German Car Zone

Not that intersting really ...but I'll post it anyway. It is a few years old.

After reading Ihno's post about the RR P DHC a few minutes ago, I remembered I was going to post this article but never got around to it.

It is copyrighted so I will post the link

Goethe-Institut About the Car - Auto Design

I guess what made me think was the idea that Rolls-Royce is perceived as a German brand now -- do you see it this way?

I guess I do.

The funny thing is, I still think of Bentley as British ...but Rolls' seem German -- why is this?

What do you think?

Design?

New RR designs seem more German and modern to me, wheras Bentley has been following their tradition with new vehicles, example: the Brooklands.

Anyway I feel the same as you Rob.

^ Hey Great (Jeff's here ) Please can you change the title of the thread to Is Rolls-Royce British or German now? -- I think that is what I was trying to get at with this thread ....din't make it very clear.

^Design you say Jeff,

Yes, I would agree that is partly it -- although it very much looks like a Rolls. I've always been bugged by the Phantom in some ways, it looks like a Rolls, and certainly has the presence -- but I still find myself having to think about it a lot to convince myself that this is a 'real' Rolls. Its not that I think of it as a BMW, because BMW's DNA has been kept as far away from it as possible, but it still does have a distinctly un-British character about it ....and I'm not talking about the fact that finally, after several decades of, at times, dubious quality, The Spirit Of Ecstasy proudly stands at the front of a reliable and well-built machine.

I think it has to a certain extend to do with the perception that anything British has to look archaic and not modern (another case in point the new Jag S type, which many, including myself consider not to be "British").

May be (and just may be), it will work the other way around, and Rolls and now Jaguar discarding the old school looks and going modern will bootstrap people's perception of what is "British" and bring it to the correct century.

Hmm, that is an interesting observation Sunny -- you might have a point there.

Funny thing is though, I still think the Mini feels British -- I guess it is all down to personal perceptions.

It really wouldn't matter much - except that "Britishness" (whatever that is) has long been part of the whole Rolls-Royce myth.

Rolls-Royce is not just another car brand (even if in reality that is precisely what it is); It is intrinsically entrenched in our popular culture as the world's most famous symbol of power and wealth; But there are a litany of other metaphysical associations attached to it also (both positive and negative) -- I struggle to think of many other trademarks in the world that are so universally evocative on so many levels.

^ I just re-read that post .......God I can sound like a pretentious git sometimes -- sorry about that guys ...I'll try to keep myself under control








....and thanks to the SM who changed the title as I requested ...I appreciate that

If RR is German (fine by me), then Lamborghini is German too. Jaguar is freaking Indian, then.

Ok, here is my take on the matter.

Mini: The Brits love it, the car is everywhere here and BMW has done a great job preserving the Mini spirit while enhancing the car by offering various customizations options.

Verdict: British!

Aston Martin: Although their cars have the same keys are Volvos and share knobs as well, the sexy but yet reserved design is typically British. When I see an Aston the Ford name rarely pop up in my head.

Verdict: British!

Bentley: This one is a difficult one. As many of you know I'm a hardcore Arnage and Brookland fans. It really doesn't get more British than those two. But the CGT and Flyingspur ooze of Deutch mass production. One aspect of the car I don't like is that the interior layout is straight out of the Phaeton, it's all not very bespoke and the same goes for the slightly bloated exterior. The car's weren't conceived with 100% passion which is typical of British luxury companies. Heritage and traditions should go before profit. Let's pray that Bentley don't ruin it with the new Arnage

Verdict: Half British, half German.

Rolls-Royce: This is a tricky one, what's obvious though is that all shots are called from Munich. Although it share some components with the 7er there are absolutely no visible traces of BMW in the car which is fantastic.

What bothers me is the styling which is a bit German with it's flat surfaces with very little or no details. That is why the car, unlike the Arnage, doesn't look exquisite from the outside. Further more I don't think the current Phantom will be a model to behold in the future. It's just a bit too trendy and slightly glitzy rather than timeless and classy. When a new model comes along the current Phantom will look dated which isn't common for many British cars will still shine years after they have been replaced.

Verdict: German

I have often thought Lambo has lost a lot of its "Italianess" ....but it is technically better than ever!

I don't have a problem with Germans -- my own Grandmother was German! -- and I love German cars. It is all just an observation

Jaguar klier? ha ha, Jaguar is like an Indian Lexus