Not every car company produces just cars, some occasionally branch out into new territories, like sausages.
Let’s take a look at some of the most bizarre products car companies have ever made.
Volkswagen – Sausages
Starting with a very left-of-field entry, is VW’s sausages and ketchup
Yes, the car conglomerate Volkswagen makes sausages, and they take it seriously, giving them a part number of their own; 199 398 500 A.
They’re produced at the company’s Wolfsburg factory where they also make the VW Golf.
The sausage has been in production since 1973.
In 2018 alone, 6.81 million currywurst were produced – making the sausages the company’s highest volume product.
Some years the company even made more sausages than it did cars – including in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2017.
The initial concept was born to provide workers with a nutritious lunch while pulling shifts at the factory.
The pork chops that were used to make the bratwurst were carefully trimmed producing a sausage with a lower fat content than typical.
The pork is mixed with a secret spice mix, packed into the skins and then branded with their part number.
But this whole bangers bonanza goes even further, because VW also makes its own ketchup (part number 199 398 500 B) to go with the sausages.
Oh and you’ll need something to eat the meal on, so of course VW also sells its own branded plate with its own part number (33D 069 602).
Porsche Design – Toiletries
Porsche has a design arm that goes well beyond cars.
It produces everything from socks, skis, dressing gowns, prescription glasses, laptops, a £440 pen, and the customisable watch which gives you all the options you expect to find in one of its luxury cars.
Yeah, all cool, but nothing is crazier than a Porsche manufactured deodorant.
It’ll set you back a hefty £22 and is described as “Citrus. Woody. Elegant”.
It’s not uncommon for car manufacturers to make colognes and Eau de toilets, but a deodorant? That certainly goes beyond expectations.
Maserati – Horse Saddles
Yes, Maserati once made a polo saddle.
Handmade, the equipment is styled akin to the Ghibli and was a tie in with Maserati’s celebratory Centennial Polo Tour, a tournament organized to celebrate the carmaker’s 100th birthday.
And for a finishing touch, Maserati’s logo was embossed in silver leaf on the flap of the saddle.
Peugeot – Peppermills
Peugeot, like many other car companies, have made bicycles. That’s no surprise.
Maserati has, Lotus has, bicycles are de rigueur for carmakers.
But pepper mills?
It makes some sense when you remember Peugeot started out making saw blades, and if you’ve ever looked at the base of a pepper grinder, it’s basically two contra-rotating saws.
Peugeot built a strong reputation for its pepper mills and has reportedly produced tens of millions of them.
If peppermills aren’t your bag, then check out the rest of Peugeot’s cookware range.
Speaking of cookware…
BMW – Cookware
Trackback far enough through its history as a car producer, and you’ll bump into BMW’s history of making aero-engines for WW2 fighters.
You’ll also find the stem of its motorcycle production at this point.
Post-WW2 Germany was in ruins and everyone needed everything including houses, transport and clothes.
One thing that the people of the DDR were short of was cookware, so under the process of “Notproduktion” BMW started making pots and pans.
Between 1945 and 1947, BMW made no less than 34,000 pots which represented nearly a quarter of the company’s revenue at the time.
Bugatti – Hookahs
To celebrate the end of the production of the Veyron, Bugatti created a unique set of hookahs inspired by the car.
Each set boasts a carbon fibre casing, solid titanium frame and hand-sewn leather.
In present-day money, you can have a nicely specced Porsche 718 Boxster, or just one Bugatti hookah set.
Now that’s a decision I’ll leave you to mull over.
