Hidden Volkswagen History: The British era from 1945 to 1949, narrated by Ivan Hirst

#Subtitle available in 13 languages
Volkswagen History: Interviewed in 1999, Ivan Hirst told the story of the British trusteeship for the Wolfsburg company exactly 50 years after the handover of Volkswagenwerk GmbH to German hands.

April 11, 1945
American troops occupied the “Stadt des KdF-Wagens” (hometown of the KdF-Wagen), liberated the forced laborers and set up maintenance works for their military vehicles in the Volkswagen factory. Former inspection manager Rudolf Brörmann is designated as works manager.

May 16, 1945
The Americans ordered the assembly of the first five Kübelwagen military utility vehicles from material stocks. Over the following months, more VW 82 vehicles are built and supplied to the American and British military.

June 5, 1945
Responsibility for Volkswagenwerk GmbH is turned over to the British Military Government, which confiscates the firm in accordance with Control Council Law No. 52 and administers it in trusteeship until its return to German control.

August 22, 1945
The British Military Government instructed Volkswagen to produce 20,000 saloons in order to meet its increased transport needs during the occupation period. Major Ivan Hirst assumes command as Senior Resident Officer of the British Military Government.

November 27, 1945
The Works Council, elected in a democratic ballot held from November 5 to 7 meets for the first time. It replaced the provisional council set up during the summer of 1945, and elected Willi Hilgers as its first Chairman.

December 27, 1945
Mass production of the Volkswagen saloon under British administration begins. By the year-end, a total of 55 vehicles had been built.

March 30, 1946
For the first time, production figures reached the level of 1,000 vehicles a month ordered by the British. The milestone is marked by a small ceremony. Apart from slight fluctuations, the monthly production figures remained at this level until the beginning of 1948 because the necessary volumes of raw materials and components could not be obtained.

October 25, 1946
The British Military Government approves the establishment of a Volkswagen sales organization in its zone. In the beginning, this comprised 10 main distributors and 28 dealers. By the time Volkswagenwerk GmbH was turned over to German control, the company had established a more extensive sales and service network with the help of the British.

First production jubilee
The 10,000th Volkswagen – an encouraging anniversary given the difficult production conditions.

August 8, 1947
Pon’s Automobielhandel in Amersfoort becomes an authorized importer for the Netherlands. At the beginning of October 1947, the Pon brothers import five Volkswagen saloons, thus closing Volkswagen’s first export deal. After exporting 56 Volkswagens in 1947, exports surged within a year to 4,500 units. In order to assist the export business, Volkswagen signed contracts in 1948 with Walter Haefner’s Neue Amag AG in Switzerland, with Anciens Etablissements D’Ieteren Frères in Belgium as well as with partners in Luxembourg, Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

January 1, 1948
The former Opel manager Heinrich Nordhoff takes up his post as General Director of Volkswagenwerk GmbH.

January 1, 1949
In the three western zones of occupied Germany, 16 main distributors, 31 wholesalers, 103 dealers and 81 contract service centers handle sales and service operations.

October 8, 1949
Colonel Charles Radclyffe signs the protocol turning over Volkswagenwerk GmbH to the trusteeship of the German Federal Government. The State of Lower Saxony takes over its administration.

#vw #volkswagen #hotvws #vwbeetle #vwhistory #factory