The Nazi Car

By Jonathan Glancey
August 30, 2013
www.bbc.com/culture

        In 1934, Ferdinand Porsche and Adolf Hitler came up with an idea of a family car that would hold a family of five Germans, drive one hundred kilometer per hour, and would cost thirty-one weeks’ pay for an average German worker. Henceforth, the Volkswagen Beetle was born. This car did not go into production before the war, which was Hitler’s initial idea. The actual production began in 1945 in Germany and was shipped to England for inspection. The British motor manufacturers labeled the car as noisy, ugly, and too unattractive to capture the market. Despite the early negative reviews, the Beetle became the best selling car of all time, surpassing Henry Ford’s Model T. Even though many modifications have been made to the VW since 1945, the basic mechanical structure has not changed. The most amazing idea about the VW is that a car created from Hitler’s imagination would capture the hearts and minds of the Americans, starting from surfer dudes, college kids, and hippies. In 1968, the Beetle became known as the Love Bug when Hollywood released a movie called Herbie about an anthropomorphic car. However, the success of the car comes from it’s affordability, reliability, and distinct look.