Editorial – Observatoire Cetelem Automotive 2027

Ever since its earliest days, the story of the automobile has been bound up with national identity, particularly in the countries where the industry was born. Alongside these nations were the brands themselves, delighting, inspiring and capturing the imagination of drivers. These brands, often deeply intertwined with their home countries, have stood the test of time. They remain steadfast points of reference in a market that has been rocked by profound, irreversible upheaval, especially in recent years.

Which is why, for its 2027 edition, Observatoire Cetelem de l’automobile set out to explore whether automotive patriotism truly exists and, more to the point, whether motorists actively champion and identify with it. On the whole, the short answer is no. National allegiance runs headlong into a formidable adversary: price, which has almost always been the ultimate arbiter of any purchasing decision. Yet the devil is so often in the detail, and such a complex issue defies a simple, cut-and-dried answer. As you will discover reading through this latest Observatoire Cetelem de l’automobile report, what constitutes a nation’s automotive identity varies widely from country to country, displaying as many subtle shades as a car manufacturer’s colour swatch.

What is more, while price remains the ultimate north star for consumers, there are different ways of weighing up the economic and financial realities of buying and running a car in an era of rising energy costs. German engineering, French flair, Italian style, Japanese reliability, American extravagance: these are clichés of a bygone era, and the world has moved on. With a far richer array of qualities to offer, brands—and the nations linked to them in drivers’ minds—still have plenty of aces up their sleeve.

Flavien Neuvy
Director of Observatoire Cetelem