In a message dated 98-04-19 11:25:42 EDT, s_j_wacker@JUNO.COM writes:

<< I may be full of hot gasses, but didn't WW II end in 1945 and the VW
 plant lay in ruins. I would think it would have been difficult to get
 into production by 1946. Just a thought. >>

Wish I could remember the name of the book, but I read it some 10 years back
about the birth and evolution of VW (KdF Wagen). Some listee will set us
straight though.

In the book, it talks about the War years and how one bomb (a dud) came close
to ending VW forever. It landed in the power station for the plant. Had it
exploded it would have destroyed machinery that could not have been replaced
in those postwar years. Back to the point though.

VW was in production in 1946. The factory roof was completely missing in many
places, and supplies of metal and tools were hard to come by. The Brits, who
were in charge of the VW facilities after the War, pushed the factory rapidly
back into production with typically British chin-ups-manship. When spring
rains came, workers stood in ankle-deep water on the factory floor.

I don't have the facts here, but the numbers of cars produced those first few
years were laughable, (like 100 the first year?) The point was to get our
German friends back on their feet.

If you are truly a VW nut, the book is required reading. Recalling it now, I
hope that someone can tell us the same so I can replace the copy I once owned.

gmbulley
cary, nc
partly cloudy, high near 80, storms pending