Touring Potsdam, south-west of Berlin, the former summer home of the Prussian kings and site of the peace conference for World War II, it really strikes you how different the automotive landscape is in Europe.
Probably 95% hatchbacks, wagons, and small 'people-movers' (our Mazda5 is probably the closest thing we have), a few compact SUVs, no pick-ups to speak of, and apart from luxury cars like S-Class or 7 Series, very few sedans.
These people are smart. If you're going to buy the 'footprint' - the area the car covers - you might as well buy the 'air rights' above it too.
OK, I did see one Ford Focus sedan today.
And a black Ford Mustang GT.
That's one rich 'burger' who can afford to fuel something like that at over two bucks a litre.
Blog posted here.
Other more sensible things the Germans and other Europeans have embraced:
1. car-based vans like the white one on the right of the photo, rather than huge pickups with beds that are empty most of the time and require caps to protect against weather/theft, unnecessarily large vans (again, usually empty), step vans, cube vans, etc.;
2. DIESEL TAXIS!
Posted by: Larry | August 27, 2010 at 11:16 AM