As the founder of 7seriesparts.com, my personal values shape the company culture, and that affects the quality of the experience you have when you buy.

I used to be a contractor at the Hewlett-Packard company in the late 1990s, before the merger with Compaq, and when David Packard was still alive. I based much of my own company’s culture on “The HP Way” and Lamborghini’s company culture in the 1960s.

My first language was German, and I was raised German. My family has always been into German cars. I have been a BMW enthusiast ever since my mid-teens. The dad of my childhood best friend bought a 1977 BMW 3.0L and I came to appreciate how well-built these cars were.

One of the models I’ve always wanted to own was a 2800 CS, or 3.0 CS, or 3.0 CSi. In the late 1980s, my career as a software developer took off, and I could afford to buy a 1971 BMW 2800 CS. I loved that car.

Next, I bought a 1987 325, with all of its joys and challenges. One fine day, my mechanic announced that the 20-year old car would need a new steering rack. The price, as I recall, was $432. I had been muttering “I should be in the BMW parts business” whenever an event like this occurred, and for whatever reason, that event was the last straw. And so, I actually DID start a used car parts company in 2003, focused on 1980s BMWs. It was named OCLES, Inc. which is an acronym for Old Car Life Extension Systems (as in, keep ‘em on the road). 7SeriesParts is a division of that company.

In 2007, I flew to Europe, and I visited Munich and the BMW museum. While I was there, I bought a book on BMW company culture and how BMWs are built, so that I could appreciate them even more. With a focus on being methodical, the company has grown slowly, but well.

Several years ago, I used to drive a 1983 733i as my daily driver.  Then, I bought a 1988 750iL. I loved driving that. I still own it, but I’ve retired it so as to bring it up to a higher standard again. Meanwhile, I also bought a 1992 735i, which I drove enthusiastically for many years until the transmission failed.  I’m looking forward to replacing that with a used unit I have. Most recently, I’ve bought a 1996 740i.

The 7-series covers some of my favorite engines: the M30 and the M70 engines. I’m also very fond of ZF 4HP-22 transmissions, and the beefed-up version, the ZF 4HP-24. It took me a while to get used to the ZF 5HP-24 in the E38, but now I’m a fan.

If, like me, you like the looks of the 1980s and 1990s BMWs, you’ll want to keep your classic BMW reliable, fun and safe as long as you viably can.

I intend for my company to make your mission more viable.

~Tanya Charbury, Boss Lady