The Australian Love Affair with European Cars
Sleeker designs, superior engineering and a touch of finesse have attracted Australians to the influx of European cars on the market.
The large number of Europeans who have immigrated to Australia over the years may show significantly stronger brand loyalty to companies they already know and trust. This preference might also be influenced by lingering affections for their native homeland. For example, German immigrants may naturally gravitate towards brands such as Audi, Mercedes Benz, BMW or Porsche. At the same time immigrants from Sweden may show a heightened interest in Volvo cars and so on.
The wide variety of European cars available in Australia may also play a contributing factor to their dominance of the marketplace. Currently European cars run the gambit from the small and practical, to the large and luxurious. In fact, there is hardly a segment of the market what they don’t cater to.
There is no shortage of European car brands to choose from. Skoda from the Czech Republic, Alfa Romeo and Fiat from Italy, Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz , Porsche and Volkswagen from Germany, Jaguar and Land Rover from the UK, Saab from Sweden, Peugeot from France, Seat from Spain and Volvo from Sweden.
Another reason that helps to explain the Australian love for European car brands is down to the long European tradition of car building, being reliable as well as having that unique style and flair. This factor alone makes it easier to compare the relatively new Asian companies, who have only a few decades of experience, to the tried and true European cars who have over 100 years of history.
Various countries are famous for other things, for example German car makers are generally better engineered and have higher quality standards than those from neighbouring nations.
Many car makers also have their own particular reputation such as Porsche’s reputation for no-holds barred performance or Mercedes Benz being associated with luxury. Volvo are generally regarded as being a safe and reliable car whereas Skoda from the Czech Republic is blazing a new trail of providing excellent build quality and value for money.
