Three years ago, when raising the barrier in a closed parking lot, a security guard wrote ‘Kia’ on the pass in Russian letters, even though there was a BMW 7 Series in front of him. How could one not recognize the Bavarian grandee, dream and legend? Yes, very simply – it is no different from other large cars. Corporate identity in the pursuit of fashion is lost. But this is not the worst.
The world is changing before our eyes and stereotyped statements that previously needed no justification are collapsing like a house of cards. The greatness of the German auto industry has long remained only on paper and in the minds of its fans: the same “Koreans”, and, in reality, the “Chinese” have already “stepped on their heels” and moved on. They offer richer equipment and better design. Although, of course, this was not always the case.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, it was the Germans, or rather Mercedes-Benz, who spearheaded not only the image, but also the technological pyramid of the global automotive industry. The options that were put on the cars of the “three-beam star” then slowly spilled over to other cars. The Stuttgarters were an unattainable height, because they always and everywhere came first. In every little thing, in which, as you know, the devil lurks.
A simple example: a windshield washer. The liquid, which often turns into ice in the cold, did not freeze in the legendary 124th body. Never. The car, which is more than thirty years old, allowed its owner not to use “life hacks” from the Internet and not to read the labels on bottles of “winter washer”. So how did the Germans achieve this in the last century – long before the advent of navigation, USB port and mobile internet?
It turned out to be possible without a separate “ECU”. Tubes from the engine cooling system run through the wash tank of the first Eshka in history, which closes in a circle of circulation just as the outside temperature drops below +5°C. As soon as the thermometer reaches the indicated mark, the car independently, without reminders and gestures from the driver, activates the mechanical heating system. That is, the engine solves the problem itself.
Emphasis on the word “on your own” – this is exactly the premium that every driver wants to touch. Simple and brilliant. Something so lacking in modern “luxury” cars. And without such “chips” they become unattractive and meaningless to the consumer. This is the real reason for the crisis of the German car industry, and not in the shortage of semiconductors and other technical misunderstandings.
Three years ago, when raising the barrier in a closed parking lot, a security guard wrote ‘Kia’ on the pass in Russian letters, even though there was a BMW 7 Series in front of him. How could one not recognize the Bavarian grandee, dream and legend? Yes, very simply – it is no different from other large cars. Corporate identity in the pursuit of fashion is lost. But this is not the worst.
The world is changing before our eyes and stereotyped statements that previously needed no justification are collapsing like a house of cards. The greatness of the German auto industry has long remained only on paper and in the minds of its fans: the same “Koreans”, and, in reality, the “Chinese” have already “stepped on their heels” and moved on. They offer richer equipment and better design. Although, of course, this was not always the case.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, it was the Germans, or rather Mercedes-Benz, who spearheaded not only the image, but also the technological pyramid of the global automotive industry. The options that were put on the cars of the “three-beam star” then slowly spilled over to other cars. The Stuttgarters were an unattainable height, because they always and everywhere came first. In every little thing, in which, as you know, the devil lurks.
A simple example: a windshield washer. The liquid, which often turns into ice in the cold, did not freeze in the legendary 124th body. Never. The car, which is more than thirty years old, allowed its owner not to use “life hacks” from the Internet and not to read the labels on bottles of “winter washer”. So how did the Germans achieve this in the last century – long before the advent of navigation, USB port and mobile internet?
It turned out to be possible without a separate “ECU”. Tubes from the engine cooling system run through the wash tank of the first Eshka in history, which closes in a circle of circulation just as the outside temperature drops below +5°C. As soon as the thermometer reaches the indicated mark, the car independently, without reminders and gestures from the driver, activates the mechanical heating system. That is, the engine solves the problem itself.
Emphasis on the word “on your own” – this is exactly the premium that every driver wants to touch. Simple and brilliant. Something so lacking in modern “luxury” cars. And without such “chips” they become unattractive and meaningless to the consumer. This is the real reason for the crisis of the German car industry, and not in the shortage of semiconductors and other technical misunderstandings.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.