WASSIM has a page article on Him and His convertible show car beetle. They did however misspell vollks.com.au.. [volks]
Anyway it doesn't matter to Us as We all know him... lol
good story/article though...

AS usual they got the AT A GLANCE incorrect as usual...

30 prototype W30s were made between 1936 and 1938 and others before that.... NOT as they state that the first VW beetle wasn't preducted until 1939.. Their statement still wasn't correct as they were NOT called Volkswagens in 1939 either... the strength thru joy or KDF wagens...

LEE

I didn't see Friday's Tele Lee. It's amazing how journalists always write VW histories by going back to Hitler and the Nazis. I bet they didn't mention that Volkswagens were manufactured in Australia in the 1960s, with more Australian content than the Ford Falcon! And then are they going to mention that Messerschmitt Bf109s had Mercedes Benz engines? Or Focke Wulf Fw190s had BMW engines? Or that the Zero was built by Mitsubishi?

Yes they were officially called the KdF-Wagen until after the war, but in reality no one actually called them that. Everyday Germans still called them the Volkswagen - which is why that name stuck.

Usually 1938 is given as the 'start' of VW production, as that was the year the factory was officially opened. I don't think the early prototypes are counted in the Beetle production total.

Here's the article online.

http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/iphone/homepage.aspx#_article86825c1...

Thanks for the link torxkiwi

It was called Volkswagenwerk in May 1938.

Yes everyone knew it as the 'Volkswagen' all through its development phase and the planning of the works and the town. Then at the cornerstone ceremony in May 1938, Hitler suddenly announced the car was to be called the 'KdF-Wagen' - the Strength Through Joy car. Porsche and his son Ferry were at the ceremony. Ferry wrote later that his father was horrified at Hitler's choice of name. He wondered how they could possibly sell it in America with such a clumsy name. And the new township was to be called Stadt des KdF-Wagen - Town of the Strength Through Joy Car.

I wonder why that catchy name didn't stick !

Quote:

Originally posted by AA003 It was called Volkswagenwerk in May 1938.

It's always called the Mitsubish Zero because the traditional way to describe an aeroplane is the name of the manufacturer and then the model or aeroplane's name.

For example. Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, Avro Lancaster, Messerschmitt bf 109, Bell Airacobra P36, English Electric Lightning etc..

It depends what side you are/were on as to what you think of the engine makers. Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters had Rolls Royce engines. So did the Lightning. Handley Page Halifaxes had Bristol engines, so did the Bristol Beaufighter.

It's not intended to rub salt in any wounds to call a Japanese aeroplane by its manufacturer's name. That's just how it's done.

And Things. And Routans. But not something called a 'Strength Through Joy Car.' In fact Americans taking their girlfriends to the drive-in would probably LOSE strength through joy - especially in the back seat.

Agreed, I thought everyone knew that Mitsubishi made the Zero. Early ones had Mitsubishi 'Zuisei' 14-cylinder engines, but the later ones had Nakajima Sakae engines. Nakajima became the precurser to Fuji Heavy Industries, makers of today's Subaru. Mitsubishi also built the G4M 'Betty' bomber, the Ki-46 'Dinah' bomber and Ki-67 'Peggy' bomber. But of course, Mitsubishi is completely clean now and only Volkswagen has connections back to the evil enemy in WW2 (just ask any motoring journalist).

The Mosquito and Mustang also had Rolls Royce Merlin engines, but not the P-38 Lightning. The P-38 had turbo-supercharged Allison V-1710 V12s (made by GM). The Allison was a very good engine, every bit the equal of the Merlin except for never having a two-stage supercharger.

Unless you mean the BAC Lightning, the British jet from the early '60s? Yes, it had twin RR Avon jets.