital, BERTRAM CAPITAL is a private equity firm targeting investments in lower middle market companies. By supplying flexible investment capital and committing a wealth of operational and strategic resources to each investment, we make it our core objective to move companies, management teams, and employees toward unlocking their full potential.

I'm still broken up about this. Not only a great source of parts, but I used it for a resource too. Checking pictures of parts, and referencing part numbers. One occasion recently my local dealer could not identify the exact part I needed and he said " I even checked ECS". I asked him to check BavAuto and just type the description in the search, and there it was, with picture of the part.

My wife's reaction was the opposite- Her face beamed with happiness. She said " how could they close with the amount of business you do with them?"