The German automobile industry has been at the forefront of automotive technology since the invention of the automobile. Infact, the first ever modern automobile was created in Germany by Karl Benz. It changed the course of the world since then and the automobile has become an important aspect of our lives.
There are a lot of vehicles which came thereafter which changed the course of the automotive industry. Germany has always been highly passionate about engineering and their vehicles are highly desirable. The German auto industry is regarded as one of the best in terms of technology and over the years some iconic cars have rolled out. Here are 5 German cars that had a huge impact on the automobile industry.
1: Benz Patent-Motorwagen
This is what started it all. The Benz Patent-Motorwagen was essentially the first ever practical automobile to be powered by a gas engine. It made its debut in 1886 and was made by Karl Benz. The legacy of the Benz has continued and Mercedes Benz has been one of the global leaders when it comes to luxury automobiles. The vehicle made its first long distance trip spanning 180 kms marking an important milestone in the industry.
2: Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Beetle is an icon. It still remains the one of the highest selling cars in the world and to have the longest production run spanning 65 years. It was the first people’s car and was made for regular people. It was affordable, robust and also quite efficient. The Beetle sold around 21.5 million units making it incredibly successful and there is no part of the world that you cannot find a Beetle in.
3: Audi Quattro
The Audi Quattro changed the course for the motorsport industry. The rally scene at the time mostly comprised of 2wd cars and Audi somehow managed to cram a 4wd system into regular Audi models. It was an instant success and Audi was so dominant in the industry that other manufacturers had to follow course and pull their 2wd models out of rallies because they were just not competitive enough. The 4wd passenger car idea was a complete hit and even small cars have the option to have 4wd of some sort to make them more capable on tougher terrains.
4: Mercedes Benz S-Class
The Mercedes Benz is considered as the epitome of luxury even today. It did a lot of firsts. It was the first production car to be fitted with an airbag, the first production car to be fitted with ABS, the first production car to have an electronic stability program, the first one to have a turbocharged diesel engine and even the first one to have adaptive cruise control. These features are available on the most mundane of cars today but this was a big thing back then. Mercedes was and still is at the forefront of technological developments in the automobile industry. The S-Class was their flag ship model and it set the bar every time a new version came along.
5: BMW E30 M3
The BMW E30 M3 is probably one of the most iconic German sports cars known to man. People laughed at it when it was first introduced but it was the real deal. It was an engineering marvel and had everything it took to win races. The M brand took off and the rest is history. The M3 put out fierce rivalry to other cars in the segment and was quite dominant due to its modern technology. It had real aerodynamics and the engine was a little four-cylinder which had immense potential. It was and will be one of the more iconic cars to come out of Germany.
