The Russians are obsessed with Adi, and the Albanians believe in Mercedes-Benz.
Albania has the highest per capita ownership of Mercedes-Benz in the world.
, a poor European country with a population of only 2.8 million, has more than 1 million Mercedes-Benz cars. More than 80% of the cars in the entire country are Mercedes-Benz. Since
left socialism, this perhaps the poorest country in Europe has no sense of existence in the international arena.
But as one of the most unknown countries in the world, Albania is a well-deserved hometown of Mercedes-Benz in the world.
Albanians changed their faith to Mercedes-Benz, and they own more Mercedes-Benz cars than Germany.
Albanians are so obsessed with Mercedes-Benz, you can find almost all Mercedes-Benz models since the 1970s in any corner of this country.
Of course, the floods in the streets and alleys are mainly old cars that are decades old.
Even so, when you find that every car from the bus to the school bus, from the taxi to the police car, bears the three-pointed star sign, it is enough to shock you that Mercedes-Benz has such a high loyalty in this country.
Albanians were banned from owning cars until they got rid of the half-century isolation regime in 1991.
The most luxurious means of transportation that ordinary people are allowed to own is bicycles. After the collapse of the
system, the country fell into laissez-faire liberalism. Everyone wanted a car, and only the best.
The poor infrastructure and poor fuel quality in this rugged mountain country will make every car that arrives have a pitiful short lifespan.
In this case, only cars that exceed the general durability and durability standards can withstand the harsh road conditions in Albania.
Mercedes-Benz has a good reputation for its safety, excellent manufacturing quality and long service life.
Albanians think Mercedes is the best car.
Volvo is as solid as a rock, Lada is further as steel, and Mercedes is the hardest substance
"If you want to buy a car, you ask your neighbors what car you should buy, they always ask you to buy a Mercedes They are the kings of cars. If you need some parts to repair your car, you can always find usable parts in the junkyard." Z1z
has been driving a car for 30 years and is now 75-year-old shepherd Yili El Gatz believes that if you don’t have a Mercedes, you don’t deserve to be an Albanian.
In the past few years, the rise of BMW and Audi may have severely affected Mercedes-Benz sales in some countries.
But in the underdeveloped parts of the world, Mercedes is still the ultimate synonym for luxury cars, and Albania has proved this. Although
are some old cars from the 7th and 80s, double-glazed, luxurious wooden interiors, and luxurious features such as seat heating and windshield with sensors are available in these cars. What's more,
even has airbags.
"W123 and W124 are the most reliable cars. They are indestructible, seem to be able to drive forever, and are quite easy to repair."
Every Albanian is driving a Mercedes, and they will tell you that only Mercedes can withstand the difficult road conditions there.
Albania’s roads are too wild. Why do people, cows and Mercedes all spin on it? ? ? ?
Albanians think that, my dear, you need an exciting car. I have a Mercedes
, how powerful and practical, just look at how Albanians use them as trucks.
is not an exaggeration to say that the way they use Mercedes is almost abusive.
No other car can climb mountains and transport goods in Albania like Mercedes-Benz. This is not only the consensus of everyone in this country, but also the local entrepreneurs.Mercedes-Benz continues to expand and strengthen its business.
So the problem is that even in European and American countries, not every ordinary person can say that Mercedes-Benz can afford it. Why should Albanians buy Mercedes-Benz like Emma electric cars?
How can people with an average monthly salary of US$300 afford a Mercedes-Benz that ranges from US$30,000 to US$90,000?
In fact, every European Mercedes-Benz owner knows that Albania is the first place where Mercedes-Benz stolen vehicles are sold.
's unofficial tourism promotion slogan is: Welcome to play, your Mercedes may be here. The national image of Albania is closely linked to Mercedes-Benz, and the government even issued a stamp of the Mercedes-Benz.
According to the German police, 99% of stolen Mercedes Benzes were stolen by violent and highly organized professional gangs.
These groups are connected with the rampant drug and arms trade in Albania.
Balkan organized crime groups now control more than 70% of the heroin market share in Europe, and have taken over human smuggling, prostitution and car theft across Europe.
Everyone knows that the car was stolen, but no one cares.
"In Albania, if you legally buy a Mercedes-Benz, you are a fool."
They can easily afford old Mercedes-Benz found on the black market, with an average price of less than $1,000.
According to official data, only 3 new cars were registered nationwide last year.
"I didn't even know that my grandpa could drive a car. On the second day after the government issued a decree that people can own cars, I saw him happily driving through the village without a driver's license, driving an unknown Mercedes !" said a guide at
when introducing the Albanian Benz fanaticism to tourists.
"Many of the latest Mercedes-Benz you see on the road are stolen. But they are always accompanied by keys and valid documents, usually because the owner and the other party colluded to deceive the insurance company." said a government official at
.
All kinds of Mercedes-Benz are usually shipped from Frankfurt, Munich and Bonn, and sometimes also from Switzerland, Italy and Greece.
Albanian gangs generally do not steal British Mercedes because it is the right rudder. After the owner of
got up the next morning and found that the car was lost, the Mercedes-Benz had already arrived in the hometown of Mercedes-Benz. Once
is shipped to Albania, you have to give up.
Most of the 110,000 Mercedes Benz stolen in Germany last year are now in Albania.
"We know that many of them are in Albania, but without the cooperation of the authorities of that country, we cannot recover them. This is too difficult and dangerous." Z1z
German Federal Police spokesperson Wies Baden said.
Albanian police turned a blind eye to this, some of them even participated in the transaction.
Customs officials also turn one eye when the car is brought in, and they are easily bribed or intimidated by criminals.
can be embarrassing sometimes.
Albanian Central Bank Governor Illil Hoti took his official Mercedes to Italy, but the Italian police told him that they checked the computer records and the car was included on the stolen list. The
car was confiscated.
Even Mercedes-Benz employees will not buy cars from official dealers.
Sokol Cordela, a salesperson at the Mercedes-Benz 4S store in the capital Tirana, recently prepared to buy a car.
"Anyway, I will get a Mercedes-Benz. Of course, it is not a model for sale."
said quietly to foreign reporters.
