[van-discuss] Re: [van-announce] LOWER MAINLAND LOCAL EVENTS - September 20th onwards

[Geordie Birch]

said Janine Bandcroft (on 2002-09-21),

>
> editor's notes:
>
>
> *  I've also heard that Volkswagon manufacturing was moved to Mexico
> during Germany's fascist years for the purpose of taking advantage of
> reduced wages for employees.


	Although the "Peoples Car" was a pet project of Adolf Hitler,
Volkswagen did not actually produce any cars during Germany's Fascist
years.  Ferdinand Porsche designed the Type One (AKA the beetle) during
the nineteen-thirties, but only a handful of prototypes were actually
built.  Production of the Type One was scheduled for september 1939, but
upon the invasion of Poland that month the factory began producing Panzer
tanks.  Production by Volkswagen of the Type One began in 1946, under
British Army supervision.  Ferdinand Porsche went on to form the Porsche
automobile company.

	As for reduced wages in Mexico, the German government was
employing German Jews and other victims as slave labourers in factories
during the war years.  I'm quite sure slaves were employed at the once and
future Volkswagen factory.  Volkswagen did take advantage of cheap labour
(and market proximity) and manufacture cars in North and South America
(Mexico and Brazil) but this was not until quite some time after the war
had ended.

	Geordie.