Luxury vehicle design and engineering". Aimed at wealthy buyers, such automobiles might be generically termed "luxury cars". This term is also used for unique vehicles produced during "an era when luxury was individualistic consideration, and coachwork could be tailored to an owner like a bespoke suit." Although there is considerable literature about specific marques, there is a lack of systematic and scholarly work that "analyzes the luxury car phenomenon itself." Luxury vehicle makers may either be stand-alone companies in their own right, such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz, or a division/subsidiary of a mass market automaker (e.g., Lexus is part of Toyota). Badge
Luxury vehicle luxury car, a stylized, mass produced 2 door coupé, relying on standard components. These vehicles were popular from 1958 to 1980. Before World War II, France was a leading producer of powerful luxury automobiles. After World War II, the French government used "puissance fiscale" tax regulations to encourage manufacturers to build cars with small engines, and French motorists to buy them. The Maserati-powered Citroën SM and the Citroën C6 were arguably the last domestic French luxury cars. France is Europe's second-largest car manufacturer and its producers have benefited from the 2007 "bonus-malus écologique - ecological bonus-penalty" focusing on low CO2-emissions