Book review: The Germans 

In many ways, this new book is a history lesson that details the genesis of key German brands. With many of those same big names undergoing significant change, perhaps the biggest in their history, now feels like a good time to revisit their remarkable heritage. 

Readers are greeted by a flash of yellow upon turning the cover, and this particular reader was immediately brought on side with a full page of the BMW 'Batmobile' CSL. There is no foreword — which feels like a shame given the range of possibilities — but the preface is nicely framed by author Blake Z. Rong, and points to the growing role of design. "The Bauhaus movement," he writes, "imbued industrial design with careful consideration from artists and craftsmen, showing mass-produced objects could be beautifully minimalistic."

The book begins with a timeline that stretches from the 1920s to the 2000s, with the Porsche 356 Speedster, Opel GT and Mercedes-Maybach Vision 6 Coupe chosen to spotlight certain eras. Indeed, this is a look backwards for the most part, but also an analysis of more recent works. 

Chapters range from brand deep dives and case studies of particular models, to broader commentary on culture and influences that helped steer the industry over the decades. Such chapters include: The Silver Arrows, Age of the Micro Car, Cars of East Germany, The Autobahn, and Rise of the Tuners. There are some obscure pop-culture references early doors, too, from German-American performer Marlene Dietrich to the 1928 painting Großstadt that depicts 1920s nightlife. They do work in context, don't worry. 

There is a pleasant mix of reading and viewing to be had. Large bodies of text are broken up not only by images of various sizes and orientations, but also long pull quotes in full caps. Each time period — e.g. 1920s-1940s — is distinguished by a double page spread, often choosing a close up detail or jaunty angle. It flows well. 

The primary focus is on specific brands and big hits from their back catalogue. Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and VW dominate, but Opel also has a reasonable showing and early chapters do well to highlight some lesser known brands, such as Horch. The book flows in chronological order, allowing readers to visualise the development (or demise) of trends, cars and brands through a timelapse of sorts. 

Engineering is a prominent theme; we cannot imagine that will surprise any reader. While exterior forms continued to evolve, it was the technology beneath that pushed brands forward and arguably nudged them ahead of their peers from other global markets. Innovation is in their blood (or should that be transmission fluid...?), suggests Rong: "There are engineers. [...] and then there are German engineers." There are deeper design analyses throughout, but a section that caught our eye was a tribute to the original Beetle, "the most recognisable shape in the world."

The photography is exceptional on all counts, plus a few bonus vintage adverts for good measure, but it is the studio shots that will perhaps resonate most with a designer audience. At one point there is a jarring split between the section on the Isetta "microcar" and the BMW 507 "dream car" that follows, a clash of forms if ever there was one. Turn to p80 for a beautiful overhead shot of the late 1950s two seater. Incidentally, the 507 also gets a double page spread at the back of the book. 

Features explore prominent production cars but also influential concepts and prototypes. A feature on the Mercedes C111 is well worth thumbing through (p168), "one of Bruno Sacco's earliest designs before becoming design chief in 1975," as Rong points out. Might we also suggest a short hop to p222 for a shot of Gandini's incredible BMW Garmisch interior from 1970. Further towards the back, it is remarkable how the Mk1 Audi TT holds its own as a design object, captivating in the same way that the Gullwing, Speester or Batmobile are in pages previous. 

Presented in a substantial — both in size and weight — hardback format, buyers will feel like they have got their money's worth before turning a single page. Doing so is advisable, though, as the countless stories of brand success, failure and reinvention is pure inspiration fuel for anyone in the world of design, but also business and culture buffs. 

Comparative tomes could come from various angles, but it is worth flagging a couple of direct contenders. Andrea Rapelli and Peter Ruch's 'German Legends' (published very recently in September 2025) is also offered in a 300+ page hardback, but in photobook format this is one for the viewers, not the readers. 

Elsewhere, the Atlas of Car Design (2023) by Jason Barlow and Guy Bird (a very familiar name to CDN readers) feels more of an apt comparison, albeit touching on global brands and not just German. 

This new book from Gestalten is available directly through the publisher's online shop, retailing in the UK for £60 which we would say is quite fair. It is also available from other popular online outlets. The Germans is the fourth of the series, following Beautiful Machines, The Italians and The Americans. 

Car Design Review X yearbook 

The tenth-anniversary edition of the Car Design Review yearbook launched in 2023

While we have you, Car Design News publishes its own annual hardback coffee table book, the only publication of its kind to push the world's best car designers to rate their peers' work. 

Each year a production and concept car of the year is decided through an unbiased voting system, and the latest issue - Car Design Review 12 — will launch this December. 

Get in touch for your copy.