523 upvotes, 11 direct replies (showing 11)
View submission: the German fascist regime promoting the "people's car" 80 years ago
we can thank the brits for reviving volkswagen after the war. maybe the nicest thing they ever did to germany
Comment by Count_Dongula at 12/03/2025 at 13:57 UTC
169 upvotes, 8 direct replies
It's crazy to think that the same basic design from the 1930s stayed in production until 2003, and that it came from such an awful regime no less.
Comment by ParmoForTea at 12/03/2025 at 13:50 UTC
14 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Random nugget of information there. A British assessor from the UK car industry was sent over after the war to check over if there was any potential in the vehicles VW were making. Deemed the project they were on with was like going to be a failure and not to invest in it. That car was the Beetle, which they went on to make 21 million of, over 65 years.
Comment by Unusual_Sherbert_809 at 12/03/2025 at 14:07 UTC
7 upvotes, 2 direct replies
TIL... 😱
Comment by OneBangMan at 12/03/2025 at 13:19 UTC
26 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Pleasure to be at your service 🫡
Comment by Digitaluser32 at 12/03/2025 at 14:42 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Yes. After the war Germany and Japan were prohibited from making machines for fighting. They leaned hard into the automotive industry and became the powerhouses that remain to this day.
Comment by ctesibius at 12/03/2025 at 14:54 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
It was a general policy to try to get things restarted. Vespa in Italy was another company which was revived by the British.
Comment by xthecerto4 at 12/03/2025 at 15:38 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Especial ivan Hirst, britsh general. He was the driving force behind that project.
Comment by PabloX68 at 12/03/2025 at 17:23 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I'm glad to see someone get the history right on this.
That said, I'm not sure "revive" is the right word. VW never really got started before the war. A few cars were built but the factory was pretty immediately converted to produce for the military.
Comment by chrislikesfun at 12/03/2025 at 19:43 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
We love all the german motors in the uk and have done for a long time. So we went to war with nazi germany from 39 to 45. Were brits. We've fought just about every country at some time or other!
Comment by sickabouteverything at 12/03/2025 at 13:26 UTC
-8 upvotes, 4 direct replies
Yeah, love hoe they rigged thier stlytems to illegally show low emissons whole being tested then automatically switch itslef to high pollutents right after any testing is done...
Comment by snouz at 12/03/2025 at 14:26 UTC
0 upvotes, 1 direct replies
maybe the nicest thing they ever did to germany
As well as co-beating nazism (for 80 years)