Original photo by LauriPatterson/ iStock
When you think of Volkswagen, sausage probably isn’t what comes to mind. But since 1973, the car company has been producing its own prize-winning currywurst at its headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, which also happens to be the globe’s largest car-manufacturing plant. The location was once considered remote, so the company has always provided on-site meal options; today, thousands of currywursts are made daily at the plant, using a secret recipe of pork, curry, pepper, ginger, and other spices, and typically served ladled with spicy ketchup. (Both the sausage and the ketchup even have their own VW part numbers.)
Oops, incorrect!
It's a fibWhile Ford debuted the Model T in 1908, Karl Benz is often credited with patenting the first car in Germany in 1886. Benz's gas-powered prototype had three wheels. A four-wheel upgrade, the Benz Victoria, was unveiled in 1893.
The currywurst is not just a staple dish among assembly line workers and executives — five-packs are often given to customers and sold at dealerships, sports stadiums, and grocery stores. In 2018, Volkswagen sold 6.2 million cars and about 6.5 million of the 10-inch sausages; in 2024, it sold 5.2 million Volkswagen-branded vehicles and a record 8.5 million sausages. (The Volkswagen Group, which includes several other car brands, collectively sold 9 million cars in 2024.)
The sausages are so popular, in fact, that when the company announced in August 2021 that it was removing meat products, including the traditional currywurst, from its menus at the Wolfsburg canteen, there was an uproar. Even former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder weighed in, and the sausages were eventually brought back in 2023. Don’t look for them in the U.S., though: While the currywursts are available in at least 11 countries, Volkswagen is not on the list of suppliers allowed to export processed pork stateside. You can still get a taste of another European company with a surprise food bestseller, though: IKEA’s bestselling product is actually its meatballs.
Numbers Don't Lie
More Interesting Reads
In the 1986 film “______,” Matthew Broderick's character poses as Abe Froman, “The Sausage King of Chicago.”
Ready to reveal?
Confirm your email to play the next question?
In the 1986 film “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” Matthew Broderick's character poses as Abe Froman, “The Sausage King of Chicago.”
Oscar Mayer Wienermobile drivers take a crash course at Hot Dog High.
Each year, a class of 12 Hotdoggers — recent college grads chosen to steer the promotional Oscar Mayer Wienermobiles across the country — relish the chance to learn the inner workings of their new vehicle. Before hitting the road in a 27-foot-long, 11-foot-high fiberglass frankfurter, the Hotdoggers attend a two-week training camp in Madison, Wisconsin, home of Oscar Mayer’s headquarters. The Hotdogger program was established around 1987; in 2019, the company received thousands of applications for the paid, full-time, year-long brand ambassador positions. During their time at Hot Dog High, attendees become well-versed in wearing their “meat belts,” riding “shotbun,” and operating the “bunroof.” They also select Hotdogger names, such as Jalapeño Jackie, Cookout Christian, and Spicy Mayo Mayra. Afterward, six Weinermobiles roam the U.S., spending every week in a different city and piling on about 50,000 miles annually.
Jenna is a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and New York Magazine.
top picks from the Inbox Studio network
Interesting Facts is part of Inbox Studio, which publishes content that uplifts, informs, and inspires.
