Vancouver Sun: Canadians, Americans denied sweetest fruit on the automotive tree

The 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show had the best of the best in show of most every brand, model and make of automobiles out there. What became clear to many is that most Americans and Canadians could only afford the European brand cars, which excludes them from most of the exotics that were featured at the show in Germany.

The Motor show shared a diverse menagerie of automobiles; however, the ones that took the spotlight were the vehicles in the higher price ranges that the average person with a family could not afford. The stunning Lamborghini, the exquisite Ferrari 458 Spider, the spectacularly remade Porsche 911 and other gorgeous BMW M5s, Mercedes CLS coupes and the hand-built Aston Martin were some of the automobiles that graced the showroom floors at the Motor show and wowed car enthusiasts.

These high priced cars were impressive sights and have been called “marvels of engineering and craftsmanship, not to mention setting performance benchmarks that give everyone else something to shoot for [and] they remain automobiles for the few and fortunate,” according to the Vancouver Sun. These cars are the ones that get the most attention from the media and car enthusiasts alike.

The issue; however, is that although some Americans and Canadians are able to afford them, most families in these North American countries need much more practical and affordable cars that can bring kids to school, run errands, do the shopping and the carpools. This made it clear that Americans and Canadians are being “denied some of the sweetest fruit on the automotive tree”.

The cars that are affordable, seem to be exclusively European. Some automakers, such as Ford, with the Fiesta and the GM Malibu understand that globalization and having models built for multiple markets makes the most sense for the average consumer.

This year, the issue became even more apparent at the 2011 Frankfort Motor show as some of the most spectacular models were shown in Germany with the knowledge that they would never reach the North American countries. Models of this kind ranged from the Volkswagen E-up!, the VW Polo, the BMW 118i and 120d five-door luxury compacts, the new European-only Civic and the Hyundai i40. There were many more though. Americans and Canadians are craving some of these vehicles that unfortunately will not be sold in their countries.

Reference: Vancouver Sun