German Police Are Repeatedly Fining American Soldiers Over Their 'Extreme' Muscle Cars
German police are clamping down on American soldiers driving modified muscle and pony cars around the town of Kaiserslautern.
Incredibly strict German rules on what is and isn’t legal when it comes to modifications are at odds with the freedom of expression brought in by the army men at Ramstein Air Base, whose cars have reportedly been targeted by the police and clubbed with fines for a huge variety of what we’d call petty offences.
Jalopnik reports that the chief of the town’s police department had said the Americans’ cars were more heavily modified and “extreme” than German cars, even going as far as to say that the big V8s in the resident muscle cars weren’t especially welcome. That guy sounds like he’d be a riot at parties.
Other infractions that have been reported include yellow fog lights, window tinting and loud exhausts, with one soldier apparently being repeatedly stopped over the cooling vents in his bonnet, which are a standard feature on the unnamed model.
The full post makes interesting reading, essentially boiling down to a cultural difference between the Germans’ naturally controlling nature based on strictly-enforced laws, and the ingrained creative freedom enjoyed by Americans, especially when it comes to modifying their cars.
Modified German cars have to have every change noted down in a registration booklet, and if it makes the booklet then it’s passed the infamous TUV test and it’s legal. American cars’ log books don’t have anything like that, which is apparently causing the police some difficulties in determining what is legal and what isn’t.
We’d like to ask the opinions of our German CTzens, or anyone from the other side of the French border who knows the system in Kaiserslautern. Are the police being too heavy-handed or are the Americans taking liberties? Is it a bit of both?
Comments
Modifying restrictions in Germany are very strict. And while that mostly serves a purpose, some of these laws are more than questionable. To be fair though, it’s understandable - if you’re driving your American car on the German roads, it has to be conform with the German regulations and standards, not with the American ones.
Still, it is safer to drive (or crash) a properly modded 2010s Mustang than a 50s VW Beetle that is conform to German regulations. Every car is different, so the police can be a little more tolerant…
A friend of mine wanted to install a lip, and the TüV Guy said that it could hurt someone in case of an accident.
As a die-hard ‘Murican I agree that if you’re in another country, you have to follow their laws (no matter how ridiculous they may seem to you). Just as us ‘Muricans believe outsiders should follow OUR laws.
As you can see I completly disagree with this.
In my country there are some illegal stuff to do (like swapping an engine without getting a police confirmation) however if you are a tourist and you come here with your car you are allowed to tune your car by the standards of the country you are coming from. I’m not going to de-tuney car becouse I’m going on a holiday in Germany, will I?
well I can’t either, because straight piped V8s ripped my ears apart.
In my opinion there is a ‘too loud’ limit
Too bad America is one of the least free western countries :p but i get the point. You can modify your cars like crazy.
Quite bold for a country where you legally can’t drive a skyline for the same “stupid” regulations
I can’t figure out what’s funnier. Your post or your Tag Name.
If you’re struggling to hear in the country ranked 23rd for human freedom (by the Cato institute) the Germans (ranked 13th) must be almost deaf from the sound of their freedom! And as a Brit (ranked 6th) I’m completely deaf 😁
As you can see, this Mercedes C65 AMG Black Series is the epitome of sensible German performance.
note the sarcasm
*C63
That’s beside the point. The police didn’t fine the Mustangs because they’re too fast, but because they aren’t conform with the regulations and standards of the German StVZO.
Er… It is.
Im just wondering how the hell they got them there and I’m glad to see the glorious WV on the back of one
Was going to comment the same, flying WV ftw!
How can you be stopped for cooling vents?!
In Germany, you can be stopped for having aftermarket wheels, and if the modification is not listed in the documents, the driver will be fined AND the car will be impounded. A bit too strict.
Pedestrian safety. If someone runs over me with a normal hood i might just take the hit and slide off, no damages. With his vents i might get a hand stuck and break it, or smash my head on an edge and break my neck.
And this is how you start a war
Imagine a cold friendly war that takes place on the Nürburgring and insert famous American drag strip name where the Americans and Germans fight to make the best cars. That would be awesome.
Also imagine the Americans being lead my Jeremy who shouts:you can take our straight pipes and v8s but you can’t take our freedom”
Ramstein air base… “near a US Army base”. TRIGGERED
Modifications are one thing, but being stopped for having cooling vents that are standard eqipment seems a little bit overreaching.
Well i guess they’d have to check if it’s legal, specially since cars there are known for being brought in Germany with parts that are illegal.
I guess it may come down to how the base model might be produced according to region. Take the Bugatti Chiron; in the states the ugly bumper things are put on because of safety. The car with the vents might not have had that exact layout in Europe. But I should not could say.
All I know is that regulations across countries, and even in your own country itself, can be a headache. Denmark is a b*tch on that…
The thing is, if you bring over a car that isn’t sold here and isn’t in the system, you could claim anything is standard. The author made it sound like the same cops pulled that guy over, but these probably were 5 different cops who haven’t seen the car before.
Must be the leading cause of death in the city
Germans are very sensitive to the soldiers’ Cars. (might trigger German ctzens)