The year 1993 begins with a glimmer of hope in the USA. On January 20, the youthful Bill Clinton is sworn in as the 42nd President of the United States. Memories of John F. Kennedy are awakened, later it should turn out that both men had a lot in common. Among other things, they knew how to use their charm with the female sex. Because we’re at it. The euphoria about the change is increasingly giving way to disillusionment, as people realize that the promised “blossoming landscapes” are not coming as quickly as initially imagined.
In sports, the two German states are growing together faster. With a victory on points over the defending champion Charles Williams (USA), “our” Henry Maske was crowned light heavyweight world champion in Düsseldorf. In the Bundesliga, SV Werder Bremen secured the German championship on the last day of the game. The trainer: Otto Rehhagel. In tennis, the “Countess” Steffi Graf is fighting her way back to the top of the world rankings by winning the Grand Slam tournaments in Paris, Wimbledon and New York. However, this is only possible because the mentally confused Günter Parche seriously injured Serbian Monica Seles with a butcher’s knife during a game at Hamburg’s Rothenbaum.
In Russia, after various elections and votes, Boris Yeltsin rises to the presidency, while a relentless war rages between Serbia and Bosnia, culminating in the siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, by the Bosnian Serbs. But things are also progressing peacefully: Israel and the Vatican finally conclude a basic treaty that prepares the establishment of diplomatic relations. The world also has to say goodbye to some stars: in 1993 the legendary actress Audrey Hepburn, the Italian film director Federico Fellini and the unforgettable American jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, whose trademark are the puffed out cheeks, died.
VW leads the way: as the first German group of car manufacturers to introduce the four-day week for its plant in Wolfsburg with a corresponding loss of wages. In March 1993, the third generation of the Golf also got its topless version. Again with a fixed roll bar so the classic nickname strawberry basket is set again. The competitor Opel also wants to lure the fresh air fans behind the wheel with the Opel Astra (formerly Kadett) F with a soft top convertible. Italian flair resonates with the Rüsselsheim fabric hat carrier, as it is made in Italy by Bertone. What Opel is right for, BMW is just cheap. The 3 Series E36 will also open its roof as an option from this year. Who also wants with a famous in-line six-cylinder.
Six is also trump for the Porsche 911 with the internal code 993. However, as is an absolute must in Zuffenhausen, with a flat boxer engine that works in the rear of the sports car icon. air cooled. Naturally. What few people know when the sports car is presented is that this will be the last model to use this principle of cooling. That’s why he’s the last real nine-eleven for the cast-iron faction. Actually, the transaxle models like the Porsche 928 should belong to the future, but they are like lead in the dealers’ sales rooms. Completely different with the 911. When he is in the limelight for the first time at the IAA, hearts fly to him. Today the Porsche 993 is a sought-after classic.
Six-cylinder power also comes from the Far East. In the form of the Toyota Supra A80, which makes life difficult for the German autobahn top dogs with up to 330 hp. Bright colors are still “in” for cars. The bodies shine in red, yellow and green. The Mercedes C-Class can also often be seen with colorful paintwork. The successor (type W 202) to the “Baby-Benz” 190 was presented in May 1993. The trade press attested the new mid-range model to be a benchmark in terms of comfort, which caused little enthusiasm, especially in Munich. However, with the basic equipment of the C-Class, Schmalhans is the master chef.
However, Car of the Year is not the Mercedes or the Porsche, but the second generation of the Nissan Micra, which comes to Germany and is the first Japanese car to win this important title. Small cars are on the rise with the Fiat Cinquecento taking second place and the Renault Safrane third. The Asian manufacturers have Germany firmly in their sights. Mazda brings the elegant Xedos 9 sedan to the heart of Europe and Kia rolled its first model to Germany 30 years ago with the Sephia in Bremerhaven. However, the basis for the car built in Hwaseong, Korea, is the Mazda 323 (type BG). The Lexus GS comes to Germany with a two-year delay. The second generation of the Subaru Libero (E10) minibus remains exotic on German roads.
Unlike the Fiat Punto, with which the Italian carmaker successfully regained lost ground in the small car segment. Opel also wants to snatch buyers away from the aging VW Polo II (Type 86C 2F) with the fresh Corsa B. A class higher, the Peugeot 306 competes against the class leader VW Golf. Swedish automakers are also quite active in 1993. The GM subsidiary Saab causes a stir with the 900 and Volvo proves with the 850, which is available as a T5 for the first time with a supercharged engine, that it has the courage to take the edge.
