ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, July 4, 1996 TAG: 9607050045
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: HOLIDAY
DATELINE: GREER, S.C.
SOURCE: Associated Press
THE GERMAN AUTOMAKER hopes a new exhibit in its Greer, S.C., factory will engender good will far from home.
Deep in Dixie, where stock cars are revered, Germany's BMW is opening a monument to its luxury sports cars on the Fourth of July.
BMW's only U.S. plant is nestled in the heart of South Carolina's Upstate, where high-tech and international companies are popping up down the highway from barbecue stands.
The South's car enthusiasts know well the lure of NASCAR and stock car racing, but in response to those thirsty for details about BMW's sleek sports cars, the company has built itself a gleaming showcase.
The $1 million crescent-shaped Zentrum - German for ``center'' - opens today.
``It's come to mean `open arms ... welcome,''' communications manager Walt Behnke said of the 30,000-square-foot building. ``That's what its purpose is.''
Herman Leonard of nearby Reidville used to own a race car and said he plans to visit the Zentrum.
The stretch from NASCAR to Formula 2 may be too great to draw many die-hard Southern race fans, but Leonard said car fans in general should be attracted.
In any case, he's pleased that BMW Manufacturing has moved in. Leonard, 69, who served with the military after World War II, also said he isn't bothered by the German presence in South Carolina or the July 4 opening.
``I think it's going to do wonders for us,'' he said. ``Things are really booming in this area right now.''
From Interstate 85, the glass and steel building juts out of the rural hillside. Water fountains and flashy cars beckon passing drivers. Inside, German pastries and espresso are available at the cafe.
The displays offer images that are a long way from Dixie. An elegant oxblood-colored 1930s limousine sits next to the Isetta 300, BMW's 1950s version of the Volkswagen Beetle.
Modern enthusiasts can feast on the same Z3 that James Bond drove in last year's ``GoldenEye'' and the not-yet-available Z13, a three-passenger economy car that comes with a gasoline or electric motor.
However, those may not be there long.
Much of the center is designed to be redesigned. Few of the displays are permanent, Behnke said.
The Zentrum is about more than just passenger cars. Classic BMW motorcycles, racing cars, aircraft and boat engines are all on exhibit.
``If [in] any place people need to know about BMW, its the U.S.,'' said Behnke, who has been working on the project for about three years.
BMW wants to know about America, too. Behnke said he hopes the Zentrum will be the host of information talks on such subjects as transportation troubles and technical schools. ``It needed to teach people about the company, but it also needed to be a listening device.''
A theater offers Zentrum-goers a 15-minute movie of the 28-hour process of building a BMW auto. Three screens present a 270-degree view.
It also includes a gift shop, where visitors can get a T-shirt or a golf ball emblazoned with the company logo - or a miniature BMW.
Next month, tours of the factory begin, where officials are thinking of dropping production of the 3-series sedans to concentrate solely on the popular roadsters.
Zentrum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for children and seniors.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP Max Kraus (left) of the BMW Museum in Munich,by CNBGermany, helps Sam Rodgers put the finishing touches on a classic
roadster Wednesday in Greer, S.C., for the automaker's Zentrum
exhibit, which opens today. color.