Top 10: Great German classics
You don’t need to be a car enthusiast to know that the German motor industry is hugely successful, with major brands like Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche producing some of the best-selling models in their sectors. It’s been a remarkable journey for an industry that reinvented itself via the post-war relaunch of the VW Beetle.
So how can anyone realistically put together a Top 10 of Germany’s greatest classics, given how many cars there are to choose from? Well, we’ve done it – but if your favourite make and model has been missed out, we can only apologise. With such vast choice, it’s not been an easy task… so make sure you give us your own suggestions below!
Audi quattro
What makes it great? Initially created for rallying, quattro expanded to become the flagship of almost every Audi range
Launched in 1980 and with a mere 400 examples needed for homologation purposes, the original-shape quattro went on to be a major success, with more than 11,000 built by the time production ceased in 1991. Since then there have been quattro versions of countless different Audis produced, firmly establishing the German marque as one of the biggest four-wheel drive success stories. The quattro employed 2144cc and 2309cc five-cylinder 10-valve engines until the arrival of the 2226cc 20-valve version in 1989, with its DOHC powerplant endowing it with 220bhp and superb all-round performance.
Geoffrey New on 18 September 2016
I purchased a 300 SL new in May 1986, collected it from the factory, ran it in for two weeks in the Alps, returned fo Stuttgart for a first oil / filter change & check up. All perfect. I still have the car, it is in excellent condition, now a classic & only driven in good weather. Due to its quality build it is one of the cheapest cars I have ever run. Things do not go wrong. 30 plus years of excellent driving. So pleased with it I purchased an SL 320, which I still have, it is equally as good. They build a superb product. Service them correctly, look after them, store in a dry ventilated garage and you have excellent reliable driving for life.Geoffrey New........ gmn2008@hotmail.com
Mike Hallett on 19 September 2016
So the G-Wagen doesn't qualify in your estimation? Hmmm! And yes, I do realise it's actually built in Austria, but that doesn't stop it being Germanic. ;-)
Edited by Mike Hallett on 19/09/2016 at 20:32
Tony Murray on 22 September 2016
What? No Karmann Ghia?Alan Barnes on 15 May 2017
The Mercedes ,or should I say Daimler-Benz W126 was , and still is the best car ever produced in Germany [FACT !].Anyone who knows anything at all about automotive design and engineering will know this...it's a shame that "Honest John " does not.As for the others,you have pretty much covered the spectrum although I can hear Brum fans asking why the E36 M3 was not included .Perhaps it would have been easier to list the worst cars to come out of the fatherland instead....any suggestions ?nickyd on 16 May 2017
What about the NSU TTS?Add a comment