German Police Are Repeatedly Fining American Soldiers Over Their 'Extreme' Muscle Cars

A problem has emerged in a western German town near a US military base, to which soldiers have shipped their modified muscle cars. The local police don't seem to like the whole non-conformity thing...
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.

German Police Are Repeatedly Fining American Soldiers Over Their 'Extreme' Muscle Cars

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.

German Police Are Repeatedly Fining American Soldiers Over Their 'Extreme' Muscle 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

Jakob

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.

05/12/2017 - 13:14 |
146 | 10
Aaron Dawson

In reply to by Jakob

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…

05/12/2017 - 13:37 |
20 | 10
Evoist

In reply to by Jakob

A friend of mine wanted to install a lip, and the TüV Guy said that it could hurt someone in case of an accident.

05/12/2017 - 14:21 |
10 | 0
ModernChaos

In reply to by Jakob

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.

05/12/2017 - 15:11 |
54 | 0
Tomislav Celić

In reply to by Jakob

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?

05/12/2017 - 22:22 |
0 | 0
Anonymous
05/12/2017 - 13:14 |
728 | 26
David 27

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

well I can’t either, because straight piped V8s ripped my ears apart.

In my opinion there is a ‘too loud’ limit

05/12/2017 - 14:20 |
138 | 30
Polar Exotics

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Too bad America is one of the least free western countries :p but i get the point. You can modify your cars like crazy.

05/12/2017 - 15:56 |
36 | 16
Lukas

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Quite bold for a country where you legally can’t drive a skyline for the same “stupid” regulations

05/12/2017 - 22:29 |
48 | 4
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

I can’t figure out what’s funnier. Your post or your Tag Name.

05/13/2017 - 02:04 |
0 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

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 😁

05/13/2017 - 09:15 |
24 | 0
Anonymous

As you can see, this Mercedes C65 AMG Black Series is the epitome of sensible German performance.

05/12/2017 - 13:16 |
216 | 10
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

note the sarcasm

05/12/2017 - 13:19 |
8 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

*C63

05/12/2017 - 13:21 |
132 | 0
Jakob

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

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.

05/12/2017 - 13:36 |
38 | 8
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Er… It is.

05/12/2017 - 22:27 |
0 | 0
Andy Helmick jr.

Im just wondering how the hell they got them there and I’m glad to see the glorious WV on the back of one

05/12/2017 - 13:20 |
2 | 2

Was going to comment the same, flying WV ftw!

  • 2009 WVU Grad :)
05/12/2017 - 13:59 |
0 | 0
lowie t

How can you be stopped for cooling vents?!

05/12/2017 - 13:28 |
16 | 0
BünnyRöcket Entertainment

In reply to by lowie t

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.

05/12/2017 - 20:28 |
8 | 0
Stefan Magnusson

In reply to by lowie t

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.

05/12/2017 - 22:16 |
8 | 0
ShadowHuayra (HemiPower)

And this is how you start a war

05/12/2017 - 13:28 |
20 | 4

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”

05/12/2017 - 23:10 |
6 | 0
Spartan Night Glider

Ramstein air base… “near a US Army base”. TRIGGERED

05/12/2017 - 13:30 |
2 | 2
Walter Staley

Modifications are one thing, but being stopped for having cooling vents that are standard eqipment seems a little bit overreaching.

05/12/2017 - 13:49 |
62 | 2

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.

05/12/2017 - 18:16 |
0 | 0

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…

05/13/2017 - 07:22 |
0 | 0

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.

05/13/2017 - 11:10 |
0 | 0
Griffinz7

Must be the leading cause of death in the city

05/12/2017 - 13:57 |
2 | 2
Anonymous

Germans are very sensitive to the soldiers’ Cars. (might trigger German ctzens)

05/12/2017 - 14:08 |
0 | 0

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