The cars have been used so extensively nowadays, that they tend to turn
into a separate cultural subcategory, especially when the German culture
is concerned. The exteriors always define the first impression. That is
why people purchase expensive vehicles, committing money rather to the
brand image of a car than to the perfect technical devices, or luxurious
interiors. The top positions in the lists of the most prestigious cars
are fixedly occupied by German automobiles Mercedes-Benz,
BMW, Volkswagen, and Audi.
The first two target at the most well-off people, and offer absolutely
first-rate but very costly select autos.
Audi, the elite subdivision
of Volkswagen Group, prefers another tactic: its models, having
presentable appearance and excellent technical performance, compete with
the other rivals on a single, but very important parameter - price. Opel models are designed for middle-class population, especially
for rational-minded people who will never rack their brains whether or
not to buy BMW or Mercedes. They will simply buy Opel,
bearing with the lack of comfort and... thinking about annual turnover.
The presentations of new Mercedes models turn into epoch-making
events - like Moon shots, German reunification, or Ferrari's
victory in Formula-1 races, but they happen much more often. And each
time it is a rattler. The history of Mercedes is rich. It started in 1899 with the first success of Emil Jellinek, an Austrian diplomat
and a Daimler sales agent, at European races under the
pseudonym "Mercedes" (Jellinek's eldest daughter's name). Soon
Jellinek initiated production of a new Daimler model, and ventured
to sell them marked as Mercedes in Europe and the USA. The idea
was such a success that ever since 1902 all Daimler vehicles
changed their name to Mercedes.
The world of cars, like that of humans, is complex and versatile. It includes
all: losers and favorites, the plain and the beautiful. There are also
aristocrats. Sure, the last category is represented by BMW models of 3 series, 5 series, 7 series. The cars produced in Bayern have
no need for worldwide advertising campaigns, nor for pompous presentations.
The superb quality shows through the tight rows of worthy competitors
like Audi, Jaguar, and Mercedes.
