Certain car manufacturing companies like Mitsubishi are into many businesses. That is common. Lamborghini creates smartphones but this isn’t too weird. There are some big names in car manufacturing sector who build/built things that are way too weird than their actual business model. Bat houses, foosball tables and horse saddles are few of the weirdest things produced by car companies. It is surprising for few of us to know that these are actually facts. Some of the companies here still make them. So, which are the weird things made by big car manufactures in the world?
Let’s have a look at the list of 10 weird things made by big car companies that aren’t cars:
10. Air Raid Siren by Chrysler, Italy/USA
Chrysler is a company that was into various sectors, especially during the World War II. They were into building military vehicles, engines for airplanes, improvements in radars, missiles, space boosters and the weirdest things of all is the air-raid sirens. They are outdoor warning sirens during the Cold war era. These were built from 1952 to 1957. Air raid sirens built by Chrysler were set by the United States government on select states. Even today, few sirens are on top of buildings and watchtowers.
9. Foosball Table by Audi, Germany
Audi is traditionally a luxury automobile manufacturer from Germany but they designed and manufactured foosball tables. The luxury foosball table was one of the most expensive foosball tables when it went for sales. Audi’s Concept Design studio in partnership with Leonhart (a production partner) produced the special and limited edition of 20 foosball tables. This weird initiative by the car giant is a marketing trick. These foosball tables are so expensive that, people with more than 5 Audi cars would buy them. Is it worth that much? The company says “a year’s painstaking craftsmanship” was necessary before the prototypes tables were even ready. The table is an example of Audi’s engineering and fine motor craftsmanship.
8. Homes by Toyota, Japan
Do you know Toyota makes houses? We only know that Toyota is a leading car manufacturer from Japan, but many of us do not know that they also construct homes. This is their non-automotive business. They have been in this business for more than 40 years. That is incredibly weird, as the world knows the company as only an auto company. They build comfort and luxury houses in Japan. The company uses an approach called as “Skeleton & Infill” approach to construct the houses. Toyota began the house building business in 1975. The business is done only in Japan and not well advertised as their cars. Their luxury houses can be expensive.
7. Home Furniture by Bentley, UK
We all know that Bentley is a leading British luxury car manufacturer in the world, but very few know that they also make home furniture. Bentley has a long history of making the finest car interiors. Its collaboration with Club House Italia, a fine luxury home furnishing company has made the craft of home furnishing to the next level. Club House Italia has a long history in furnishing private jets, yachts, luxury hotels and homes. Now, together they are making the best furniture in the country and taking the standards of your home to the next level. The furniture and home-wares are an inspiration from Bentley car interiors. Why Bentley choose this business is something weird.
6. Horse Saddle by Maserati, Italy
Maserati’s 100 year anniversary celebration was a thing of weirdness. Italian luxury car manufacturer in collaboration with La Martina, an Argentinean Polo apparels expert made the luxury polo saddle. In 2014, the company was celebrating their success of 100 years in car manufacturing with this beautiful saddle with their logo on the side. This creation by Maserati was very unique. The color scheme of the horse saddle was an inspiration from their luxury road cars. The horse and luxury car in the background made the best luxury photograph ever.
5. Ketchup & Sausage by Volkswagen, Germany
Volkswagen is a prestigious company well-known for manufacturing cars around the world. Several large brands and companies we know today are the subsidiaries of Volkswagen. And, such a big automotive manufacturer is doing the business of ketchup and sausage. This is something strange. The company makes their own currywursts and ketchup. These are not just for the company’s internal purposes but are sold even in supermarkets. They are good at this business. In 2015, Volkswagen sold more sausages than cars. The company sold 7.3 million of its spicy sausages against a cars sale of 5.8 million for the year.
4. Cartoon by McLaren Automotive, UK
McLaren Automotive is a British automaker which is famous for manufacturing sports and luxury cars. The company participates in the Formula One racing as McLaren F1 Team. Tooned is an animated cartoon by McLaren that features some of the present and past Formula One racers and champions. A sporting car manufacturer starting the business of cartoon making to market their team and cars is weird. In 2012, the first season of Tooned went on-air. Generally, the episodes are little longer than 3 minutes. The season 3 of Tooned shifted to McLaren’s YouTube channel.
3. Hookahs by Bugatti, France
Bugatti is a luxury car manufacturer which weirdly went on to commission for a luxury hookah. The hookah may easily cost more than $100,000. We know Bugatti is famous for their expensive Veyrons and Vitesses. In 2013, Bugatti in collaboration with Desvall (a luxury hookah maker) released the limited edition of one of the most expensive smoking apparatuses of all time. The special edition of these luxury hookahs have a carbon fiber casing, a solid titanium frame, and hand-sewn leather details. These exquisite hookahs by Bugatti are handmade in Spain. They resemble the interiors of Veyron.
2. Bat Houses by GM, USA
General Motors is a big multinational car manufacturing company from USA. GM is a company which is well-known to the world for manufacturing, designing and marketing cars and car parts. GM sometimes creates weird things like bat houses, sub-machine guns and wood duck resting boxes. Chevrolet, the automotive division of GM has come up with an indigenous way to discard cases of their Volt batteries. Since, Chevy Volt battery covers are made up of thermoset, a difficult material to recycle; it has been difficult to discard the plastic wastes. Now, it is not so. John Bradburn, GM’s waste reduction expert has given new life to these cases. Bradburn and his team have set up more than 700 nesting boxes in GM’s wildlife habitat sites in the past years. These box houses have been in use for bats, owls, wood ducks and many other birds.
1. Peppermill by Peugeot, France
Before Peugeot got its association as a car brand, it was making pepper mills. For those who do not know what a pepper mill is, it is a small device whose top part turns to crush the peppercorns to form pepper powder. The French company was already making high quality pepper mills before getting into the car business. In 1810, a French family business that started out to make coffee mills and bicycles was found as the current Peugeot Company. In 1842, the company added coffee, salt and pepper grinders to their manufacturing productions. If you get a chance to visit the Peugeot Museum in Sochaux in France, don’t be surprised to find pepper mills in the museum instead of Peugeot cars. Weirdly, the company before getting into the luxury car business had even made wine accessories and was into the spices business.