Which Nation Makes The Best Cars?

A common discussion among motoring aficionados is the one about which country produces the best vehicles. Of course, it is a subjective argument. One person may have different views about what actually makes for the best car, and their preference may be reflected by a choice of cars from a specific nation.

Someone who likes efficiency in their automobiles will be likely to wave the flag for Germany. The country’s most noted manufacturers – BMW, Audi and Mercedes Benz among them – are a byword for sleek class and reliability. Then again, you may be bored by efficiency and want a bit more bang for your buck, which may lead you to the Italian manufacturers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.

Of course, there are certain anomalies which make it difficult to ascribe any specific characteristic to all a nation’s cars. Germany did, after all, produce the Porsche and Italy the Fiat. Some people will say that the best nation of car manufacturers is neither of these two, pointing to France’s fine track record with Citroen and Renault among others.

As two of the world’s predominant cultural influences, we might expect the US and the UK to be big hitters in the car industry, but it would be a stretch to put them up there with the aforementioned. Of the more recent arrivals on the scene, Japan has some fine manufacturers – but for most people it will come down to Germany vs Italy. A quick look at the grid for a Formula One race will back this up.