When you think of exceptional cars that
are built in Europe, does your mind run strictly to cars made by
Rolls Royce, BMW, or Mercedes? Perhaps Jaguar and Lamborghini
come to mind as well. Each of these makes deserve all the accolades
given to them. Still, there are three makes that are, for various
reasons, exceptional. Lets take a look at Volvo, Volkswagen, and
Audi, the three makes featured in this article.
For a country of just nine million to
produce one automaker would be amazing enough. To lay claim to two
automakers is simply phenomenal. Both Volvo and Saab are from this
particular country which is Sweden. Now a part of Ford Motor Company,
Volvo has greatly influenced the automobile industry over the years.
Safety standards that had been universally low elsewhere are much
more appreciated with Volvo. Front end crumple zones, reinforced
roofs and specially designed interiors have all had their origin with
Volvo. Out of these high safety standards have come a line of cars
that are, indeed, some of the best built and safest cars on the road.
Fortunately, through Volvo’s leadership, many automakers around the
world have incorporated Volvo’s high safety standard. This is what
makes Volvo exceptional in my eyes.
The company that brought to the world
the first people’s car, the Beetle, is also exceptional. First
designed in Germany during the 1930s, the Beetle survived World War
II and was one of the most mass produced and loved cars in the world.
From the 1950s forward the Beetle managed to make motorized
transportation available to people who otherwise could not afford a
car. From college students in the US to migrant workers in Mexico and
from the gritty cities of Holland to the Irish farmlands, the Beetle
made owning a car affordable the majority of the masses. Even after
importation to the US ceased during the 1970s, the Beetle was
produced for another generation and sold in Mexico.
Without drawing out the point too far,
the term that best describes Audi quattro technology is "superior
handling." Perhaps that is an understatement but when Audi
introduced quattro all wheel drive the company threw the gauntlet
down and told the rest of the auto making world that quattro was the
standard by which all luxury sedans would be judged. Audi quattro
technology has given the company such a huge advantage over
competitors that over the years it has been banned from certain types
of racing. Indeed, Audi quattro technology provides continuous
traction long past when other road handling schematics have reached
their threshold.
So, there you have it. Three truly
exceptional automobiles from the European continent, exceptional in
ways, perhaps, that should be labeled as extraordinary
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