Every car is a reflection of who you are as an individual. Even if you choose to buy the least expensive, most used, and simplest car you can find, it says something about who you are.
Cars aren’t just a reflection of you, though. They reflect the manufacturers who design and produce the vehicles we buy. Even more than that, cars are largely a reflection of the culture in which they are built.
Let’s look at six different countries with six different cultures and the cars that they produce. All serve a purpose and are created and designed with that purpose in mind. All reflect the diversity of the people around us. All showcase the marriage of art and purpose to produce the car you choose to buy.
Japan
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Toyota, Honda, and Nissan are all giants in the automotive world. All three sit among the top 10 in terms of car sales each year. Everyday commuters and enthusiasts alike associate Japanese cars with simplicity and reliability. That’s precisely what you get.
Japanese cars largely saved many people from the fuel crisis of the 1970’s. Alternatives at the time were over-sized domestics that drank gas faster than you could snap your fingers. Japan made small, practical cars that were extremely easy to maintain.
As they grew in popularity, the enthusiast market found out just how easy they were to operate and modify, all at a pretty affordable price. This made them extremely popular and even with heavy modifications, they became recognized for their durability.
Never known for making the most beautiful cars, Japan has made some of the best cars in history. To this day, function over form has ensured that everybody gets wherever they are going all the time.
Japanese Automakers:
Toyota
Honda
Nissan
Subaru
Mazda
Mitsubishi
Lexus
Infiniti
United States
Picture: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Most vehicles available today in the U.S. are much different than ten years ago. Don’t think that it’s all changed, though. There is still plenty of evidence of its history. Ford, Chevrolet, and Chrysler have all been huge contributors to automotive development through the years.
The United States believes that bigger is better, and there isn’t a more pronounced example of that than in the cars it has produced. Muscle cars from the 1960’s through today, land yachts, and enormous puckups and SUVs all display a bold, brash culture that continues even now.
Domestic cars have never been the most outstanding in terms of quality materials used, but it means affordability is second to none. The Corvette is a perfect example of this. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, just visit THIS ARTICLE to see what I mean.
Tesla is the new kid in town. They are changing the game with their vehicles, but they are fitting in nicely with the rest of the crowd. While offering an alternative to traditional gasoline-powered vehicles, there’s nothing else in the world quite like a Tesla.
United States Automakers:
Ford
General Motors
Dodge (Fiat-Chrysler Group)
Chrysler (Fiat-Chrysler Group)
Jeep (Fiat-Chrysler Group)
Tesla
Germany
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
The Germans are the engineers of the automotive world. Luxury brands like BMW, Mercedes, and Audi are world renown for quality and precision. Much like the German people, everything is calculated to the millimeter. You could almost say that they are the overachievers of the automotive industry.
Even Volkswagen, who doesn’t have quite the luxury status that some of the higher-end brands, makes cars that just seem a little more special. I will always remember closing the door of my 2004 Volkswagen Passat and hearing a “thunk” instead of a “ting”. It was built like a tank.
Regardless of the quality materials and tank-like build quality, German automakers are hit or miss when it comes to reliability. All that over-engineering means that the vehicles they produce can become overly complicated. Even the simplest fixes can be costly because of specialized parts only available from the manufacturers
Despite this, people love German cars. The potential higher cost of owning one is simply an understood and accepted risk. There is just something a little more special about owning one, and its only when you do, that you can truly understand what that something is.
German Automakers:
Volkswagen
Audi
BMW
Mercedes
Porsche
Korea
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Korea is the baby in the automotive industry and in car culture. They really look up to their Japanese cousins for inspiration in design and functionality, but even more than the Japanese automakers now, they offer some of the best value in any car they sell.
Korean cars used to have a less than stellar reputation, and for good reason. They were poorly built, and the quality of their products was a little sub-par to say the least. They practically gave cars away in the 1990’s just to get them into the hands of the consumer.
Times have changed, and both Hyundai and Kia have turned everything around. They produce some of the best cars you can buy today at a lower price point than many competitors. Their success has even allowed them to branch out and test new waters with cars like the Kia Stinger, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, and Hyundai Veloster.
For many, the names Hyundai and Kia still carry the idea of a cheap and below average vehicle. That couldn’t be further from the truth anymore. Just like the Japanese, Korea has come onto the scene and changed the game and the culture.
Korean Automakers:
Hyundai
Kia
Genesis (Hyundai)
Britain
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
People tend to think of British people as proper, elegant, and sophisticated. Just hearing an Englishman talk is like being in the presence of a scholar, even if he isn’t. Think what you like, but if you have the idea that everyone in Britain is just a little smarter than you, you won’t be disappointed by the cars they produce.
There used to be quite a bit more of a car industry in Britain than there is today. There are very few vehicles anymore actually produced there. Tradition still lingers though, and the pride of the British ensure that nobody ever forgets which cars are theirs.
Jaguar, Bentley, and Rolls-Royce are all prime examples of British luxury. Aston Martin offers the precision and class that a grand touring car should. Not to mention, it’s also the choice of James Bond. Britain very much invented the classic, two-seat, convertible sports car, and we can’t forget Land Rover either!
Britain’s car industry has been around for a long time, and they have a great tradition of racing and making some of the best cars the world has ever seen. Though the British car industry has all but disappeared, just remember what all they’ve given us as you see a Mini Cooper drive by with the flag painted on its roof.
British Automakers:
Aston Martin
Bentley
Rolls Royce
Mini
Land Rover
Jaguar
TVR
MG
Lotus
McLaren
Noble
Italy
Photo: Courtesy of Car and Driver
Beauty, elegance, and passion all sum up the Italian automotive culture without any further need of explanation. Italian cars are all about expression. You don’t even need to drive one to feel something, and that’s the point.
Because of this, Italian cars are usually not the most reliable. In fact, they are probably the least reliable and practical cars you can buy. All of that doesn’t matter one bit, though. The trade-off is more than fair because the cars they make are just that special.
Ferraris and Lamborghinis aren’t childhood dream cars for no reason. Alfa Romeo has traditionally made some of the most beautiful cars ever. Fiat made a comeback to the U.S. recently, and they are a bit different than they used to be. Still, the little 500 makes quite an impression with its design elements reminiscing about years past.
Like British cars, there are very few Italian cars that are still actually owned and produced in Italy. That does make a difference, but there are few that can look into years past and miss the point of the true Italian mindset. Some have stayed true to their storied history, and to them we say, “Thanks for helping us remember what it’s like to actually drive, feel, and love.”
Italian Automakers
Ferrari
Alfa Romeo
Lamborghini
Lancia
Fiat
Maserati
Pagani
There are others in the world that produce vehicles. Australians love their cars, and though there aren’t really any notable cars they produce, they still get a unique set of cars that we don’t here in the states.
The French also make cars like Citroen, Peugeot, and Renault. Most of these aren’t available in the United States, but are very European in both mindset and purpose.
Looking back at all of this, and knowing the cars that we see every day, it’s easy to connect the dots. Of course BMW is a German car with all of its luxury features. The beautiful shape of a Ferrari could be nothing less than the brainchild of an Italian designer. What wealthy banking magnate or world leader wouldn’t want a Bentley to chauffeur them around in British refinement?
All of this is easily seen in the hands that built the cars. All of this translates to you, the consumer. You may not think much of it, but your car does indeed say so much about who you are, where it came from, and the wonderful culture in which it was born.
