Thoroughly German

The Volkswagen Tiguan is handsome, angular and serious.

A few years ago, I went on a trip with Land Rover to Egypt where we joined Kingsley Holgate and his crew on a leg of their expedition around the outside edge of Africa, which included visiting the battlegrounds of El Alamein. While Kingsley is possibly the greatest tour guide in the world, there was something else that I found even more interesting: the national monuments to the fallen soldiers.

The British, Germans and Italians (what is it with world wars and car manufacturers?) had each erected a monument, each totally reflecting the nature of the people. The British (including the Commonwealth countries) was simple and understated, with rows of crosses and neat gardens. The Italian was an ornate, marble-tiled tower with views over the Med. The German was a mammoth monolith hewn from stone and adorned with eagles, imposing and severe.

Interesting, isn’t it? Especially when you take these monuments and compare them to the respective nation’s cars…