Between the eighth to the tenth century, the broader Scandinavian area gave us the Vikings. They colonized, raided, and traded in all components of Europe, placing concern into everybody’s hearts and remodeling its folks into the stuff of legends.
Quick ahead to 2022 and Denmark is now a extremely developed nation, the place folks get pleasure from a excessive way of life, and a founding member of NATO, the Nordic Council, the OECD, OSCE, and the United Nations.
This nation sits in Northern Europe, mendacity southwest of Sweden, south of Norway, and north of Germany, with a inhabitants of 5.831 million, of which greater than 600,000 stay within the capital and largest metropolis: Copenhagen.
The longboat is lengthy gone and the Danes get pleasure from their bikes and vehicles as of late. However, what’s the hottest automotive in Denmark? Evidently residents of Denmark want foreign-made vehicles, whereas excessive taxation forces their arms, so to say, in buying compact fashions.
As of 2022, the Ford Kuga was thought-about the preferred automotive within the nation, in keeping with market share, with the Citroen C3, Peugeot 208, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Qashqai, Opel Corsa, and Toyota Aygo not far behind.
Danish automotive manufacturers logos
As you may see, this story is generally about European vehicles. Though, it begs the query: are there any Danish vehicles to be pushed? Properly, sure, Denmark has its automotive manufacturers as effectively, though the native automotive trade is fairly underdeveloped.
There are not any automotive meeting crops within the nation to speak about, however that’s inappropriate. Hypercar producer Zenvo Automotive had a promising begin and impressed the world with their vehicles, whereas Hydrema can be a automotive firm that’s price mentioning. The latter is concentrated on manufacturing dump vans, earthmoving gear, truck cranes, and different specialised machines.
As you may think about, there should not that many Danish automotive manufacturers to speak about, but the automotive trade continues to be well worth the consideration. We could take a better look? We’ll begin with the preferred firm:
Zenvo Automotive
Zenvo TS1 GT
- Years: 2004 – Current
- Headquarters: Præstø, Denmark
- Founder: Troels Vollertsen
- Web site: zenvoautomotive.com
Based mostly in Præstø, on the Danish island of Zealand, this sports activities automotive producer was based by Troels Vollertsen – do you know that the model identify was derived from a mixture of the final 3 and first 2 letters in his final identify? Most likely not, however let’s transfer on.
Zenvo Automotive was based in 2004, with the the Zenvo ST1 prototype accomplished as early as 2008. By 2009 folks have been going loopy about proudly owning one, and since solely 15 Zenvo ST1 vehicles have been constructed, it rapidly turned a pricy instance of automotive rarity.
Zenvo Automotive emblem
By April 2018, regardless of Zenvo vehicles being costly, it was reported {that a} Danish buyer paid US$1.65 million for a purple Zenvo TSR-S. In the meantime, the brand new Zenvo TS1 GT collection, accessible in TSR and TSR-S guises, preserve folks mesmerized and are nonetheless extraordinarily wanted.
Hydrema
Hydrema 922
- Years: 1959 – Current
- Headquarters: Støvring, Denmark
- Founder: Kjeld W. Jensen
- Web site: hydrema.com
One other Danish automotive firm price discussing is Hydrema. Consistently increasing its sphere of affect by a easy technique of elimination – a.okay.a. shopping for up varied different automotive manufacturers – this automotive model appears to be going locations.
Most just lately, Hydrema has acquired Swedish producer BAE Techniques AB, centered on navy gear, in addition to German agency Weimar-Werk Baumaschinen, an organization centered on development autos.
Hydrema emblem
In the meantime, Hydrema workers work arduous on manufacturing mild dump vans, demining fight autos, and even truck cranes. The precise lineup additionally contains the MPV 900, a flexible car in a position to deal with varied auxiliary gear.
Danish Vehicle Constructing
DAB 11-0860S / wikipedia.org
To this point, we all know that the Danes will gladly ship hypercars and multitpurpose autos. What’s subsequent? As soon as the nation’s most vital automaker, Danish Vehicle Constructing (DAB) was answerable for constructing buses, with English firm Leyland Motors getting concerned later within the firm’s historical past.
A lot so, that the British took management of many of the shares of DAB. Whereas struggling to outlive, the corporate went by way of a downfall, at which level it was let unfastened to independently head in direction of its demise.
Danish Vehicle Constructing emblem
The Danish firm managed to develop its Travelator idea and went on to be owned by English firm Leyland Motors throughout its last years. Danish Vehicle Constructing went beneath in 2002, principally on account of the truth that their buses have been not of curiosity.
Anglo-Dane
Anglo-Dane automotive / allcarindex.com
How a lot do we all know in regards to the Anglo-Dane model? Properly, not an excessive amount of. This Danish firm was lively solely between 1902 and 1917, which is to say an extended, very long time in the past. H. C. Fredriksen of Copenhagen started by constructing bicycles within the Nineties, utilizing principally British components – I assume the model identify has simply turn out to be clear.
By the point the transition to vehicles was made, the corporate was constructing mild vans that includes single-cylinder Belgian Kelecom engines. Following a technique of evolution, the Anglo-Dane model managed to develop vehicles of its personal design, packing single-cylinder 5-hp engines.
That includes friction drive, double discs, and 12-speed transmissions, these autos have been state-of-the-art again then. The corporate additionally centered on passenger vehicles, which have been quipped with twin-cylinder engines earlier than the corporate merged with vehicle makers Jan and Thrige, and disappearing into the night time.
Brems
Brems No. 1 Kind A / S.Juhl / wikipedia.org
Is there something that the Danes can’t do? The obvious of solutions shall not be talked about by us; as an alternative, we are going to flip our consideration in direction of Brems and their automotive efforts. This model of Danish vehicles was fairly busy on the flip of the twentieth century, with their exercise masking seven years – between 1900 and 1907.
Based mostly in Viborg, this firm is understood for constructing a small variety of vehicles. The Brems No. 1 Kind A 1900 was one of many fashions that’s nonetheless remembered and cherished in automotive museums. Manufactured by Julius Brems, the automotive was first put to the take a look at on the fifth of June, 1900.
The automotive featured two ahead gears and a 2-cylinder engine, with the highest pace marked at 26 km/h. As spectacular as this was, for that point and period, Julius Brems would find yourself solely producing 8 items by 1908. The remainder, is historical past,
Bukh & Gry
Bukh present emblem
It appears unusual, to say the least, that almost all Danish automotive manufacturers haven’t managed to outlive World Struggle I – at the least, not from those now we have lined already. It’s time to concentrate on Bukh & Gry. This Danish vehicle producer got here to life in 1904. Jens Bukh and John Gry joined forces to work on their firm after working within the American automotive trade.
The 2 males constructed just one automotive, manufactured at Horve, a automotive that was revealed on the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, again in 1905. The car featured a water-cooled 12-hp two-cylinder engine and friction drive. Sadly, there are not any different fashions price mentioning, as no others have been constructed.
The corporate modified objective and route, and centered on developing diesel engines for tractors and industrial functions. These days, Bukh nonetheless exists and produces maritime engines – you already know, these huge powerplants that look out of this world.
CityEL
Metropolis El Targa / wikipedia.org
Apart from the odd identify, this firm has fairly the historical past. The CityEl is a 3-wheel light-weight electrical automotive, that got here means earlier than Tesla, an authentic Danish mission with a wacky look. The CityEl was launched again in 1987 because the Mini-El, by Danish firm El Trans A/S. El Trans A/S gave up manufacturing by 1988, with Citycom Electromoblie Denmark A/S additionally having a go at it – with no success.
Then a German investor took over and renamed the corporate in 2009, with Smiles AG locked and able to promote electrical autos. As Smiles skilled monetary difficulties merely three years later, manufacturing of the CityEl restarted in Germany, with CityCom GmbH.
CityEL emblem
This one-person car has its driver seated centrally. There are not any standard doorways to be opened, as the entire top-half of the car hinges upwards and permits entry contained in the cockpit.
An optionally available little one seat will enable a 30-kg passenger to sit down behind the driving force, dealing with backwards. Though the driving force makes use of a steering wheel, brake and throttle pedals, this uncommon car is assessed as an electrical bike in some international locations.
With a 4 kW electrical motor preserving issues in movement, at a high pace of 63 km/h (39 mph) for so far as 90 km (56 mi) the newest mannequin – FactFour – weighs in at 280 kg and proves fairly a problem to be pushed at excessive speeds.
Dansk
Hailing from one other period, this model was lively between 1901 and 1907, similar to Brems. Dansk, or Dansk & Christiansen, was an automotive model primarily based Copenhagen, Denmark. Though lengthy gone, the identify is at the least price mentioning. The corporate began off by repairing bicycles, earlier than going all out and heading in direction of vehicle development.
Nevertheless, issues didn’t go as far was founders might have needed it. The model centered on three- and four-wheel mild vehicles, which have been fitted with German Cudell engines. As historical past would make an observation of it, the manufacturing facility additionally managed to fabricate mild buses and vans, though in small numbers. What occurred to Dansk? It simply evaporated into historical past, with no hint in any respect.
Whereas engaged on this text, we began questioning – native or not, Danish or of different origins: that are the perfect promoting vehicles in Denmark? You’ll be able to already guess what’s coming.
Finest promoting vehicles in Denmark proper now
Ford Escape / Ford Kuga
As talked about earlier, high promoting vehicles in Denmark normally point out European fashions in compact kind. Final yr, the Ford Kuga positioned first with 3,457 items (3.6% share), in keeping with gross sales numbers, adopted by the Citroen C3, which reported a 3.6% market share with 3,117 items bought.
A proud receiver of a bronze medal, 2,758 items of the Peugeot 208 have been bought, which implies a 2.9% market share. The Toyota Yaris is fast to comply with, reportedly having bought 2,734 items, whereas the Nissan Qashqai proved not so widespread – at the least, in keeping with official numbers that mark it at 2,149 items (2.3% share).
2022 Citroen C3 Aircross
Sitting behind the Opel Corsa, with 2,017 items bought (2.1% share), and the Toyota Aygo with 2,013 items (2.1% share), the BMW 3 Sequence appears to show one easy level – the Danes don’t actually care about performance-oriented or luxurious autos.
However, it’s effectively price mentioning that the nation’s automotive trade and general historical past has lined most facets of car development and design, to not point out a fair proportion of functions.
Globalization efforts and processes have resulted on this small nation being centered on solely two foremost manufacturers, however that’s nonetheless sufficient for it to face proud on a world map of car builder. I feel that, alone, speaks for itself and Denmark.
