Germans are as neurotic about their cars as Americans are about guns. Find out how to navigate an uncomfortable discussion on either topic with Germans!
Over the last few days, headlines have focused on the aftermath of the latest school shooting in Florida. The topic grabbed international attention, and media outlets like the German SPIEGEL tried to explain (in German) the American love for guns. Meanwhile, the French Le Monde covered (in French) the financial consequences of sponsorship losses for the NRA.
In the last 2 years, I have written 2 posts about the Second Amendment. I’ve explained where the American love for guns comes from in “How Do You Explain The Role Of Guns In America To Europeans?”and I’ve also talked about Culture Shock over America’s Love for Guns.
Generally speaking, the French, Germans, and other Europeans don’t understand the role of guns in the United States. The phenomenon of mass shootings is uncommon in Germany and France because weapons are not easily available. In Germany, the law doesn’t allow citizens to own guns; on the contrary, it completely restricts firearms possession.
Germans are not afraid to engage in political discussions, and dealing with their directness can be challenging (Do You Know Why are Germans so blunt?). However, their deep love for cars is probably as mysterious for many Americans as the American love for guns seems to Germans.
Cars are a part of Germany’s national identity.
Driving a big car with the greatest horsepower is a goal for many Germans, even across social classes. Substitute a smaller car? No way! Even minor damages like scratches or a cracked headlight mean a visit to the garage. Yes, Germans worship their cars.
Suggesting a general speed limit on the interstates in Germany provokes the same uproar as any discussion of gun control in the US. According to the German Statistics Institute (Statistisches Bundesamt), in 2015 the automobile sector contributed to 19% of the German GDP. No wonder that politicians and the car industry are closely tied.
Why are cars so sexy for Germans?
After losing both World Wars, Germans needed to reshape their identity outside of the military. The entire country was occupied by the Allies, cities and infrastructures were in ruins, and many citizens were suffering from hunger. As soon as the economy recovered, Germans took pride in their engineering skills. What better way to show of industrial skills and newfound wealth than cars?
Cars are part of Germany’s national identity, but the topic doesn’t divide opinions like guns in the US. According to a famous saying, cars are a German’s favorite child! I have so many memories about cars that they’d go way beyond anecdotal evidence.
After spending 20 years in Germany, I noticed that company cars got always bigger. I was largely mocked by my German male colleagues when in 1996 I decided to change my large but old Volkswagen Passat (at the time, a very popular company car) for a smaller but comparably priced Audi A4.
Then, I remember our neighbor spending every Saturday cleaning the inside and outside of his Mercedes convertible. He’d spend hours shampooing, waxing, and polishing the black body of his beloved car. Since we moved to the US, I’ve heard that his son drove the car while drunk one night into the vineyards behind our houses… what a total loss. I prefer not to think about Jörg-Peter’s reaction when he learned about the damage!
I also remember encountering an outraged German man in a parking lot. I’d dared to push my shopping cart between two cars, and one of them was his. He stopped ranting at me once I asked if he cared about his wife as much as his car!
A long time ago, my best friend Katrin took off her top during a drive home. Let me explain: Her partner, a usually kind and caring man, always turned aggressive and rowdy once he got behind the steering wheel of his BMW 5 series. On this particular day, she was so sick of his antics that she undressed, telling him, “If you drive like a BMW moron, just let me be the stupid blond bitch in the passenger seat.” Even as I tell the story now, it still makes me laugh.
American guns and German cars
This just goes to show that nothing moves Mr. German more than his cars. The whole industry is about freedom, lifestyle, and, of course, power.
So, if a German colleague starts some moral discussion about gun control, try directing the conversation to imposing speed limits on German highways. Better yet, bring up the latest emission scandal. Dieselgate is so painful for most Germans that they’ll be glad to move away from any potentially embarrassing conversations about guns… or politics.
