The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]


Vorsprung Durch Details …

So I have an Audi.

I know … I know … what a wanker.

Well as we all know, German cars are well known for their quality of engineering, but recently I saw something that showed me it’s not just engineering where they pay attention to detail.

Have a look at this …

Can you see?

It’s the colour of the screws.

Where most cars have 4 yellow screws in each corner of the rear number plate, Audi have used 2 – one black, one yellow – placed in the middle of the number plate and designed to make sure they perfectly match with the area they’re screwing into.

Black to match the colour of the letter of the registration number.
Yellow to match the background of the rear registration number.

It’s an incredibly small thing, but if they care about that, you can be sure they care about every detail in the car.

Which helps reinforce why German manufacturing is so highly revered.

Or said another way, why craft is proved by the small things, not just the big.


31 Comments so far
Leave a comment

Wanker.

Comment by Bazza

So says the Tesla driver. Hahaha.

Comment by Rob

He got you there Baz.

Comment by Pete

most accurate fucking comment youve ever made in your life.

Comment by andy@cynic

most accurate fucking comment youve ever made in your life as well campbell.

Comment by andy@cynic

Are you going to make it 3 countries out of 3 for buying an Audi that you then get rid of within 2 years?

Comment by Bazza

Robert buys Audi’s like he buys gadgets. Likely because he fills his Audi’s with so many gadgets it makes justifying the purchase easier for him.

Comment by George

Same with houses. (Sorry Robert, I couldn’t resist)

Comment by George

+1

Comment by Pete

more property than fucking trump.

Comment by andy@cynic

It’s not because I have some moral objection to owning a car more than 2 years, it’s just how life has turned out. 3rd time lucky I get to keep the one I’m most likely going to buy for years and years. (Or until a major new tech option becomes available. Hahaha)

Comment by Rob

Sure Rob. Sure.

Comment by Bazza

Our plates are different here so the screws don’t need such colour coding. But I do find it impressive. Like you said, if they pay attention to that they must pay attention to everything.

Comment by George

This is a much better ad for Audi than any of their actual ads.

Comment by Pete

Hahaha, yes it is.

From once being some of the best ads in the world – not for cars, but everything – I’ve just seen one they’ve put out with the line, “what a time to be an Audi”. Seriously, it almost makes me want to hate the brand. Proof the Audi marketing department isn’t as progressive as the engineering department. In fact they’ve literally crossed paths – one evolving and one most definitively going backwards.

Comment by Rob

That is terrible. Was that BBH?

Comment by Pete

Covid has had a devastating effect on the ad industry.

Comment by George

if that was bbh you have all the evidence you fucking need to know about why you should never sell to a fucking holding company.

Comment by andy@cynic

Given that they’re probably charging you £100 for each one, I would have hoped that they could have ensured that the black one wasn’t bleeding into the yellow background. Details are indeed important.

Comment by John

German precision isn’t what it used to be.

Comment by George

It’s still better than other nations precision.

Can you imagine if British Leyland was around?

Either one screw badly placed or 30 of them. Ha.

I remember an article where Toyota engineers in Tokyo swapped jobs with Chrysler engineers in Detroit. When they met up to discuss what they found different, the Chrysler guys talked about how everything just fitted seamlessly together, because in America it was about force and power. Or said another way, the engineering process was very similar to the cultural attitude of the nation.

Precision and craft vs power and force.

Comment by Rob

30 badly placed screws – it doesn’t work.
1 badly placed screw – it works dangerously.

Comment by John

30 badly placed screws sounds like the cynic table football after you “repaired” it.

Comment by George

totally agree their attention to detail isn’t talked about enough in advertising but in this case I’m pushing the brits lol as the number plates are all down to the dealership 😉

Comment by Bob

Ahhhhhh …

Well maybe that’s the case but my mate has a Ford and his number plate screws are all black. Not only that, they’re at the corners so they need 4, so maybe Audi dealerships have their own standards.

I can’t believe I’m writing about numberplates and screws in relation to branding. Christ, I need help, hahaha.

Comment by Rob

You drive an Audi, you’re beyond help.

Comment by John

I bet Andy is glad he got rid of his Escalade.

Comment by DH

you didnt fucking complain when you needed a fucking lift did you. parasite.

Comment by andy@cynic

At the entrance to the Corvette production area at the Bowling Green Assembly plant, there is a sign that says “We believe in quality!” (or something similar).

And the sign is skew. That just tells you everything about the plant and its production line. The sign as you enter the part where their flagship product is manufactured, by people who LOVE Corvettes, is skew.

Comment by MJ

people who love corvettes are fucking skewed.

Comment by andy@cynic

In America, passion and power are more important than precision and quality. Hence Trump.

Comment by Pete




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