The 'Das Auto' meme parodies the long-running marketing slogan introduced by Volkswagen in 2007, which translates simply to 'The Car.' While the original ads were meant to project German engineering excellence and simplicity, the internet repurposed the tagline and its signature deep-voiced audio clip to highlight mechanical failures, ironic situations, or the infamous emissions scandal. It typically features a video or image of a car—or sometimes a completely unrelated, broken object—performing poorly, followed immediately by the sleek Volkswagen logo and the deadpan slogan. This sharp contrast between corporate prestige and real-world absurdity has made it a staple in car culture and general internet humor.