Naah, it was rather a PR-joke. BMW is not as good in calssic spare parts than Mercedes Benz or Porsche.

At Porsche it's possible, that you send them a single VIN-number-plate and they build around that VIN-number a complete car.

You can do this with other cars, too, but not with the supprorting of the company. You only have to know the people, who are owning the parts.

Yes, I saw that on Deutsche Welle's motoring show, "Drive It!"

About old parts, I remember that recently BMW built a brand-new 2002tii just to prove that they could provide the parts

In Germany the Mercedes Sprinter is the most common van. I don't know, if the Transit is the next or the VW LT (nowadays Crafter). Then perhaps the Fiat Ducato, followed by several more vans.

But when you compare classic cars, Ford is extremely rare in Germany. Sure, the most common oldtimer-cars in Germany are Mercedes and VW, but if you compare Ford and Opel, which had been similar rival for decades (model range, customership, reputation, etc.), you see, that old Fords are much rarer than old Opels. Perhaps Ford had always a bit more quality- and rust-problems than Opel (but in puncto rust the others werent better between the 50oies and 80ies).
The way, how the companies are taking care about their own classic is not different - no activities at both brands. Nothing is available. But VW is not much better. If you have a classic BMW, you have more chances to get spare parts. Mercedes and Porsche are real paradises. Nearly everything is available. Sure it costs very much money, but you have a real chance to get it. If you own other cars, you must look for private dealers or help yourself (as we K 70-freaks do).

One problem to save an old German Ford (English or French Fords were never officially sold in Germany) happend nearly 32 years ago: the spare-part-warehouse in Köln/Cologne burned totally down. The consequences owners of classic Ford are feeling even today.
Not like one Ford-guy had told in this interview from 1977:
http://www.zeit.de/1977/45/Nur-in-Einzelfaellen as the shall be only minor problems for a few single parts and only for a short time.

Well the Transit is the most popular van in Britain, but then they are built over here. Vans from the European brands probably have to be imported.

The Transit seems less common than VW or Renault models here in Belgium. In France I guess that Renault & PSA are far ahead too.

I think it's because Ford may well have produced the most vehicles of any single brand in the world. Although it's possible Toyota or some other big car brand may hold the record, but Ford is pretty much the biggest name in both the American market and the European market, and the majority of films/TV shows on this site are American and European. Ford has become the leader in several market segments (the Crown Victoria in the US police car and taxi market, the Transit van in the European van market) and has produced various big sellers over the years like the Mustang, Focus, Mondeo, Fiesta, Taurus, Explorer and the Model T which started it all.

So since there have been so many Fords around during the last hundred years, naturally more Fords appear in films then other car brands.

That and the 1970's. As for pickups of the 1940's and early-1950's. Ford and Chevy seem equally represented on screen.

Well we have much more Ford on the site than other makes
I find true that the Mustang seems a more popular car than others when a character needs an old classic car of 60s.
But for the 80s, the Firebird/Camaro is more used.

That's not true at all, there are plenty of non-Fords in movies and TV. Sure there are a lot of Crown Victorias, but there are also a lot of Caprices. The Impala (both the 2000+ models and the olders ones) are quite popular too. And Mustangs aren't always used as sports/muscle cars, there are tons of Firebirds, Camaros, and Chargers used in lots of popular movies. There are certainly no more Fords in movies than there are GMs, or Chryslers.