Actually, for quite a few companies, the concept of "British" or "French" is a thing of the past. Ford used to produce Fiestas in the UK but now I don't think they produce any. However, what does happen at the plant that used to produce Fiestas now produces engines for pretty much all Ford models made in Europe. Gone are the days of producing complete cars in one place, it's a load of bits produced in different plants and then assembled in another one.

As for stereotypes, Italian cars are no longer rustbuckets, British cars are pretty reliable, French cars are still weird, Skodas are no longer a joke car and German cars are no longer the bastion of technical supremacy they once were. I know people with Audis who say they're a pile of shit and break down and cost a fortune to fix.

I guess it's an age thing, I hear a loud car and think it needs fixing. I Much prefer a quiet one that goes fast and can go round bends (British roads have a lot of bends).

D