What are Germany’s biggest car brands, and how did they each get their start? (mealcent - Adobe STock)
Germany has been at the forefront of car manufacturing since the invention of the four-stroke internal combustion engine in the 1870s. Created by Nicolaus Otto and Karl Benz, that engine was put into a coach and the German auto industry exploded…well, until the 1920s. Post World War II saw a slow expansion, but some great marketing and the idea of high-quality German engineering put the country’s cars on the world stage once again.
Audi | founded in 1909 | Legal battles with former partners led company execs to take a son’s advice and chose the Latin word “audi,” which means to listen.
BMW | founded in 1916 | Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works) traces its roots to the Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke (Bavarian Aircraft Works) building aero engines.
Mercedes-Benz | merged in 1926 | The first Benz car was made in 1886 while the first Mercedes came in 1901 and named for the daughter of an entrepreneur in the company.
Opel | founded in 1862 | Started by Adam Opel, the brand began as a sewing machine factory, then bicycle manufacturer before turning to cars in 1899.
Porsche | founded in 1931 | Contracted by the Nazi party to create what would become the VW beetle, Porsche is still coming to terms with its namesake’s legacy.
Volkswagen (VW) | founded in 1937 | VW was originally established by the Nazi party’s German Labor Front but later became an icon of Germany’s reform and reconstruction.
Bonus: MAN |founded in 1893| Rudolf Diesel partnered with Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg (MAN) to put his namesake engine in the company’s first truck.
