BBC TWO NEW SERIES:DAS AUTO :THE GERMANS,THEIR CARS AND US

Documentary examining Germany's economic power and the automobile industry at the heart of it. Across the world, the badges of Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes inspire immediate awe.

Across the world, the badges of Volkswagen, Audi, BMW and Mercedes are seen as something to aspire to. Even in Britain, where memories of the war run deep, we can’t resist the appeal of a German motor. By contrast, the British car industry is a shadow of its former self. So what did we get wrong – and what did the Germans get so right?

 Dominic Sandbrook traces the story of the German automobile industry from post-war revival through to global success, and explores the role cars have played in changing the global perception of Britain and Germany themselves.

 He visits the vast Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg where, in the late 1940s, British officer Major Ivan Hirst decided to step up production of a car that would change Germany’s image forever – the Beetle. Major Hirst’s vision of a prosperous, peaceful Germany, pouring its energies into making cars rather than wars, soon became a reality. 

By contrast, Britain was falling behind. Dominic explores the decline and fall of the British car industry in the 1960s and 1970s, beset by strikes and walkouts. 

With the help of newly declassified government documents, as well as old car commercials, interviews and archive footage, the programme explains how Germany’s manufacturers exploited the new materialism of the 1980s and looks at how and why the Brits began to fall in love with German cars. By the end of the 20th century, even James Bond was now driving a BMW, instead of his beloved Aston Martin. 

But now the story has come full circle. As Dominic discovers, our car industry is still alive and kicking, producing millions of cars a year. The irony, though, is that we make those cars for German companies. Even the Mini, that supreme symbol of British wit and ingenuity, is owned by BMW. But, Dominic asks, does it really matter who owns the brands?