Staying in the United States we grow up not learning much about other countries. We invest in new cars, sometimes not even wondering where they were built, unless it might be one of the expensive brand names. Europe produces some very good cars and some of the best are not by organizations people would think of. Rolls Royce, Mercedes, and BMW happen to be exceptional cars, as well as Lamborghini or possibly a Jaguar, but these are beyond the reach of a typical car buyer. But there are still other manufacturers that build excellent cars for the rest of us. This article goes European to take a look at Volvo, Volkswagen, and also Audi.
There's a country that is in a position to sustain two automakers but only has a population of only nine million. This place happens to be Sweden and it has both Volvo and Saab. Of the two, Volvo, that is owned by Ford Motor Company, has had a great influence on the automobile industry. When safety standards were minimal just about everywhere, it was Volvo and their desire for higher standards that changed the industry. Some of the things that had their origins with Volvo, are reinforced roofs, front end crumple zones, and exclusively designed interiors. They became well known for putting together top quality and ultra safe vehicles. It was through their leadership that induced car manufacturers around the world to raise their standards, also.
The Volkswagen Beetle is a car that almost everyone knows about but not so much concerning the history behind the car. The Beetle first came out during the 1930's in Germany as the "people's car." Just after World War II, it established itself as one of the best loved cars and one of the most mass-produced cars ever. The Beetle permitted individuals from every walk of life to possess a car. Anybody, whether they happen to be college students, farmers or business people, could obtain a Beetle. The Beetle was no longer brought in to the USA in the 1970s, but was produced in Mexico for another generation.
When Audi first introduced the all wheel drive Quattro, it was the very first of its kind. Audi let the world know that Audi was the standard that all other high end cars had to compare to. For many years, their company had a significant advantage over the competition, because of the Quattro technology. Their traction expertise was so innovative and superior to others that the cars were blacklisted in some types of racing competition.
That's your fundamental history of three extraordinary European auto producers. But if you really think about what they did for the auto industry, the more accurate word is extraordinary.
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