1 upvotes, 78 direct replies (showing 25)
View submission: the German fascist regime promoting the "people's car" 80 years ago
As much as the regime is disgusting, awful, shameful, immoral amongst many other words that I could go on and on and on about
The Volkswagen made motorcars more affordable and accessible for the average German. It really was a car for the people.
Edit: oh and idk why you put the title “German Fascist Regime” just say it how it is. The Nazis.
Comment by wellmaybe_ at 12/03/2025 at 13:18 UTC
1 upvotes, 10 direct replies
we can thank the brits for reviving volkswagen after the war. maybe the nicest thing they ever did to germany
Comment by JackOSevens at 12/03/2025 at 13:24 UTC
1 upvotes, 5 direct replies
I mean, not the ones in the picture. Those were sold and undelivered and funded the regime, yeah?
Comment by Farren246 at 12/03/2025 at 13:34 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Probably to avoid auto-moderator removal of the post.
Comment by grafknives at 12/03/2025 at 13:29 UTC
1 upvotes, 2 direct replies
German facists = Nazis. Although there are some differences in ideology, using that term was correct.
Comment by donkysmell at 12/03/2025 at 13:27 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Just my guess, but,,, he is stipulated GERMAN, because there I another nation leader promoting their own domestically produced cars, with more subsides pending. Truly hope for the American people that it is as good as the volkwagen!
Comment by StaysAwakeAllWeek at 12/03/2025 at 13:29 UTC
1 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Edit: oh and idk why you put the title “German Fascist Regime” just say it how it is. The Nazis.
In some ways I prefer calling them the German fascists right now, because trump and co don't necessarily qualify yet as nazis but they definitely qualify as fascists
Comment by 83gemini at 12/03/2025 at 13:57 UTC
1 upvotes, 2 direct replies
No it didn’t. My understanding is that millions of people put money in to purchase the cars but none were produced until after 1945 and I assume the money put in was used (to kill Russians/fund deathsquads) and never repaid.
More fun facts on the company at the time:
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/volkswagen-1#:~:text=Key%20Facts&text=The%20Volkswagen%20company%20originated%20during,car%20for%20the%20German%20people.&text=Volkswagen%20used%20both%20Jewish%20and,labor%2C%20primarily%20from%20eastern%20Europe.&text=The%20company%20operated%20four%20concentration,labor%20camps%20on%20its%20property[1].
Comment by Radiant-Programmer33 at 12/03/2025 at 13:36 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
But nobody actually was able to buy the advertised Volkswagen for 990 Reichsmark. It was pure propaganda.
Even the few who actually would have been able afford one were unable to purchase one, since all production was aimed for war effort, and not to something as frivolous as a car for the enjoyment of the masses.
The actual production of the Volkswagen (as advertised) began after WWII.
Comment by bossmcsauce at 12/03/2025 at 13:48 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
The idea of the program for the VW was actually really cool. It was meant to be a voucher arrangement of sorts. Like a stamp booklet where you bought a stamp each week, and then when you had a full book you could redeem it and get your little family car. If you missed a week, you had to start over. The whole thing took like half a year or something, and amounted to like 15% of a typical household income or something. Pretty reasonable.
It’s too bad Hitler stole all the money and used it to build tanks and none of the cars were ever delivered to the people.
Comment by Skygge_or_Skov at 12/03/2025 at 13:53 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
You do realize that not everyone wants to live in a car-infested hellhole that consists of asphalt and metal, and using any other mode of transport will either get you killed or stopped by the police by walking instead of driving?
Comment by funnytoenail at 12/03/2025 at 14:05 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
No it didn’t not. After the first year or so of production, the nazi regime siphoned off the money the masses paid into the VW scheme into its war machine. It was literally a state funded Ponzi scheme.
Comment by -00-- at 12/03/2025 at 16:16 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
here's the thing. to buy a volkswagon a german citzen would register to buy one. they would then make payments in advance. for every 5 RM payment the citzen would be given a stamp for their book. the car cost 990 RM.
Comment by Helix014 at 12/03/2025 at 18:16 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Where is this idea that Hitler ever delivered cars to the German people? Every source I’ve ever heard made clear Hitler swindled the German people to fund tanks.
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/volkswagen-1#:~:text=In%20the%20end%2C%20the%20vast,Volkswagen%20went%20into%20military%20production[1].
Comment by Griffolion at 12/03/2025 at 13:45 UTC
1 upvotes, 3 direct replies
It's definitely a weird thing to talk about, because for the sheer evil of the Nazi regime, a part of why they were to so popular and powerful was that they truly did revive the German economy with a set of very good reforms.
Comment by Environmental_Pen120 at 12/03/2025 at 13:29 UTC
1 upvotes, 2 direct replies
It has "Volk" in its name. "Volk" means "the people".
Comment by [deleted] at 12/03/2025 at 13:41 UTC*
1 upvotes, 2 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by Quiet_Duck_9239 at 12/03/2025 at 13:30 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Cant say nazi, if you say nazi you'll get censored by nazi big media who are the actual nazis aswell the literal nazis - not unlike the old nazis who nazied before the new ones nazied.
...nazis.
Comment by throwawaynewc at 12/03/2025 at 13:44 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
also seeing the swastika more and more nowadays I feel like it looks kinda cool?
Comment by beezlebutts at 12/03/2025 at 13:46 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I hate how we have to make words sound less offensive. Some words are made to be offensive like suicide. Stop calling it cute names for kindergarteners
Comment by Saitam193 at 12/03/2025 at 13:47 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I see you're more of a glass half full kinda guy.
Comment by inatic9 at 12/03/2025 at 13:52 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Although around 336000 germanns paid into a savings program to buy the car, none of them got one. The outbreak of war in 1939 shifted the Volkswagen factory’s focus to military vehicles like the Kübelwagen and Schwimmwagen.
Comment by Lina0042 at 12/03/2025 at 13:53 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
just say it how it is. The Nazis.
Too many people around these days competing for that title to be clear anymore.
Comment by MadeYouSayIt at 12/03/2025 at 13:54 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Heartbreaking: worst people you know made something pretty cool
Comment by Arietis1461 at 12/03/2025 at 13:54 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Sort of like how Tesla broke the mystique of electric cars and made them “real” for many people I guess, even if they’re still too expensive for most people to buy.
Comment by TK_Games at 12/03/2025 at 13:54 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Have to specify German nazis because we don't want people to mistake them for American nazis