German Cars

INTRODUCTION

Even though different players are currently battling it out for the title of world’s best car manufacturer, top honors go to German automotive brands: they make up the majority of leading car manufacturers in terms of technical feasibility, quality, and image. Despite some of them having been acquired by large European groups (such as Opel, which is now part of Stellantis), Mercedes-Benz is still the most renowned name in the automobile sector and BMW is synonymous with sportiness around the world. Porsche is the mostprofitable car manufacturer, and Volkswagen Group products have the best performance in their respective segments.

German engineers were the ones who taught cars to walk. Otto and Diesel invented the most important motor concepts; Benz and Daimler built the first cars; figures like Horch, Maybach, and Porsche (the latter is Austrian mixed) defined the first decade of automobiles. The greatest model of all times is probably the VW Beetle, which obviously comes from Germany; the most famous sports scar of all is definitely the Porsche 911, which is also a quality German product, much like the all-time best off-road vehicle, the G class from Mercedes. Immortal legends

1 A draft of the first automobile, the 1886 Benz Patent-Motorwagen number 1.

2-3 Race cars: Porsche Carrera GT, 2003-2006.

4-5 Audi takes off: studio Audi Quattro Le Mans, 2003.

6-7 Already legends: BMW M3, from 2007.

8-9 Revelation: MercedesBenz SLR McLaren Roadster, from 2007.

10-11 The great Mercedes from the 20s and 30s were

like the Mercedes 300 SL with its gull-wing doors, the BMW 507, and the VW Golf were (and are still) “made in Germany,” and today German cars are a point of reference in virtually every segment. Despite the fact that competition (including from China) has become increasingly fierce, they will most likely stay that way for a long time because German companies are famous for the impressive effort they dedicate to research and development. That includes Formula 1, where Mercedes is consistently on the podium.

It is often said that German auto manufacturers lack charm, and their products transmit very few emotions. Yet the Germans have always preferred to leave these qualities to the Italians and the French, relying rather on exceptional technical solutions and the refinement of quality. Their success has confirmed their strategy, and today the German auto industry continues to shine, even if it must continue to look over its shoulder at the Chinese, Korean, and indestructible Japanese manufacturers hot on its heels.

A simple book cannot do justice to the entire history of German automobiles. What this book offers instead is a completely subjective (and sometimes judgmental) selection of cars. Because, even in Germany, not all that glitters is gold. The challenge of today is anticipating what will happen tomorrow,

fancy status symbols and even the prominent star on the radiator cap expressed their incomparable position.

13 On 3 July 1886 in Mannheim, the first public test drive with a Benz Patent-Motorwagen took number one place.

14-15 How it all began: Porsche 356, 1948.

16-17 Immortal: Mercedes 300 SL ‘gull-wing’, 1954-1957.

starting with the transition to clean energy. Indeed, the European Union has set 2035 as the goalpost for an end to combustion engines (though admittedly that date isn’t set in stone), and investments in electric cars by a few groups (VW first and foremost) have been massive. However, it remains to be seen to what degree consumers will embrace battery-powered cars, a challenge that will involve all global players and one in which Germany will certainly have its say. No other nation has done so much for cars as Germany, and this fame is also a promise for the future.

18-19 Authentic beauty: BMW 328 ‘Mille Miglia’, 1939/40.

20-21 Awesome: VW Beetle, 1938-2003.

In 1902 the German author Otto Julius Bierbaum (1865-1910) took a trip in an automobile from Germany to Vienna via Prague. He then went to Italy and from there, returned to Germany crossing through Switzerland. Bierbaum, who is known for his novel Stilpe (1897), described his adventure in a very interesting piece written in 1903, A Sentimental Automobile Journey.

Behind the wheel of his Adler, Bierbaum was the first person to cross St. Gothard Pass in Switzerland in a car. At that time the famous tunnel was still an idea. Adler had already begun to build automobiles in 1899, first a voiturette of French inspiration powered by a De-Dion engine.

Bierbaum’s car was larger, but still had a De-Dion engine. It was only in 1903, when the young engineer Eduard Rumpler (who will be discussed further on) began working for the Adler factory, that the company began to produce its own engines, with very good results. In 1914, before the First World War broke out, almost 20% of all the automobiles manufactured in France bore the Adler of Frankfurt trademark.

One of the most famous models of the period between the two wars was the Standard 6 (first built in 1926 and greatly influenced by Chrysler), around 20,000 of which were manufactured up to 1934.

This then served as the model for the eight-cylinder Standard 8 and the four-cylinder Favorit. There was also the famous Trumpf model, which had independent suspension on all the wheels, and a front-wheel drive. The period from 1934 to 1939 witnessed the production of the small Trumpf Junior, 10,000 of which were sold.

In 1930 Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus, designed some bodies for the Adler company, but they were not well received by the public. This was not the only case of a famous architect’s lack of success in the automotive industry. Le Corbusier’s ideas for the French Voisin were not put into practice. After the Second World War all the automobile plants were requisitioned by the occupying armies, which led to the end of a major automobile manufacturer.

Top left Ads and posters of the early days were something rather innovative and artistic compared to today. Here, a drawing for Adler, 1914.

Bottom center The Standard, which is esthetically reminiscent of the American Chrysler models of the 20s, was one of the most successful high-end models in Germany in between the two world wars.

Top center The picture shows a work of art by Herbert Schlenzig for Adler, in 1910. In this period, cars made huge technical progresses, differently from carriages, which slowly disappeared.

Top right Although as early as 1883 photographs could be printed in newspapers, drawings stayed fashionable for a long time. Here is an example by Herbert Schlenzig for Adler, dating back to 1905.

Center right Even the German auto sector witnessed the flourishing of certain tendencies (patriotic or nationalistic). Pictured here, for example, is the Adler Standard emblem used during the mid-thirties.

An extraordinary body for a 1929 S. In the late 20s, disc wheels were fashionable. Even in this case, we are in front of a powerful vehicle, oversized for just two seats. It is unusual for an S to have only one exhaust pipe, although in this case the

vehicle is no less elegant. Notice the manual projector on the driver’s side. Each cylinder of the 6.8 liter S engine has two ignition sparks, hence a double ignition, activated both by the battery and by a magnet. The gearshift was a four-speed.

In addition to the Type 1 model, VW also produced the Type 2 model “the Bulli” starting from 1950 which became almost as popular as the Beetle. It was already called by this name in 1949 when the first model was celebrated behind the closed doors of the plant. Today nobody remembers where this nickname originated from. We know, however, who the spiritual father of this model was and the story goes like this: Ben Pon, a Dutch importer of VW was walking through the Wolfsburg factory one day in April 1947 when he saw a strange vehicle, assembled by workers to transport heavy pieces. Pon immediately drew a couple of sketches and it took little to convince the then chairman of VW, Heinrich Nordhoff, to build a vehicle of the type. The “Bulli” was a remake of the Beetle in the sense that instead of the central support platform, a lateral steel structure had been used. The engine reached 24.5 hp just like that of the Beetle, but the payload reached a good 750 pounds. Production began on 8 March 1950, initially with ten units a day. The vehicle was available only in blue and grey. Demand grew so quickly that soon VW realized that it had hit the jackpot. In 1951, the Samba bus was introduced, intended exclusively for the transportation of passengers (it soon became a cult object in California). Then in 1952, the pick-up was presented (also with double cab from 1958). In 1956, the Transporter, the official name of the “Bulli”, began to be produced in a new factory in Hanover. 1.8 million units of the “Bulli” were produced up until 1967. It was much more than a vehicle intended for transportation. In the fifties it became the symbol of German revival and economic miracle, perhaps even more so than the Beetle. It was not fast but extremely safe and reliable. It was used by many; the post office, the police, firefighters, hospitals, even railroads (there were even some transporters with a frame built specifically for the train track).

The VW minibus, called Type 2 within the company, reached the market in 1950 and obviously recalled the Beetle. The shape of its unmistakable design was the work of the Dutch VW importer, Ben Pon.

when the owner of CFW Borgward was asked what name to use, to keep the prototypes still a secret, he replied, “for me it is the same, put down Isabella.” However in 1954 the car was introduced to the market with the name Hansa 1500. It was christened Isabella Borgward only later, in 1957. This was also the beginning of a revival in 1954 because when the car came on the market after a design phase of only 10 months, some children’s diseases broke out and quickly spoilt the appetite of potential customers.

The reason for the enthusiastic reception of Isabella was primarily its design and some technical goodies. The front suspension was equipped with double transversal arms with helical springs and stabilizers, which at the time were installed only in race cars. The four speed transmission was fully synchronized, and the clutch was operated by a hydraulic

system. And the price was DM 7,265 which was certainly more than that of an Opel Rekord or a Ford Taunus, but this was altogether a different experience with its elegant and free-standing body. The Mercedes 180, which, unlike the Borgward, was not particularly beautiful or technically advanced, cost much more at the time.

In 1955 Borgward added a station wagon and a very beautiful convertible to the product line. Then the TS model was added with 75 hp instead of the original 60 hp. The convertible was not a particularly successful vehicle.; It was certainly beautiful, but the car was not rigid enough. It therefore had to be modified, which lead to an increase in the price and weight.

Bottom center “It doesn’t matter to me, you can even call it Isabella,” is what the chief of the company, C.F.W. Borgward is believed to have said to whoever asked for a name for his new creation. And that’s how this beautiful car got a beautiful name.

In 1957 a wonderful coupe was introduced to the market that the Germans also turned into a convertible, but at DM 17,000, the price was outrageous for the time! In 1961 the Borgward group declared bankruptcy. A couple of other models of the Isabella were built up to 1962. In all, a total of 202,862 units were produced, now in great demand by fans.

The economic miracle, however, called for other bigger, more impressive, more prestigious cars. In the fifties many had made a fortune. From the moment that families living in the suburbs were not able to afford cars, a certain clientele wanted to show off the fact that well-being could be obtained by using automobiles.One of the vehicles already targeted to the highest social classes shortly after the war was the Opel Kapitän. The first post-war model, offered from autumn 1948, was again inspired by the Kapitän and presented in 1939 at a world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show. The design was slightly adapted to the trends of the time. This was followed by continual changes with chrome parts being continually added and the engine becoming inreasingly powerful.

The Kapitän 51 was a much loved status symbol, and was for a time in third place in terms of sales after the Beetle and the Opel Rekord in Germany. The Kapitän underwent a total restyling for the first time in autumn 1953, when it received a pontoon body and a unique radiator grill resembling shark teeth. From November 1953 to July 1955, 61,543 models of the 68 hp version had been produced.

Beginning in 1958, the American dream was identified by the Opel Kapitän P 2.5, which, like the Cadillac and Chevrolet, featured a wide panoramic windscreen. The car was then driven by a 2.5 liter 80 hp engine. However, the “Schlüsselloch-Kapitän” was already replaced in 1959 by the P 2.6, which had a markedly flatter design and European style. The

power was increased to 90 hp, which allowed the Opel to reach 150 km/h (93 mph). In just over three years, almost 146,000 models had been sold.

In 1964, a tier above the Kapitan, Opel’s upper segment was enriched by the Admiral and the Diplomat which shared the body design and partly the engines as well. The Kapitän had represented entry into the upper segment and the Diplomat, with its 4.6-liter 90 hp V8 engine (a Chevrolet production) was the right model. The Diplomat was also produced in a coupe version, manufactured by Karmann in Osnabrück. This variation was even equipped with a 5.4- liter V8 engine. However, only 347 models were manufactured. With this car, Opel had made its entry to the major segment.

The invention of the turbo compressor dates back to 1905, when a Swiss engineer filed a patent for fuel intake at constant pressure and volume. Several years passed, however, before the first automobiles with a turbo-compressor-charged engine were produced – the early ‘60s to be precise, with some American models like the Chevrolet Corvari. But the turbo theme was only addressed seriously in the ‘70s by the German automobile industry, starting with a minor BMW series (1973) and then, more significantly, from 1974 onwards by Porsche.

To increase the power of a naturally aspirated engine by means of turbo compression is, in reality, a simple and efficient solution. A turbo compressor consists of an exhaust gas turbine positioned in the flow of the exhaust gases and connected to a compressor in the air intake manifold by a shaft. The turbine is activated by the engine exhaust gases thereby activating the compressor. The latter in turn increases pressure in the air intake manifold, so that more oxygen is made available for the combustion of a greater amount of fuel. This determines a higher average pressure and torque, which increases power.

When BMW presented the 2002 “turbo” at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1973, on the one hand, there was great enthusiasm, while on the other hand the vehicle came onto the market at a bad time. The oil crisis was at its height and the German economy was in a recession. As one might expect given the context, the BMW turbo was not a success and only 1,672 vehicles were produced.

But the 170 CV BMW, with its distinctive original white, red and blue colorway and the “turbo” mirror image writing on the front spoiler (so that it could be also read in rear view mirrors) still had several weak points. The turbo compressor activated only at 3,000 revs/min; at lower revolution speeds, due to very low engine compression, the difference was considerable. For this reason, performance was not as lively as BMW expected it to be.

Porsche did not fare much better with the 911 Turbo, launched in 1974.

Once again, the turbo charger was only activated at 3,000 revs/min, and it happened with such brutal force that many a vehicle was destroyed at the hands of inexperienced drivers. As there were many changes made to the 911 (including

aesthetic, with widened wheels and mudguards, and the impressive airfoil), an internal code, 930, was assigned to the Porsche turbo. The turbo compressed 260 PS, reached speeds over 250 km/h (155 mph) with incredible acceleration –Porsche was at the same level as the outstanding Lamborghinis and Ferraris.

Bottom center The 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Turbo 2.1 is among the most legendary race cars of all times: it symbolizes the beginning of the turbo era in racing. This beautiful motorized machine produced 500 hp.

Top right In the early 70s very few knew how a turbo engine worked. Even the BMW 2002 turbo was not only available in its very aggressive

‘battle colors’. The first models also had the words ‘2002 Turbo’ written backwards so that it could be read from the rearview mirrors of the cars in front.

Top left and right The American Chris Bangle (born in 1956) was the chief designer for BMW from 1992 to 2009. His work has been the subject of many controversies. Some of his projects were never accepted (see the 7 series, 7, E65/66, from 2001).

Top center Chris Bangle with his team of designers. As much as Chris Bangle was criticized, let us not forget that the Board of Directors has the ultimate say as far as the design of new products is concerned.

Bottom center History will deem whether Chris Bangle, the chief designer of the Z4 presented in 2002, got it right or not. An early sign is the fact that it underwent a facelift in 2004.

The engine of the Porsche 997 series was launched in 2006. Its 3.6 liters produces 480 hp, the two turbos have a variable geometry turbine. It reaches 100 km/h (62mph) in 4 seconds.

Following pages The Cayman, presented in 2005, is the fourth Porsche series (in addition to the 911, the Boxsters and the Cayenne). It is built on the Boxster and has the same drive, but is meant for a slightly higher segment.

Ruf is yet another engine development and tuning center, with an excellent reputation. Yet it is not considered an engine tuner and actually has been officially registered as a car producer since 1981. Founded in 1939 in Pfaffenhausen, in Lower Allgäu, the company is specialized in tuning Porsche automobile engines. In addition to the main headquarters in Germany, there is another establishment in Bahrain. It is therefore obvious, as to which geographic area Ruf’s main customers are to be found. The flagship model is the CTR3 Evo, a par-

ticular evolution with a central flat-six twin turbo engine with power increased to 800 PS at 7100 rpm, able to reach 380 km/h (236 mph). But Ruf’s most important business is undoubtedly selling kits and accessories to power up Porsche models, the 911 above all. However, there’s also an ample catalog for the Boxster and the Cayman. Unlike AMG and Brabus, not all Ruf-Porsches stand out because of their appearance: the Pfaffenhausen engine tuner maintains a certain degree of sobriety, when necessary.

With the CTR 3, Ruf presented an exceptionally sporty supercar in 2007. The CTR 3 Evo is a worthy heir: thanks to its 3.8L twin turbo boxer engine with 800 PS at 7,800 rpm and numerous aerodynamic extensions, it can get up to 236 mph (380 km/h).