Book excerpt: German cars are synonymous with quality and prestige. A strong claim can be made that automobile transportation was primarily invented in Germany, which today is still home to some of the most important names in the international auto industry. This book retraces the story of some of the most significant German automakers and their models, covering over a hundred years of history, and presenting legendary creations that have left their mark on the auto's evolution and in the hearts of many enthusiasts. German manufacturers have always played an essential role in the automobile sector, at first with names such as Horch, Auto-Union and Maybach, and later with brands like Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz and Porsche, which today are considered among the world's most prestigious for quality, style and performance. This book presents the most important models in German car manufacturing history, from the Benz-Patent-Motorwagen 1 of 1886 through the race cars of the pre-war period, the cars of the economic boom, and the ever-famous Porsche 911 and the brand new bestsellers from Stuttgart, Munich and Ingolstadt.