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It was a bold move, one that
required leaving everything – and everyone – behind. It meant
living in a Red Cross refugee camp until the day arrived when
they were flown by military transport to an airfield just north
of New York City. There they were met by an Indian chief in full
regalia who presented the émigrés with a ceremonial offering of
corn. The symbolism was auspicious and appropriate, for like
millions before and since, Otto and his family had come to this
country to make a new start.
Officially,
this dealership came to life with the signing of its BMW
franchise agreement in October 1968. But the real story began
twelve years earlier when Otto and his young family walked to
freedom across the briefly unguarded border separating
Soviet-occupied Hungary and Austria. It was a moment of
opportunity made possible by the short-lived and ill-fated
uprising in the fall of 1956, and Otto made the most of it.
Their first step into American
life was made possible by a generous Hungarian businessman from
Philadelphia, who arranged for temporary housing for ten
families in nearby Upland and got a job for Otto in a machine
shop in Brookhaven. After a few years and a brief partnership
operating a two-bay garage in Chester, Otto moved to Eddystone
to open his own repair facility in the lower level of a building
that ultimately became his first dealership.
It was a fortunate day when a
representative from Hoffman Motors, the sole U.S. importer for
BMW, walked into Otto’s shop and offered him a franchise. With
the encouragement of his daughter, Lisa, who was helping with
the business, financing was arranged and the deal was signed.
Life as a BMW dealership had begun.
The next pivot point occurred in
1969 when Lisa married Michael Vadasz, a childhood friend who
had escaped from Hungary the previous year. Upon arriving in the
United States, Michael utilized his training by taking a
position as a mechanical engineer – and, in the process,
learning English. In January 1972, he joined Otto’s as its first
and only Sales Advisor, while Lisa worked in the office and her
brother, John, partnered with Otto on the service and repair
side of the operation. It was a modest undertaking at that
point, but filled with promise. BMWs were becoming noticed, and
Otto’s was quickly developing a reputation as the dealer of
choice for the high performance enthusiasts who loved these
amazing machines.
As time passed, the popularity
of BMWs soared and Otto’s cadre of loyal customers continued to
grow – to the point where a new facility was the only option.
That prompted the purchase of the four-acre tract on Rt. 202,
site of the current West Chester dealership, which opened in
1978. Significant expansion and upgrades to the building
occurred in 1984 and 2002, including the introduction of a MINI
franchise. In March 2008, Otto’s grew its operation once again
by opening a BMW dealership on Rt. 30 (Lancaster Pike) in Exton.
It wasn’t long, however, before a dramatic increase in MINI
sales and service made it clear that more space was needed. As a
result, the Exton property was completely renovated from the
ground up, and in November 2011, opened as a dedicated MINI
dealership serving clients throughout the region.
With the third generation now
actively involved in its operation and management, Otto’s BMW
continues to build on the dream of its founder.
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