Made in Germany: History of the German Car Industry

1990s – Acquisitions and expansion across the globe

During the 80s and 90s, the German car industry experienced much growth. They bought factories worldwide, expanding their market share and making German cars available in many countries like Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, and China.

Volkswagen, for example, established a factory in China to produce VW and Audi cars. They also bought SEAT and Skoda, which added more car models to their lineup. By the end of the 90s, Volkswagen had acquired luxury brands like Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini.

BMW also bought the British Rover Group in 1994 but later sold it in 2000 while keeping only the Mini brand. Finally, Daimler-Benz merged with the American Chrysler Corporation in 1998.

1998 – A smart look for the new millennium

Daimler Benz, a car company with a long history of innovation and creativity, introduced a new type of car in 1998 called the Smart car. This car was designed to be small and stylish, perfect for driving in the city.

It was only 2.5 metres long and could fit two people. The Smart car was meant to be a car of the future, and new models would even be electric. In 2019, a company from China called Geely bought half of the Smart car brand.

2000s – 21st Century acquisitions

As we entered the new millennium, many big company takeovers were happeninghappened. One of the most famous was when BMW bought the company that makes Rolls-Royce cars in 2003. Then, in 2012, Volkswagen took over full control of Porsche.

Present day

Germany is one of the top countries in the world for making cars. They make almost six million cars yearly and sell over 5.5 million to other countries. Some of the most popular car brands in the world come from Germany, like Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.

German engineers have been making cars for over 100 years, and they’re still coming up with new ideas to make better cars for the future. Even companies like Tesla and Geely are opening new factories in Germany because they know that German cars are very good.