The Big Bang
Let's start with a quote: “Let's talk about the big boom. The automakers, whose business is now declining, blame it on the crisis. But they're only lying to themselves. The reality is this: Only now is it becoming clear who has the better products! Shoppers on a spending spree buy everything, but buyers who have to think twice before spending are selective. And selective buyers make choices that can be fatal for subpar products. For many years, subpar products have been among the strongest items in the German automotive market.”
Fritz B. Busch wrote all this in 1967 — almost 60 years ago. And while the crisis seems to be repeating itself today, the causes in 2026 are, at least in part, different.
In 1967, Busch noted, there were no German equivalents to the Fiat 850, the Renault R 4 and R 16, the Peugeot 204, the BMC 1100 and 1800, or the Fiat 124. Busch criticized the lack of progress among German automakers such as Volkswagen, Ford, and Opel.
About 60 years ago, foreign manufacturers were thriving in Germany: Renault increased sales of the R 4 by 100 percent, while Peugeot and Simca saw significant growth. And German manufacturers blamed the “crisis” on themselves.
In 1967, Busch proclaimed: “The future belongs to entirely different automotive concepts and models than the ones we're seeing yet again,” referring to the vehicles expected at the IAA in Frankfurt. And he doubled down: “The worst stumbling block on the path to the crowning achievement of the eighth decade of automotive history is the mediocrity steeped in arrogance that characterizes some leading German automotive brands.”
Some things may look different today, but the German auto industry—which just a few years ago was celebrating great success on the stock market—is likely in a similar situation today as it was back then, assuming it even still exists as an independent entity …
P.S. It's also worth noting that the NSU Ro 80, a model that certainly pointed toward the future, was unveiled at the 1967 IAA. But the Wankel-powered sedan was almost certainly not what Busch had hoped for from the German auto industry back then …
