One of the unexpected treats to appear on the roads during the post-war years was the Volkswagen. It seemed as if the car began to go into production the very second after the Germans cried uncle; we were startled to read in this article that in the years between 1945 and 1955, the West Germans had succeeded in manufacturing a half million of them, and 200,000 were exported throughout the world to 100 countries.
Much of the credit for this success was due to the visionary CEO of Volkswagen, Heinz Nordhoff (1899 - 1968), who was able to assess the faults of the existing model and make the necessary improvements:
"The power was low, and the engine had a life of only 10,000 miles. Nordhoff brought in new experts who redesigned every vital component, working on the original pre-war designs of Ferdinand Porsche... The new car was quieter and more powerful, and had hydraulic brakes and shock absorbers. Soon, models with luxury touches were introduced."
The article is illustrated with 21 photographs, and it tells an amazing story, given the fact that the nation's infrastructure was in such a state of disrepair.
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