Oettinger of Germany is indeed alive and well. 

I wrote to them a month ago asking for them to send me a part via government
surface mail hoping to keep the shipping cost down and possibly duck the
steep US import taxes.

Oettinger charged me $12 shipping and the package arrived today. And sure
enough, I ducked the 30%????? import tax on parts.

(I was ordering fogg lamp parts.)

Last time I let them send me UPS and I was charged close to $200 for shipping
and taxes on a $200 part.

This changes everything about the feasibility of buying those ultra exotic
and valuable Oettinger parts. Now I still have the names of those who
e-mailed me last spring that they are interested in participating in a mass
order for 2.5 litre conversion parts although I don't plan to act on this
project until 1995 or 1996.

derekdrew@aol.com