The auto industry in Germany is deservedly recognized as one of the best in the Old World and the rest of the world. Cars and engines assembled by famous German companies are famous for their high quality, which is confirmed by positive ratings from reputable publications, and most importantly, by sales figures. Buyers associate German car brands with reliability. In the article we will talk about the German automobile industry and the most famous brands.
Brief information about the German automobile industry
The German automotive industry has a rich history. The first internal combustion engines were invented in this country. Prototypes of modern cars, similar to wheeled carts with a motor, first appeared on German soil.
Production of premium cars by country.
Currently, about 6 million cars are produced in Germany annually. Approximately 5.5 million cars of German brands are produced in other countries. The automotive industry creates about 3% of GDP and provides jobs for 2.5% of the country's residents.
DKW
Production: 1928 to 1966 Headquarters: Saxony, Germany Founders: Jorgen Skafte Rasmussen Website: unavailable
And again an amazing fact! As you can see from the picture, DKW was a separate car company before it merged with Auto Union AG. Before this, the company introduced the first steam engine in 1919, and after the merger, it produced its last machine in 1966. In addition to cars, DKW also produced motorcycles.
Audi
Audi, founded in 1909 by August Horch, is part of the Volkswagen Group. It occupies a leading position in the serial production of cars belonging to the premium segment. Audi also owns the makers of Lamborghini supercars and Ducati motorcycles.
The company's headquarters is located in Ingolstadt.
The logo in the form of 4 rings, recognizable throughout the world, symbolizes the union of automobile manufacturers, created in 1932. The alliance was concluded between DKW, Horch, Wanderer and Audi.
German cars of this brand became famous throughout the world in the early 1980s. In 1982, Quattro cars took part in the World Rally Championships for the first time, where they proved their superiority. Since that time, the family of all-wheel drive cars has been growing and expanding.
Among the legendary models, we note the Audi quattro. This is a coupe with permanent all-wheel drive, presented in March 1980 at the Geneva Motor Show. Among production cars, the “indestructible” Audi 80 and 100 with fully galvanized bodies deserve attention. The modern list of German cars of this brand includes many passenger cars and a whole line of crossovers and SUVs.
Audi is famous for its many records. For example, engineers from Ingolstadt for the first time designed a car that could overcome the barrier of 200 km/h over a 1-kilometer distance.
BITTER CARS
Production: 1971 to present Headquarters: Schwelm, Germany Founders: Erich Bitter Website: bittercars.com
Founded by Erich Bitter, who was a former racing driver, Erich Bitter Automobil GmbH (Bitter) has distinguished itself as a manufacturer of German sports cars and luxury cars. The company was not destined to become very popular, but it is one of those that still produces unique sports cars.
BMW
The history of this brand begins with the Bayerische Motoren Werke aircraft engine production plant, created in the summer of 1917. The founders of the legendary Bavarian automaker are Gustav Otto and Karl Rapp.
The manufacturer's headquarters is located in Munich.
The BMW emblem is a circle divided into 4 sectors. 2 of them are painted white, and the other 2 are painted blue. This is a stylized image of a propeller spinning against the sky. At the same time, the color scheme for the symbol of the current automaker was borrowed from the coat of arms of Bavaria.
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The first BMW car was the 3/15 PS. The assembly of this car was carried out at the Dixi plant in Eisenach. Under the hood of the car there was a 15-horsepower carburetor engine with a volume of 749 cm3. The 1927 car accelerated to a maximum of 75 km/h during testing.
BMW also has achievements in motorsport. The Bavarian manufacturer brought German cars to the European stage with the 2002 turbo. This is the first production passenger car with a turbocharger.
In addition to the world-famous BMW, there were other Bavarian car brands. For example, the Bavaria concern from 1997 to 2015 was engaged in the production of motor homes on Fiat platforms.
GUMPERT
Production: 2004 to present Headquarters: Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany Founders: Roland Gumpert Website: gumpert.de
Gumpert is another car company that has been around for a while; It cannot boast of fame similar to Volkswagen, BMW and Audi. Gumpert mainly specializes in the production of supercars, the most famous model being the Apollo Racecar.
Maybach
Many car enthusiasts associate expensive German brands with Maybach cars. At the same time, the history of the brand is closely connected with airships and aircraft engines, the production of which gave impetus to the creation of machines with high-quality power plants and other components.
At the origins of the company is the talented designer Wilhelm Maybach, who collaborated with Gottlieb Daimler at the beginning of his career. The first car of this brand was produced in 1900. Wilhelm Maybach founded the Maybach-Motorenbau company, which produced engines for airships and other aircraft.
The Maybach logo consists of 2 letters "M" of different sizes, inscribed in a triangle with curved lines. This is short for "Maybach Manufaktur".
The first car of the Mercedes brand was designed by Wilhelm Maybach at the request of the Austrian entrepreneur Emil Jellinek. The racing car was named after the customer’s daughter, Mercedes.
The production of exclusive Maybach premium-segment models is carried out by a division of the Daimler AG concern. The list of the most popular models includes the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, a business sedan with a luxurious interior, a range of powerful engines and a large number of electronic assistants.
AUTO UNION AG
Production: 1932 to 1966 Headquarters: Chemnitz (1932 - 1948), Ingolstadt (1949 - 1968), Ingolstadt/current Audi AG headquarters (1985 - present) ) Founders: no Website: unavailable
Will you be stunned by the fact that Audi owes its logo to the Auto Union concern? Probably yes! In the early 1930s Auto Union was a successful manufacturer of popular cars, but later competition came from Volkswagen, and Auto Union transformed into Audi.
Mercedes
The history of the Mercedes brand begins on January 29, 1886. On that day, Karl Benz received a patent for the world's first land vehicle with a gasoline internal combustion engine. This example was far from a modern car. It was a 3-wheeled bicycle with a large seat and a 4-stroke power unit.
Now Mercedes is a large company producing cars, trucks and other vehicles. Part of the Daimler AG concern. This association also owns other German car brands, including Maybach and Smart.
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The headquarters of the automaker is located in Stuttgart.
The Mercedes emblem is recognizable all over the world. It looks like a 3-rayed star inscribed in a circle and symbolizes that the auto giant successfully produces power units for land, water and air transport. In 1929, a laurel wreath was added to the star, representing the manufacturer's victories in automobile racing.
In addition to outstanding sporting achievements, the brand is famous for its premium cars. In 1963, the “six hundredth” Mercedes was released. After 2 years, the first S-class car appeared, which is still being produced today, combining a presentable appearance, a high level of comfort and advanced technology.
Mercedes S-Class has always been famous for its reliability. Often used by heads of state and senior officials as a personal vehicle. At the same time, the car has repeatedly saved the lives of its owners. For example, in 1998, an armored version of the S-Class protected the Georgian president from attack. The head of state remained safe and sound, although the car was hit by several bursts from a machine gun and even hit by a grenade launcher.
ADLER
Production: 1900 to 1957 Headquarters: non-existent Founders: Heinrich Kleier Website: unavailable
Adler is one of those German car companies that were popular in the early 1900s. This company successfully produced about 30 cars, each of which was unique in its own way. In addition to cars, the company also manufactured typewriters, bicycles and motorcycles.
Porsche
It is impossible to imagine the German automobile industry without Ferdinand Porsche and his company, founded in 1931. By this time, the talented designer had a hand in a large number of projects, including a 16-cylinder power unit for Auto Union and the “people's car” VW Typ 1 (the predecessor of the Beetle). Now the legendary sports car manufacturer is part of the Volkswagen Group.
Porsche's headquarters and main production plant are located in Stuttgart.
The Porsche logo consists of 2 elements - the symbol of Stuttgart (a rearing horse) and details of the coat of arms of Baden-Württemberg (deer antlers and black and red stripes).
German Porsche sports cars are known all over the world. However, the most recognizable model is the legendary 911. This car was first presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1963. Even then, the German manufacturer used a classic design with rear-wheel drive and a non-standard arrangement of the boxer engine. Alexander Porsche, the eldest son of the company's founder, was responsible for the design of the new car.
The 911 sports car has gone through several generation changes and restylings, but is still popular among car fans. Among other famous models of the company, it is worth noting the Panamera and Cayenne.
The founder of Porsche is also the founder of electric vehicles. The first electric vehicle was developed by the designer in 1898 and was named P1.
ISDERA
Production: 1969 to present Headquarters: Hildesheim, Germany Founders: Eberhard Schulz Website: isdera.de
Isdera is one of the few private automobile companies whose full name is “Ingenieurburo fur Styling, Design und Racing.” The company mainly produces sports cars, and a team of craftsmen is responsible for this. One such car even appeared in the beloved computer game Need for Speed II, released in 1997.
Smart
Smart Logo
Smart is a brand of compact class passenger cars. Owned by the giant Daimler AG concern. The first production German car of this brand appeared in 1998, although the history of the brand began earlier.
The progenitor of Smart is the MCC enterprise, which appeared thanks to the Swiss company Swatch and the Daimler AG concern. The first attempts to create a compact subcompact car were made in 1972. Ended in failure. The MCC enterprise never produced a single production model of the model and went bankrupt.
The Smart logo was registered in 2002. The first car with a corporate logo was the Crossblade model. The logo consists of the letters “C” (“Compact”) and a yellow arrow, which symbolizes the company’s management’s modern view of car production.
Currently, the company's European factories in France and Slovenia produce 3 models - Fortwo, Fortwo Cabrio, Forfour.
In March, information appeared that the new CEO of Daimler AG would decide to completely cease production of compact cars under this brand by the end of 2022. The fact is that Smart is far from the most popular car in Germany and other European markets.
However, this statement was later refuted. The German concern entered into an agreement with the automotive company Geely Automobile on the serial production of the new Smart electric car in a joint venture and extended the production of cars with internal combustion engines until 2022.
KEINATH
Production: 1983 to present Headquarters: Reutlingen, Germany Founders: Horst Keinath Website: unavailable
Many German auto companies specialize in the production of sports and racing cars, as well as luxury cars. Keinath has been focused exclusively on racing cars since 1983. It began producing cars with the popular Opel Monza and then continued in the same spirit with the GTR, which was praised for its sporty style and incredible power.
Volkswagen
One of the world's largest concerns, which owns Czech, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Japanese and German car manufacturers. Engaged in serial production of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, heavy trucks. Many German automakers cannot match the production capacity of the Volkswagen Group holding company.
VW was founded in 1933, but the first prototypes of production cars appeared in 1936.
The headquarters of the concern is located in Wolfsburg.
The VW logo appeared thanks to Franz Xavier Reimspiess, who was an employee of Porsche. The Volkswagen emblem was originally a stylized swastika, inside of which there was a gear with the letters W and V. The logo of the German concern acquired its modern look in 1945, when the swastika was removed and the gear was replaced with a circle.
Various German car models are known around the world. However, the most recognizable is the Volkswagen Beetle. The history of the VW brand began with this car. The first copy of the legendary “Beetle” was designed with the direct participation of Ferdinand Porsche, commissioned by Adolf Hitler, who set the task of making a people’s car costing no more than 990 Reichsmarks. Drawings of the prototype were presented in January 1934. However, production of the VW Beetle was established only after the Second World War.
The Volkswagen brand is now known for its passenger cars and the popular Transporter family of commercial vehicles.
ALPINA
Production: 1965 to present Headquarters: Buchlohe, Germany Founders: BMW Website: alpina-automobiles.com
Alpina is another German automobile company that started its journey in 1965. Although the company is not particularly popular, it still continues to work and collaborate with BMW in the production of its cars. Thanks to this, Alpina is still in demand in some areas of Germany.
EISENACHER MOTORENWERK (EMW)
Production: 1945 to 1956 Headquarters: Eisenach, Germany Founders: unknown Website: unavailable
Eisenacher Motorenwerk (more commonly abbreviated EMW) is a former East German automobile company. The headquarters were located in Eisenach, and the company itself was quite popular in the 50s. 20th century, as it produced sports cars and cars for Formula 1. The company was closed due to bankruptcy.
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BORGWARD
Production: 1929 to 1961 Headquarters: Bremen, Germany Founders: Karl Borgward Website: unavailable
At the end of the 30s In the 20th century, Borgward was considered one of the most popular automobile companies. It was founded in Bremen and enjoyed great success for a long time.
Before bankruptcy, Borgward was engaged in the production of cars of 4 different models:
- Lloyd
- Goliath
- Hansa,
- Bogward.
