In Germany, My Car Is My Castle.

German men are in love with machines and even serious studies were conducted on the subject. Are you more a Patriarch, a Diplomat, or a Pilot? Find out more about five different types of German drivers…

A few weeks ago, I was happy to host friends from Germany during their sightseeing tour of the East Coast. When they arrived, I could only grin at the sight of their rental: it’s not a car, it’s not a truck, it’s a Jeep. Probably not ideal for city traffic and parking, but it’d go anywhere, anytime, and in any weather!

Was I surprised? Not really. Our friend is an engineer at Opel Germany and a passionate car collector. I know that he suffers deeply at the sight of my dented car, and he certainly wouldn’t drive it even to the gas station, considering how untidy it is inside.

What does a car (in Germany) say about its driver?

Would you like to hear some stereotypes? BMW drivers are reckless, Mercedes are for older people, Volkswagens for families, and Porsches are for men in mid-life crisis.

At least, these are my prejudices! But, what does Google say?

When I typed, “Was sagt dein Auto über Dich aus?” (What does your car say about you?), I got over 20,000,000 results!

Can you believe that serious studies were conducted on the subject? According to a 2017 survey by mobile.de, the nicest people drive Mercedes. BMW, Audi, and Mercedes drivers are more brand-sensitive, while Fiat and Volkswagen drivers are the good guys behind the wheel.

Stefan Grünewald, a German psychologist and CEO of the research institute Rheingold, explains that car brand and make are as important as clothes in defining a person. He also has categorized five different types of German drivers:

• The “Patriarch” has passed his wild years and now chooses expensive vehicles with big engines (e.g. BMW 7-series, Mercedes CLS, Audi A8 and S8, Porsche Panamera, and Mercedes S-class) that he drives calmly and safely around. The Patriarch is very proud of his driving skills.

• The “Pilot” is always in a hurry. Often a businessman, this type of driver prefers highly motorized premium brands like Porsche, Audi, BMW, or Mercedes. Pilots drive fast, multitask behind the wheel (making phone calls, sometimes even sending an email!), and get frequent tickets for speeding.

• The “Diplomat” has practical priorities. He sees his car emotionlessly, looking to get from A to B comfortably while mastering as many roles as possible: father, outdoor enthusiast, manager… The Diplomat often chooses cars that suit every occasion: family vans, SUVs, or vans like the VW Multivan.

• The “Stylist” wants to attract attention. He drives distinctive cars such as classics, fancy convertibles, army jeeps, or even exotic brands. He may have bought the car he dreamed of as a teenager and likes to repair smaller fixes on his own.

• The “Aristocrat” is barely conscious of the outside world. Usually older than 45, he probably has a chauffeur and selects representative and exclusive vehicles such as a Bentley to demonstrate his status.

German car lovers are more often male than female

As the Goethe Institut noted in an older essay, “The German male, let’s face it, is in love with machines. Women swap the telephone numbers of doctors and cosmeticians. Men—German men—discuss the merits of their mechanics. If a German man had the choice, he would be buried with his Audi, his faithful steed.”

There is a lot of truth to these words.

I 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. Of course, I hadn’t touched either car! He stopped ranting at me once I asked if he cared about his wife as much as his car.

Where does Germans’ love for their cars come from?

Of course, I think of Karl Benz, a German engineer credited with the first automobile production in the late 19th century. Other German engineers also marked the same period: Rudolf Diesel with the inventor of the Diesel engine, and Nikolas Otto developed the first alternative to steam propulsion.

Germany’s position as a decentralized country also may explain this phenomenon. In Germany, roads have always played a central role for traveling from one economic stronghold to the other. Largely impacted during the last years of WWII, German roads recovered rapidly.

Still, the country was occupied by the allies, and Germans needed to reshape their identity outside of the military. As soon as the economy recovered, Germans took pride in their engineering skills. What better way to show off their industrial skills and newfound wealth than cars?

Not much has changed in the last few decades: the German economy has thrived, making it possible for many Germans to keep buying new cars. As Ernst & Young stated in a 2013 survey, “the German automobile industry is regarded as the most competitive and innovative in the world.”

A growing number of younger Germans are abandoning cars

Is there a counter movement to the car brand as an identity symbol? Volkswagen has certainly suffered a setback to its reputation since the Dieselgate fiasco.

According to the French “Centre de Recherche sur l’Automobile,” only 36% of younger Germans (younger than 25 and living in cities with at least 100,000 inhabitants) consider it vital to have their own car. For comparison, overall 73% of Germans see this as important or very important.

Car sharing, ride sharing, bicycle sharing, and similar programs have attracted many youngsters, not only in Germany. As long as you don’t have babies, toddlers, young kids, or strollers to drive, Uber is wonderful. Personally, I don’t believe that those concepts will hold for most people once they have a family.

In Germany, my car is my castle will stay alive forever. Do you agree?

Read more about German cars here in the blog: German cars and American guns.