Honorees 04 Honorees
2004
Bill Brecht
1939-2003
Friends and associates described Brecht as the most important advocate for BMW in the county, a passionate enthusiast at his Brecht BMW dealership during weekdays and also on weekends ----- racing BMWs.
"He was Mr. BMW in the San Diego market," said Jim Ryan, who retired last year as senior vice president for BMW of North America. "Bill was instrumental in starting BMW of San Diego in the early 1970s."
Brecht came to North County in 1985 and opened Brecht BMW in Escondido. Over the years, the dealership became the largest BMW retailer in the county. Last year he opened Brecht MINI in Escondido as the county's exclusive MINI Cooper retailer.
Brecht's service to BMW extended beyond selling, said Scott Swenson, Southwest regional sales manager for BMW of North America. Brecht was a member of an advisory group that helped BMW deal with technical and other product issues.
In the community, Brecht was active in numerous groups, including the Escondido Chamber of Commerce and the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park. He was a founding member of the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.
Brecht also served on the boards of the Escondido Automobile Dealers Association, the Escondido Rotary Club, First Night Escondido, the Redwood Foundation and the Escondido Corps of The Salvation Army.
Last year, the Escondido chamber honored Brecht's dealership as its "Business of the Year."
On a personal level, Brecht radiated optimism and a love for people, starting first with his family. This served him well both in friendships and in business.
"He had the ability to make each and every person around him feel special," "He could sit down with a person and home in on the conversation until that person felt he was the most important person in the room."
While that kind of a personality is helpful in selling and in motivating employees, Swenson said Brecht wasn't putting on an act.
"He was a true people person and it was totally sincere," Swenson said. "I know of his service in the community ... and his family was certainly his number one priority."
