Without a doubt, Germany with its German cars is one of the leading automobile havens in the world. It is a country that has produced many firsts, like the four stroke engine invented by Nikolaus August Otto in 1876 among others.
Germany doesn’t fall short with car manufacturing either, with close to 10 million cars produced every year with almost 1 million people employed.
From Audi, BMW, and Porsche to Mercedes Benz (also known as Daimler) and Volkswagen — all of these companies have factories scattered throughout the world and even more happy fans to boot.
Audi
The first line of German cars under discussion is Audi. Headquartered in Ingolstadt, it is owned by the Volkswagen Group and has been doing extremely well with European sales.
Audi is widely considered to have the best build quality of all commercial auto manufacturers, with record sales figures coming from half of its 50 major sales markets in 2004.
Following increases in sales in different world regions, Audi has responded by building dealerships in these areas and expanding its brand.
BMW
Another major German cars brand is the BMW (outspoken: Bayerische Motorenwerke), which is located in Munich (München). Known as the “Ultimate Driving Machine” in the United States, the company was founded by Karl Rapp in 1913.
Originally, BMW was intended to be an aircraft manufacturer until it secured a contract to build V12 engines. Today, after countless design changes, it can safely say it belongs in the same class as the other luxury German cars like Mercedes Benz and Porsche.
It is known to be cheaper than its counterparts as well, manufacturing everything from compact I series vehicles to the fancy 5, 6, and 7 series.
Porsche
Another bona fide German automobile company is the immortal Porsche series, whose Headquarters are locate in Stuttgart. Known as amongst some of the finest cars in the world, it has crafted a niche as a racing car king, with more than 190 cars built for racing events alone in 2006.
From the 24 Hour Nürburgring race in June (one of Germany’s largest motorsport events) to the American Le Mans Series with races in Long Beach, Houston, and St. Petersburg, Russia – Porsche always delivers in the racing department. Plus, it was Ferdinand Porsche that came up with the VW Beetle prototype.
Mercedes Benz
One of the largest car manufacturer worldwide is also located in Sindelfingen, Germany, named Mercedes Benz, also known as Daimler. Daimler is well-known as producing cars with the longest life span. It is very common to drive a Mercedes Benz for 20+ years.
Volkswagen (VW)
Volkswagen, located in Wolfsburg, is another large car manufacturer and employer in Germany, producing cars all around the world.
The world famous Käfer became a national symbol for the industrialization in the years after World War II. Its follower, Beetle, is as well a symbol for freedom, joy, and happiness.
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All of the aforementioned cars speak volumes over Germany’s influence in the racing world. From the BMW to the Audi, Germany will continue to remain one of the premier racing and driving destinations in the world. ;-)
