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Did Ferdinand Porsche Really Create the Beetle?
November 7, 2009
It is common knowledge that Ferdinand Porsche, at the request of Adolf Hitler, designed the VW Beetle. However, a Dutch historian and author claims otherwise.
According to Paul Schilperoord, the Beetle may have actually been designed by Jewish engineer Josef Ganz, with Porsche taking the credit. In his new book Het Ware Verhaal van de Kever (”The True Story of the Beetle”) he says Ganz had an idea for a new revolutionary car called the Maikäfer (or “May Beetle”) that featured an engine in the rear, an independent suspension, and a streamlined body.
Schilperoord says Ganz didn’t have the financial backing to build his car, so he started publishing articles calling for a revolution in car design. He was eventually arrested by the Gestapo in Nazi Germany, but eventually was released. He then moved to Switzerland and tried to build his car, but the Swiss government supposedly tried to steal his design. Finally, Hitler decided he liked the design and had Porsche build it.
Ganz ended up in Australia, where he worked for Holden then died poor and in obscurity.
[source: Ganz-Volkswagen.org and AD.nl Autowereld via Autoblog]
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