Reunion after 45 years: Igor Braslavsky's meeting with Michael Reimann and his MDR GT

Earlier this year, in February, I received a message from Igor Braslavsky, with an attached photo. He and his son Ari were looking through old family photo albums and came across a photo of Igor, standing next to the  MDR GT. That photo was taken in 1979, when he was just a 17-year old high school junior in Dallas (Texas/USA). Igor and his dad, George, were visiting a local shopping mall and happened to notice an amazing looking sports car. George had an old 35mm camera with him and snapped a couple of photos of Igor and the MDR GT.

Fast forward 45 years to today, Igor and Ari wondered what happened to that car? Does it still exist? Can they find it if it is still around? They searched online and were surprised and delighted when they came across the story about MDR GT posted in 2022 on RS65photos. Not only does MDR GT exist, but it has evolved considerably, and it is still in Dallas! This piqued their curiosity even more. Could they get in touch with the owner? Igor contacted me to make that request to Michael Reimann and he agreed to correspond. Dr. Mike, as he is called by his friends, still lives in Dallas. Igor grew up here after his family immigrated there from Ukraine in 1976. His parents and his father-in-law still live there. Igor and his wife, Marina, moved to California over 30 years ago, but continue to visit Dallas with Ari every year.

So what could be more obvious than to meet up with Dr. Mike during the next visit to take pictures and videos of his eye-catcher and exchange ideas. Dr. Mike had also captured the further development and improvement of his MDR GT with his camera, but by now his pictures were a jumbled mess and so he was already looking forward to the meeting and shoot with the two enthusiastic photographers and videographers, Igor and Ari. A suitable location for the photo session was also quickly found. Dr. Mike remembered a car show at the Cooper Aerobic Clinic Campus, in which he had participated with the MDR GT in 2014. His request was approved by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who is considered the “father of aerobics” and has written more than 20 books on the subject.

And at the end of May this year, the time had come. Dr. Mike had made the right choice. The Cooper Aerobic Clinic campus with it's lush green surroundings provided the right contrast for his bright yellow MDR GT and it was a pleasure for Igor and Ari to take hundreds of pictures and some videos. With his drone, Ari also managed to capture the MDR GT from special angles. Dr. Cooper also stopped by the shoot and was fascinated by the MDR GT and impressed by its development. He encouraged Dr. Mike to share his expertise and experience in a book. Afterwards, they went to Mike's home. On site, Ari took many detailed pictures and conducted an in-depth interview with Dr. Mike to capture his thoughts and stories for a future documentary.

When I published the story about Michael Reimann and his MDR GT in February 2022, there was still some work to be done, which has now been completed. In the meantime, engine improvements, fuel supply, air intake, ignition, interior details, upholstery, carpeting and door seals have been completed. The photo and video footage taken by Igor and Ari provides a comprehensive and cohesive body of work of my MDR GT, says Dr. Mike. And our meeting came at just the right time. Because the MDR GT was first registered and licensed in California in 1975 and will “Officially” be 50 years old next year, he adds proudly.