In some places, your car is just a car. In Luxembourg, it's a résumé, a value statement, and occasionally, a class declaration on four wheels.

When we first arrived from London with our sensible little and cute Beetle, we had no idea we were committing social self-sabotage. After all, in a city, a small car is practical. Ecological. Even charming. But Luxembourg has its own logic, and it begins at the kerb.

Because here’s the thing no one tells you:

In many Luxembourgish towns and villages, your car will be judged before your house. And before you. No matter your education, your job, or your restoration efforts, if you’re driving something modest, prepare to be quietly downgraded.

It took us a while to realise that respect here isn’t always earned - sometimes, it’s bought or leased.

Want to know what happens when a sociocultural value system gets outsourced to the car dealership? Or how a Porsche can outshine a beautifully renovated heritage home?

You might want to read this one:

Honk If You’re Important →

written by Helen M. Krauss