It's also the birthplace of the Volkswagen Phaeton, one of the company's most controversial vehicles. It's no wonder the structure inspired both awe and disdain when it opened its doors. A product of chairman Ferdinand Piëch's expansive vision, the Phaeton has been criticized for being the "anti-people's car"—that is, antithetical to VW's original intent of building affordable transportation—and it was yanked from U.S. showrooms in 2006 following a stateside sales struggle. But what the handmade car lacks in production volume (especially for a brand that sold a staggering 7.2 million vehicles worldwide last year), it makes up for with obsessively engineered details and surprisingly luxurious touches that have trickled down to other VWs. The Phaeton's underpinnings also serve as a shared platform with Bentley's Continental GT lineup.