When you think of the world’s biggest brands, you probably picture the flagship items they’re famous for – Apple’s iPhone, Toyota’s reliable cars, or Samsung’s sleek TVs. Yet hidden behind those headline‑making products are some truly oddball offerings that most of us never imagined. In this list we reveal 10 surprising products created by companies you thought you knew, from a machine‑gun built by Samsung to a line of ketchup and sausages sold by Volkswagen.
10 Surprising Products You Never Expected
10 Volkswagen—Ketchup And Sausage
For more than four decades Volkswagen has been quietly churning out a range of meat products, most notably a signature currywurst sausage that it proudly brands as its “most popular product without wheels.” The numbers back up the claim: in 2015 the German automaker rolled out roughly 5.8 million cars while simultaneously selling a staggering 7.2 million of its sausages.
This quirky fact raises an amusing identity crisis – is Volkswagen a carmaker that happens to sell sausages on the side, or a sausage producer that also manufactures automobiles? Either way, the dual‑track business model has turned the brand into a culinary curiosity as well as an automotive heavyweight.
The sausage, marketed under the name “Volkswagen Originalteil,” is produced at the main Wolfsburg plant alongside the familiar car assembly lines. Available in two lengths and even a vegetarian variant, the product is made from pork and seasoned in the classic German style. Volkswagen also ventured into the condiment arena in 1997, introducing a thicker, curry‑infused ketchup that pairs perfectly with its own wieners.
Both the sausages and the ketchup are sold at Volkswagen factories, partner supermarkets across Germany, and even handed to customers who purchase a new vehicle. The combination of food and factories has become a beloved quirk, cementing Volkswagen’s reputation for offering “more than just cars” to its loyal fan base.
9 Apple—Clothes
Apple is synonymous with sleek gadgets, but back in 1986 the tech giant briefly stepped onto the fashion runway with its own apparel line. Dubbed “The Apple Collection,” the range featured t‑shirts, sweatshirts, caps and hats emblazoned with the iconic multicolored logo or the simple word “Apple” rendered in a quirky, retro‑style font.
The clothing venture wasn’t the brainchild of Steve Jobs, who had already departed the company a year earlier. Instead, it was launched under the leadership of then‑CEO John Sculley, who saw an opportunity to extend the brand’s reach beyond electronics. Because Apple retail stores didn’t exist at the time, the garments were sold exclusively through a mail‑order catalogue. Unfortunately, the line failed to capture enough consumer interest and was eventually discontinued, leaving behind a little‑known footnote in Apple’s storied history.
8 Samsung—Machine Guns
When Samsung pops into your mind, you likely picture cutting‑edge smartphones, massive refrigerators, or the occasional headline about a legal spat with Apple. What most people don’t realize is that the conglomerate also manufactures sophisticated weaponry for the South Korean armed forces.
The flagship system, known as the Samsung SGR‑A1 sentry gun, is a joint effort between Samsung Techwin – a sister company – and Korea University. This autonomous turret is equipped with high‑resolution cameras, laser rangefinders, infrared illuminators, voice‑recognition software, and a mounted machine gun plus a multi‑launch grenade system. Its AI‑driven capabilities let it detect, track, and even engage potential intruders without direct human control.
Samsung maintains that the system does not fire autonomously; instead, it streams live data to a human operator who decides whether to authorize lethal force. Deployed along the heavily fortified 250‑kilometre Korean Demilitarized Zone, the SGR‑A1 has yet to be credited with any casualties, but it represents a striking example of the company’s diversification beyond consumer electronics.
7 Porsche—Honey
Porsche may be world‑renowned for its high‑performance sports cars, but the German automaker also has a sweet side: it produces its own honey. In May 2017 the brand launched a beekeeping operation in Saxony, establishing a farm with 1.5 million bees divided among 25 hives.
By the end of that year the buzzing workforce had harvested roughly 400 kilograms of pure, unadulterated honey. Porsche packaged the golden liquid under the whimsical label “Turbienchen” and sold it at its customer‑care shop in Leipzig. The product was such a hit that the company doubled its bee population the following season, aiming to double output.
Unlike many corporate side‑projects that chase profit, Porsche’s honey venture is driven by environmental stewardship. Bees are vital pollinators for German agriculture, yet the nation faces a severe decline due to disease and pesticide exposure. Porsche’s initiative seeks to bolster the local bee population, contributing to ecological health while offering fans a tasty souvenir.
6 Cosmopolitan Magazine—Yogurt
Best known for its glossy pages of fashion, beauty and relationship advice, Cosmopolitan ventured into the dairy aisle at the turn of the millennium. The magazine introduced a line of low‑fat yogurt (and a companion cheese) aimed squarely at women aged 15‑44, branding the products under the catchy moniker “Cosmo Yogurt.”
Produced in partnership with MD Foods, the yogurt hit supermarket shelves in 1999. Despite an initial buzz, the product struggled to find a lasting foothold and was discontinued after just two years, primarily due to lackluster sales. The brief foray remains a curious footnote in the publication’s history of lifestyle experimentation.
5 Lamborghini—Off Road Vehicles
Lamborghini is synonymous with sleek, roaring V12 supercars, but the brand’s origins lie in a very different field: tractors. Founder Ferruccio Lamborghini initially built agricultural machines before a personal dispute with Enzo Ferrari spurred him to create high‑performance road cars.
Beyond its famed sports cars, Lamborghini dabbled in rugged off‑road engineering, producing three distinct models. The first two – the Cheetah and the LM 001 – remained prototypes, never reaching production. Their concepts were later merged into the LM 002, a strikingly unconventional vehicle unveiled at the 1982 Geneva Auto Show and finally entering limited production four years later.
The LM 002 featured all‑wheel drive and a monstrous V12 engine, sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.8 seconds – performance that matched Lamborghini’s road‑car pedigree. Yet the vehicle’s design was polarising: it sported a utilitarian cargo bed, optional leather seats, and an air‑conditioning system that could be omitted, giving it a distinctly utilitarian aesthetic.
Only a handful of LM 002s were ever built, making the model a rare collector’s item and a testament to Lamborghini’s willingness to explore niches far beyond its super‑car identity.
4 Virgin Group—Virgin Cola
Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin empire is famous for its eclectic mix of airlines, gyms, and hotels, but in 1994 the brand took a fizzy leap with the launch of Virgin Cola. The beverage aimed to challenge the dominance of Coca‑Cola by offering a bold, alternative taste.
In a daring publicity stunt, Branson drove an armored tank over a stack of Coke cans, signalling his intention to crush the competition. Coca‑Cola retaliated by providing lucrative incentives to retailers, effectively coaxing them to drop Virgin Cola in favour of the established brand. While the drink saw modest success in most markets, it managed to retain a loyal following in Bangladesh.
Despite its niche popularity, the Bangladeshi market proved insufficiently profitable, prompting Branson to discontinue Virgin Cola altogether. The episode remains a vivid illustration of the challenges even the most audacious brands face when entering the fiercely contested soft‑drink arena.
3 Toyota—Prefabricated Homes
Beyond assembling reliable automobiles, Toyota has been a pioneer in the Japanese housing market since 1975, manufacturing prefabricated homes under its automotive division. In 2004 the venture was spun off into the independent Toyota Housing Corporation, which continues to produce sturdy, earthquake‑resistant dwellings.
These homes command a price range from $200,000 to $800,000, reflecting their high‑quality construction and advanced engineering. To facilitate purchases, Toyota Housing also offers financing services, helping prospective buyers navigate the substantial investment. Industry estimates suggest the company has sold over a quarter‑million homes to date, underscoring its significant, though often overlooked, impact on Japanese residential architecture.
2 Peugeot—Peppermill
Peugeot is widely recognised for its automobiles, yet the French manufacturer’s roots stretch back to the early 19th century, when it began as a flour‑mill. By 1810 the company had diversified into tools, clock components, and sewing machines, eventually adding coffee and pepper mills to its product line in the 1840s.
Today, Peugeot continues to produce peppermills that are celebrated for their durability and timeless design. Many consumers are unaware that the sleek, stainless‑steel grinders they use daily are crafted by the same company that builds cars bearing the iconic lion logo. The peppermills are marketed as lifetime pieces, reflecting the brand’s commitment to lasting quality.
The enduring popularity of these kitchen tools highlights Peugeot’s unique ability to straddle two very different markets – automotive engineering and culinary accessories – under a single, globally recognised brand.
1 Sony—Insurance
While most of the world associates Sony with cutting‑edge electronics, the Japanese conglomerate actually derives a substantial portion of its revenue from insurance services. Sony’s diversified portfolio includes music, entertainment, banking, advertising, and, notably, a thriving life‑insurance division that accounts for roughly 63 % of its recent profit margins.
The electronics arm, which gave Sony its household name in the West, continues to operate at a loss, yet the company persists in supporting it despite billions of dollars in annual deficits. Former CEO Kazuo Hirai famously asserted that “Electronics has a future. And it is in Sony’s DNA,” underscoring the firm’s commitment to preserving its legacy technology segment while its insurance business fuels the bottom line.