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Over the last two decades the ropeway industry has been dominated by two major groups: Doppelmayr and Leitner-Poma. And during those last two decades, one could reasonably argue that Doppelmayr has spent far more time and attention on cabin design than their rival – to a point where Leitner cabin design has been a little bit staid and conservative.

After all, the list of customized cabin designs under Doppelmayr’s belt is impressive: The Urban Concept cabins in Koblenz ; the 5 Star VIP gondola in Singapore; Finland’s Sauna Gondola; the Cabrio; etc. Leitner, on the other hand, hasn’t dabbled in custom cabins nearly as much.

But that might be about to change . . .

At the recent SAM International Trade Fair in Grenoble, LEITNER ropeways unveiled the BMW Individual by Leitner cabin. It’s a standard SIGMA Diamond cabin (standard to most Leitner systems) but it’s interior is outfitted “with the style and luxury of (a) BMW 7-series limousine.”

Now granted this isn’t an operational gondola system, only a display. But it could indicate a shift in Leitners thinking. Things like the BMW Individual may not be a practical application of design but the potential value such design represents is huge. Not only do things like this attract attention, but they allow a company to demonstrate their ability to tailor their products to any market – a defining feature in an industry long characterized by pre-fabrication.

It’s certainly worth taking a look:

Image via Leitner.

Image via Leitner.

Image via Leitner.