Ok, I checked with my almost unimpeachable Maico history source (since he is still a dealer, was the #1 Maico dealer in the US a couple of times, and has serial #1 and matching chassis #1 of a blue 500 Maico from 1991 I think, plus he officially imported the very last Bultaco to the US) and he said I was wrong. Go figure Madscientist was WRONG. I know, I know, hard to believe, but it's true. In 1983, after filing for bankruptcy, some cousins leveraged away the company from the daughters who were running part of the company. That got you M-Star. That went along until a guy whose name I have forgotten took over the company, in 88 or 89ish. Remember, this isn't a historical document, just a rough overview. That guy, whose name I can't remember, sold the company in 97-98-99ish. That's when the chassis were made in Holland. Koestler (current owner) bought the company in 2000 and has owned it since.
That's the best I've got but I will read the super hunky article again. Read it a while back but I don't rememeber like I did decades ago.