The most random stuff also made by car makers
It’s official: the Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony is getting into the EV business in tandem with Honda. Yes indeed, the home of the PlayStation and the games that play on it will also soon supply your car – or at least that’s the idea. Truth be told, many car companies have gone the other way over the years, and these are some of the most notable examples.
TOM EVANS
Volkswagen’s sausages
For many years, VW’s most popular product has had no wheels and no engine. You see, the company makes pork sausages and uses them to make currywurst, a popular type of fast food in Germany. It serves this currywurst to workers in some of its factories with utensils that it also makes, in brand-owned restaurants and at events such as classic car shows. They’re also sold at some groceries in Wolfsburg, VW’s home town, along with ketchup also made in VW kitchens. The sausages even have their own part number (199-398-500). They’re very popular: VW usually makes more of them than cars in any given year. They’re still a staple in the firm’s German factory canteens, although sometimes only as a once-a-week treat.
Honda’s private jet
Sony’s new EV partner Honda has long had an eclectic approach to business. The company also makes snowblowers, lawnmowers, ATVs, motorcycles and even aircraft. Officially named the HA-420, the HondaJet takes the form of a small aircraft intended as a private jet for the world’s top 1%. It offers space for up to six passengers and two crew members and has a range of 1600 miles. You can pick one up for around £3.5 million.
Toyota’s speedboats
Toyota today offers a range of watercraft for the well-heeled. Its most powerful, the pictured Ponam 35, is propelled by twin 4.5-litre diesel V8s from the Land Cruiser. They deliver 740bhp for a top speed of around 30 knots (35mph). At 11.95 metres long, this yacht can carry 12 people and sells for around £400,000. This particular Toyota club is an exclusive one: the company only builds 15 or so Ponam 35s per year, alongside slightly smaller and cheaper vessels.
General Motors’ locomotives
For decades, randomness was in GM’s DNA as it made a vast range of items including fridges, mechanical hearts and M16 rifles. In 1930, it entered the locomotive business when it bought the Electro-Motive Company. GM correctly guessed that American railways would move from steam to die
