FRANKFURT — Almost since the invention of the automobile, people have been using cars for more than just getting from place to place. The car is also a place to eat, to sleep and soon, it appears, to receive packages.

Audi, the German carmaker, said Wednesday that it would begin testing a system in Munich next month that would allow people to order goods from Amazon and have them delivered by DHL, the German package delivery service, to the trunk of their parked car.

The idea is not completely new. Volvo Cars said more than a year ago that it was testing a similar system. A Volvo spokesman said Wednesday that the company has finished its testing and expected to announce soon that it would be offering the service to consumers in Sweden, where Volvo has its highest market share. Newer Volvo cars are already equipped with technology that would enable package delivery to vehicles, the spokesman said.

Moritz Drechsel, an Audi spokesman, said the pilot project in Munich would be the first involving an online retailer, a delivery company and an automaker working together. The service will probably not be available to most consumers until next year, he said.