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  3. Automotive / Cars & Trucks

jahreswagen

English translation: PONS Kfz-Technik definition

09:06 Jul 10, 2002
German to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Automotive / Cars & Trucks / automotive
German term or phrase: jahreswagen
Anzeige eines Autoherstellers:

"Ihr Spezialist für Jahreswagen"
Danke,

MB
Marion Bonner
Local time: 19:26
English translation:PONS Kfz-Technik definition
Explanation:
in D jahrelang übliche und inzwischen eingeschränkte Praxis, den Werksangehörigen eines Autoherstellers Neuwagen zu sehr günstigem Preis anzubieten [als Sozialleistung], verbunden mit der Auflage, dieses Fahrzeug mindestens ein Jahr selbst zu fahren; nach Ablauf dieser Frist kann der Mitarbeiter das Fahrzeug zu einem Preis verkaufen, der einerseits für den Käufer günstig ist, es dem Werksangehörigen andererseits erlaubt, sich davon erneut einen Neuwagen zu kaufen; - gelten als ausgesprochen gepflegte, günstige Gebrauchtwagen; eine vergleichbare Praxis scheint weder in GB noch in den USA üblich zu sein, so daß es auch keine Benennungsäquivalente gibt.

PONS Fachwörterbuch der Kfz-Technik

HTH

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-07-10 10:02:26 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In reply to your \"notes added\", Marion:

If it is a concept that only exists in Germany (and for which there are no translations), explain same to your client. I suspect your client might be unaware of this.

As Rebecca correctly pointed out above, if you work for the manufacturer, it can be considered as a company car which is kept for max. one year. If you are the next purchaser (someone not working for the manufacturer), it is simply a max. 1-year-old second-hand car.

Can\'t come up with a short, universal solution in English.

Oxymorons: new used car
or
used new car
(placing quotations marks wherever you deem appropriate)?

Pretty confusing. Sorry I can\'t be more helpful.
Selected response from:

Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 19:26
Grading comment
Dear all :-))

Again, actually everyone deserves points on this one!!! Thanks a lot for all your help. I opted for Cilian's translation because he provided this very in-depth explanation. Thnaks to all of you for taking the time, and Cilian, what's your favourite charity??
Best regards,
Marion

4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3used car up to one year old
Gillian Scheibelein
4used car (depending on perspective of text)
Rebecca Holmes
4PONS Kfz-Technik definition
Cilian O'Tuama
4your specialist (dealer(ship)) in/for used one-year olds/one-year old cars
Steffen Walter
4'brand new' used cars
Ingrid Richter
4Cars 12 months old or less from people who work in the car factories.
hartran (X)
4Nearly new cars
KiwiSue
3Company Cars
Sara Noss


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
Company Cars


Explanation:
I believe the above to be the best option, as 'Employee's cars' sounds a little cumbersome.

Good Luck :)

Sara Noss
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sabine Tietge
7 mins
disagree  Steffen Walter: Both "company cars" and "employees' cars" are too unspecific since a) it could be a car owned by any company/employee and b) company cars could have a useful life of more than one year and c) it's not always company cars that become a "Jahreswagen"
7 mins
neutral  Gillian Scheibelein: too vague
9 mins
disagree  Andrzej Lejman: Woher die Idee? http://www.auto-jahreswagen.de/
10 mins
  -> Wow! Apologies to all above & below :(
agree  AmiHH: I just bought a "new" VW and "Dienstwagen" is the term used if the car was used as a company car. Jahreswagen are used by VW (or whatever) employees and then usually sold within a year (and not called company cars).
10 mins
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
used car up to one year old


Explanation:

http://www.autoplus.wolfsburg.de/infobox/jahreswagen.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-07-10 09:22:28 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Employees of car manufacturers are allowed to buy cars at a discount and can resell them after keeping them a year (hence the term Jahreswagen.)

has now been changed to 9 months.


Gillian Scheibelein
Germany
Local time: 19:26
Works in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 56

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  AmiHH: This is the concept. My "agree" above should be "disagree." I forgot to change the default.
6 mins
agree  Piotr Kurek
15 mins
agree  modilingua
1 hr
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11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
used car (depending on perspective of text)


Explanation:
I think the translation depends on the perspective of the text. Jahreswagen are cars driven for one year by employees and then offered for sale as used cars. If you are an employee looking at getting such a car then you might say it is a company car. If you are the next purchaser down the line it is an used car driven for one year as a company car.

Rebecca Holmes
United States
Local time: 13:26
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 48
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21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
PONS Kfz-Technik definition


Explanation:
in D jahrelang übliche und inzwischen eingeschränkte Praxis, den Werksangehörigen eines Autoherstellers Neuwagen zu sehr günstigem Preis anzubieten [als Sozialleistung], verbunden mit der Auflage, dieses Fahrzeug mindestens ein Jahr selbst zu fahren; nach Ablauf dieser Frist kann der Mitarbeiter das Fahrzeug zu einem Preis verkaufen, der einerseits für den Käufer günstig ist, es dem Werksangehörigen andererseits erlaubt, sich davon erneut einen Neuwagen zu kaufen; - gelten als ausgesprochen gepflegte, günstige Gebrauchtwagen; eine vergleichbare Praxis scheint weder in GB noch in den USA üblich zu sein, so daß es auch keine Benennungsäquivalente gibt.

PONS Fachwörterbuch der Kfz-Technik

HTH

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-07-10 10:02:26 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In reply to your \"notes added\", Marion:

If it is a concept that only exists in Germany (and for which there are no translations), explain same to your client. I suspect your client might be unaware of this.

As Rebecca correctly pointed out above, if you work for the manufacturer, it can be considered as a company car which is kept for max. one year. If you are the next purchaser (someone not working for the manufacturer), it is simply a max. 1-year-old second-hand car.

Can\'t come up with a short, universal solution in English.

Oxymorons: new used car
or
used new car
(placing quotations marks wherever you deem appropriate)?

Pretty confusing. Sorry I can\'t be more helpful.


Cilian O'Tuama
Germany
Local time: 19:26
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 379
Grading comment
Dear all :-))

Again, actually everyone deserves points on this one!!! Thanks a lot for all your help. I opted for Cilian's translation because he provided this very in-depth explanation. Thnaks to all of you for taking the time, and Cilian, what's your favourite charity??
Best regards,
Marion
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22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
your specialist (dealer(ship)) in/for used one-year olds/one-year old cars


Explanation:
maybe too specific since these cars can also be a little less or more than one year old

A further comment on the German "Jahreswagen" concept: While Gillian is right in stating (and citing an appropriate source) that this employee car scheme originated from Volkswagen, the term "Jahreswagen" has adopted a broader meaning during the last few years. No longer is it only Volkswagen calling such cars "Jahreswagen" but also other manufacturers. I myself bought a Renault Twingo last year which was advertised as a "Jahreswagen" (but was in fact slightly older than a year) with low mileage on the clock.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2002-07-10 09:30:59 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

And Cilian is right that this concept is a uniquely German one.

Steffen Walter
Germany
Local time: 19:26
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 290

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AmiHH: FWIW, our Passat hat 8000 KM on it and was 9 months old and was not called a Jahreswagen. It was just a used car. When I first started shopping, I thought a Jahreswagen was just a used car less than a year old. Was yourRenault previously owned bya dealer?
3 mins
  -> It was owned by a private person but given back to the Renault dealer due to payment problems (was bought by instalments). But as said above, the Jahreswagen concept is getting more and more blurred, *potentially* involving any car *around* one year old.
neutral  Cilian O'Tuama: Hi Steffen. The problem here is that the car is new (not 1 year old) when the first owner gets it. Or are they only referred to as Jahreswagen after the first year (or so)?
41 mins
  -> All depends on context and - strict or not strict - use of term JW. Cars could be new (but not "brand-new") in a sense that they have no (or very little) mileage but were registered on the dealer's name for several months or a year before being sold on.
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
'brand new' used cars


Explanation:
As it's an advertisement why try to translate it too literally


Ingrid Richter
New Zealand
Local time: 05:26
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Cars 12 months old or less from people who work in the car factories.


Explanation:
I read the German car magazines during the 10 years I lived in Germany.
These people buy the cars at a good price and sell them to the general public at little or no loss. Sometimes they even order a jahreswagen for a specific person who then buys it when it is time for it to be sold.

hartran (X)
Local time: 19:26
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Nearly new cars


Explanation:
Obviously this is a dealer onselling cars, not an employee perk in this case and, depending on the intended readership, I would keep it simple and positive as a heading, rather than try for too much explanation

KiwiSue
Local time: 05:26
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
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