Editor’s note: This is the second article in Tapxe.com’s Buying a car in Germany series. The first can be found here.
When I left Germany in the early 90s it seemed as though all the cars on the road were made by German companies such as BMW, Mercedes, Audi/VW and Opel. When I returned this year I was amazed at the number of Japanese Hondas, French Renaults and Italian Fiats on the road – not to mention the many Fords. The same seems to be true in France, where there are a great many more foreign cars on the road. This is great news for people buying cars – lots of options, competitive prices, and hopefully better access to dealerships across Europe should you be traveling and something go wrong.
So what do Germans in Lörrach use to get around? The view from my window (on right) as well as about 30 minutes of counting the cars* that passed reveals the truth. If you want to blend in – you’d better get a Volkswagen.
Though I did not record this data, the most common VW and vehicle model in general seemed to be the Golf. Not surprising, given the myriad of engine choices, body layouts, and even the option of all wheel drive. Of the American manufacturers, Ford has the largest footprint here. The most popular vehicle is the Focus. Like the Golf, there are many variations within the Focus line, from 4 door station wagon to 2 door sport hatchback.
If you want to stand out? Forget a BMW or Mercedes, the hottest car that passed was an Alpha Romeo 8C.
* For this sample I did not count trucks or other commercial vehicles (LKWs). I counted only the passenger cars (PKWs) coming into town (towards me) bearing what looked like German license plates.
