the People's Car 2014 page 3

the People's Car 2014 page 3 by ric gustafson


On July 30 1938, Henry Ford celebrated his seventy fifth birthday. The German consul in Cleveland gave him a special gift from Adolf Hitler. Hitler awarded Ford the Grand Cross of the Order of the German Eagle. Hitler held Ford in high esteem for many years. He admired the auto tycoon from Detroit and even had his portrait in his Munich private office.
Starting in 1936, German delegations had consulted Ford about plans for mass motorization. One of Hitler's ideas was for a ' people's car that would hopefully help remodel German society. Hitler's fascination with automobiles led him to open an international automobile and motorcycle exhibition in Berlin just two weeks after taking office. Hitler was a car enthusiast who never learned how to drive. He enjoyed traveling in the high powered Mercedes limos at his disposal. His idea of a car friendly population led to his idea of a ' people's car'.
Another idea of Hitler's was the construction of a four lane long distance autobahn that was dubbed the ' pyramids of the Reich'. This autobahn will link people across Germany and provide the start of national regeneration. The autobahn project provided needed jobs for over 300,000 unemployed workers. The project also injected over five billion reichsmarks into the local economy. In November of 1938 after Kristallnacht, Jewish drivers were banned from the nation's roads.


research help: ' The People's Car' by Bernhard Rieger


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric