In 1870, when Nikolaus Otto and his partner Karl Benz independently developed their internal combustion engines, which at the time were four-stroke, Germany was placed on the map as the birthplace of modern automobiles and the history of German automobiles. had begun. During the latter part of 1870, Karl Benz began to experiment with the design of his engine and somehow ended up attaching it to a sofa. This would forever be the genesis of today’s modern automobiles. And in 1901, the country of Germany produced about 900 cars per year.
Robert A. Brady, an American economist, extensively documented Germany’s rationalization movement that helped shape the approach to its industry during the 1920s. While Bradys’ general theories of this movement were applicable to Germany’s auto industry , the Weimar Republic in its later years saw the industry in decline. And because Germany is extremely reticent in trying to develop its auto industry, they opened the floodgates for American automakers like General Motors, who bought German automaker Opel, and Ford Motor Company, which owned a very successful subsidiary in Germany. .
However, the German auto industry collapsed when the world economy collapsed in the late 1920s and early 1930s, when the Great Depression continued. This was a really sad day for German automobile history. After the Great Depression passed, only twelve automakers survived in Germany. That small group included Opel, Ford’s Cologne factory, and Daimler-Benz out of a staggering 86 auto companies operating before the Depression. Additionally, four of Germany’s leading automakers, Dampf Kraft Wagen, Horch, Audi and Wanderer, have joined in a joint venture to form Auto Union. This Union would play an important role in lifting Germany out of its depression problems.
In 1930, when the Nazi Party came to power, a significant change occurred for the German automotive industry and for the history of German automobiles. Motorisierung, a policy instituted by the Nazi Party, was a policy on transportation that Adolf Hitler himself believed was a key part of his attempt to raise the standard of living of his citizens to make the Nazi Party seem more legitimate to them. The Nazis began work on road projects and at the same time they undertook the Volkswagen project to build and design the popular, inexpensive but robust automobile. “
As of today, Germany’s automotive industry is one of its largest employers, with a total workforce of approximately 866,000 workers. In addition, the country boasts the highest percentage of car production in Europe with a market share of 29%, followed by France with 18%, Spain with 13% and finally the United Kingdom with a market share of 9 %. .
At present, there are six large German companies that dominate the automobile industry there: BMW, Porsche, VW, Opel (owned by General Motors), Audi (part of the Volkswagen Group) and Daimler AG. Approximately six million new vehicles are produced each year in Germany, while around 4.8 million vehicles are produced each year by German brands abroad. Along with the top two automakers, Japan and the United States, the country of Germany ranks third on the list of the world’s top automakers.