Posted on 05/27/2021 2:38:04 PM PDT by SamAdams76
You’ve probably seen this trend before, some tool-bag driving around in a slammed E36 M3 with a European plate, that probably isn’t even from Germany, that says “D33z Nüt5” or something equally idiotic. It’s a big scene in America, to buy a European car, make it worse by putting it on cheap lowered suspension bought on eBay, slapping “Illest” stickers on it and throwing a European license plate on it so that people know its European. As if people didn’t already know that BMW, Volkswagen and Audi were from Europe.
Doug Demuro, the guy on Jalopnik with the crazy cars, recently brought this up and I’ve always agreed with him. I honestly never understood this obsession with European license plates and I’m a pretty tolerant guy. I get all of the strange obsession that car people have, like needing to have a perfectly well kept tool kit from an old BMW or having all of the safety gear from an Audi A4 in the trunk. These are things that came with the car when new and die-hard fans want that stuff as collectors items. I get weird little car-fan quirks like that. I don’t understand the European plate thing, though, for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, it doesn’t matter if it has a European plate on it, it still needs American plates as well, so having to different plates on it makes it look dumb. Plus, in certain states, like my much beloved (sarcasm) New Jersey, there absolutely must be a NJ plate in the proper place on the front of the car. If you remove the front plate, or even place it lower on the bumper, you will get a hefty ticket. So, in NJ, Euro plate fans typically put their personalized Latvian license plates (thinking they’re German ones) lower on the bumper and it looks ridiculous. It just makes the nice European car look sloppy and cheap.
Secondly, there’s no reason for the European plate, it doesn’t do anything aside from letting people know that these Euro plate fans so desperately want others to know their car is from Europe. It’s like a sad cry for attention. “Look at my cool European car! I even know what umlauts are!”
Now, if someone went and took European delivery of their car, which is a program offered by BMW, Audi and others, they’re going to get a European plate for their car because they have to drive it around in Europe for a bit. So they’ll have a genuine plate and might want to keep it on as a memento for the experience for awhile. This makes sense, but after a few days, take the German plate off and hang it on your wall as a keepsake. I’m all for mementos like that, but it looks ridiculous after awhile, like when people come back from a vacation to London and all of sudden have an English accent. Just stop.
Don’t get me wrong, I love European cars, love their heritage and history and have a strong desire to visit nearly every country in Europe. But I just think their plates should stay there. Oh, and if you must have a Euro plate, please just let it look like a real license plate and quit it with the fake umlauts on English words, it’s not clever.
Vanity plates are popular here though.
Because of extreme douchebagerism?
It’s a neurotic attempt to say “Not only am I more cultured than you, I’m more socialist, and uncircumscised”.
LOL
At least it beats putting Communists on the throne at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
I’m waiting for the new U.S. Army Rainbow Flag tag for my truck.
A guy in town has the same plate.
With VWs and Mercedes having shifted from being well built reliable cars to overcomplex engineering nightmares that are more likely to strand you than a 20 year old corolla. I don’t understand the fascination with euro cars. BMWs and Audis have always been maintenance problems for ever but they have also become plastic ridden junk. Plastic radiators. Plastic manifolds....plastic, plastic, plastic all with shortened life spans. Half a dozen computers. Every glitch requires $250 just to hook up the scan tool at the dealer. And to pay premium prices on top? For what?
I grew up with Beetles, good cheap transportation on a budget. The New Beetles tossed trannies faster than you could bolt them on. Is it so hard to make a tranny that holds up for a few years? Toyota can do it.
Two friends have bought used Passats in the last couple of years and got rid of them because of the constant problems. No thanks.
Your response changes as you age. When you’re my age, they are just a form of furry dice.
Can’t say much about that. Beemers don’t do well where I live. We’re truck country, here.
We have an older SAAB sedan. Refuse to get one of those “tags”...even tho one son has a penchant for vanity tags. But then I’m an old fart.
Yup. As soon as I get to Virginia I’m getting a vanity plate. It costs like a dollar or something ;)
Still working on a tribute to Rush and Rush that will fit and isn’t already taken.
It’s unusual to see a car without a vanity plate there.
Was sitting in my driveway to watch some July 4 fireworks one time. had some BMW twit pull up to visit the neighbor. Had his fog lights on of course. Asked him if the fog was so bad he needed those bright lights on?
Twit claimed they could not be shut off. Should have bet him $100 that I could shut them off in five minutes or less.
The trend these days is to wear your opinions on your sleeve, butt, boobs, head, lawn and, yes, car. One reason is to ensure people know your feelings and are attracted or repelled by those opinions. I see these European plates in the same manner. My husband spent a couple years in Germany and speaks very competent German. He enjoys crossing paths with these people whose European plate locales he recognizes and chatting with them. As far as offense is concerned, I think it is harmless as it doesn’t exactly throw an opinion in your face like some others. I choose to not let someone else’s hangup become my own or shorten my life by stressing about it.
Wannabe Eurotrash.
German cars started to go down in quality after Germans stopped putting them together- Turks and other migrants build them in Deutschland, and in the case of VW, what we get here in the states is mostly Hecho en Mexico
They are only allowed in states that don’t have front license plates. They are just bug catchers. Better to just have a smooth bumper.
Domestic vehicles have been using plastic radiators, plastic manifolds, and plastic this that and the other for a long time now. 25 years or more.
I’m getting “KAR 120C” with my next plate renewal, if it’s still available.
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