The Dark Side of Porsche
May 4, 2023
Porsche is a renowned and iconic German car manufacturer known for producing high-performance sports cars. The company has been involved in many significant events throughout history. By far the most controversial aspect of Porsche’s history is its action during the period of World War II.
Ferdinand Porsche, the founder of the company, was a prominent figure in the German war industry. He was a member of the Nazi Party and had close ties to the German government. Porsche’s involvement in the war effort began long before the outbreak of hostilities. In 1934, he was commissioned by the German government to design a new car that would be affordable for the average German civilian. This project eventually led to the creation of the Volkswagen Beetle, one of the most iconic cars of all time. Volkswagen and Porsche have had a close relationship ever since.
In 1938, Porsche was awarded a contract to develop a new tank for the German army, which resulted in the creation of the Tiger I. This tank was one of the most formidable and menacing weapon of war at the time, although it was quite cumbersome. It played a significant role in many of the battles on the Eastern Front. The project was known as the “Porsche Tiger,” and it was designed to be a heavy tank that would be used mainly on the Eastern Front. However, the tank was plagued with problems, and it was eventually abandoned in favor of the Henschel Tiger, which was based on Porsche’s design but more reliable.
Despite the failure of the Porsche Tiger, the company continued to produce military vehicles throughout the war. Porsche designed and built a range of vehicles, including the Kübelwagen, a light utility vehicle that was used extensively by the German army, and the Type 166 Schwimmwagen, an amphibious vehicle that was used for reconnaissance and patrol duties. Porsche’s involvement in the war effort was not without controversy. The company employed forced labor during the war, using prisoners from concentration camps to work in its factories. Some have argued that this forced labor was actually slave labor.
Porsche’s use of forced labor tarnished the company’s reputation, and it remains a sensitive issue to this day. After the war, Ferdinand Porsche was arrested by the French government and charged with war crimes. He was accused of using forced labor in his factories, and he was held in prison for over a year before being released. Porsche was never convicted of any war crimes, but his reputation was severely damaged by the accusations.
Despite the controversy surrounding its wartime activities, Porsche has gone on to become one of the world’s most successful car manufacturers. The company has produced a range of iconic sports cars, including the Porsche 911, which has become a symbol of the brand. Nowadays, Porsche is known for its cutting-edge technology and high-performance vehicles. It continues to be a driving force in the automotive industry, synonymous with outstanding engineering. However, we should never forget its history, which, as with so many other companies, reveals some uncomfortable truths.
Richard • Jul 19, 2023 at 10:31 am
The Josef Ganz connection dramatically changes this narrative, demonstrating that the fundamental Beetle design came from Ganz’ work and ideas, which were published extensively in the magazine he edited, Motor Kritik, and, importantly, in the cars that were developed using his ideas.
I’m not going to retell the book here — it’s too involved and too good, and I recommend it heartily to anyone. But what I would love to do is give us all a good look at the first production car really built to Ganz’ fundamental principles. This car is also where I would personally put the start of the Beetle line, even if the company and name differ. The car is so closely related — conceptually, technically, visually — to the Beetle, that I think if any car has a claim on being the Mother/Father of the Beetle, this is it.
The car is the Standard Superior, and it was even briefly called a “volkswagen” in advertising, before the Nazis decided that only their KdF company would be allowed to use that word. But a volkswagen it was, no matter what those ark-peeking-face-melters had to say about it: the Superior was absolutely a people’s car.
Introduced in 1933, the Superior was based on Ganz’ prototypes made for the Ardie motorcycle company (1930) and the Adler automobile company (1931) where he finalized his fundamental design concepts: tubular backbone chassis, mid-rear mounted engines, and independent suspension with swing axles at the rear. Standard hired Ganz to design their new cheap people’s car based on the strength of those prototypes and his published writings. Ganz’ design for the Standard Superior included all of these traits, along with a somewhat streamlined body design.
It’s remarkably easy to see the Superior as a Beetle ancestor. The backbone chassis is shared between both cars, and while the Beetle uses a stamped, inverted U-shaped tunnel for its backbone and the Standard uses an actual cylindrical pipe-like tube, the principles are the same.
Of course, there were a number of other cars of this era being built on similar principles, and ending up looking remarkably Beetle-like; the Tatra V570 comes to mind as an example. Even so, Ganz’ wide publication of his ideas and the fact that the Superior made it into production (albeit limited) makes me still willing to give the nod to the Standard for Beetle-dadhood.
Early Beetles used a swing-axle suspension system much like the Superior’s, and the overall plan, design, and layout of the Superior feel eerily like a foreshadowing of what the Beetle would become. The 1934 redesign of the Superior is even closer than the first version, incorporating rear side windows and a rudimentary luggage/seat area in the back for your hapless, crammable kids. The side profile of the Superior is remarkably close to the eventual Beetle shape.
The one key area where the Superior and VW differ is in the engine. While both are air-cooled and mounted behind the driver, with horizontally-laying cylinders, the Standard uses a 396cc (later 500cc) two-stroke inline engine. The type of engine is less of a big difference than is the precise location: Ganz’ designs stipulated an engine within the wheelbase of the car, so the Superior was a mid-mounted design.
Porsche was fine with placing the engine outboard of the wheelbase to the rear, which is the primary factor for handling issues and idiosyncrasies of not just the Beetle, but nearly every other air-cooled VW and Porsche to follow for decades. You could easily and annoyingly argue that the Superior was, in fact, superior, at least in this trait.
The Standard Superior was designed to fill the exact same role as the Beetle as well: a small, useful, rugged, and extremely cheap entry-level car. The Standard was able to be cheap by having a tiny engine and a body made largely of wood and artificial leather, save for the steel fenders. The Beetle, built more robustly out of steel, was to be cheap thanks to massive volumes and economies of scale.
The Standard Superior was never a great seller, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which has to do with all the upheaval going on in Germany at the time and the intervention of the Nazis into the German car industry. Production stopped in 1935, and only one manages to survive to this day.
Looking at pictures of the Standard Superior sort of gives me chills, though I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it’s sort of like when you see a doppelgänger of yourself or someone familiar in a very old photograph. The car is clearly not a Beetle, but there’s so many familial and familiar traits there, it’s hard not to equate the two. I think you could even argue that the Superior has more in common with what became the final Beetle than Porsche’s Zündapp prototype, which was significantly bigger and used a doomed radial engine.
I’m not trying to disregard Porsche’s huge, crucial role in the development of the Beetle; I just feel it’s worth giving attention to those other incredibly important cars and designers that eventually helped to create that car that inspired me to waste so much time as a kid reading about its origins in the first place.
Cheryl Harris • Nov 22, 2023 at 9:03 am
Richard, thank you for your thorough commentary. Our HS paper appreciates it; and, as a fellow Beetle fan, I also appreciate it.–Adviser
Richard • Jul 19, 2023 at 10:10 am
There was a small company in Germany that developed the rear engine, air cooled design and was owned by a Jew. The Nazis stole the company and the concept and gave it to Ferdinand who claimed that it was his idea. How could you have left that out?