No VW Beetle

[Tony Jones]

According to the Wikipedia article on the Volkswagen Beetle:

The Volkswagen company owes its postwar existence largely to British army officer Major Ivan Hirst (1916–2000). After the war, Hirst was ordered to take control of the heavily bombed factory, which the Americans had captured. His first task was to remove the unexploded bomb which had fallen through the roof and lodged itself between some pieces of irreplaceable production equipment; if the bomb had exploded, the Beetle's fate would have been sealed. Hirst persuaded the British military to order 20,000 of the cars, and by 1946 the factory was producing 1,000 cars a month.

So it sounds like things could easily have gone a different way, if the bomb had exploded in the first place or while being removed, or if Hirst had been less persuasive, and the VW Beetle would have become just another of the Nazi's odd ideas that failed with the end of their regime.

What effects on the world might have come about from the lack of the Beetle as a banchmark for small cars?

 

[Dan1988]

There would still be another way to get the Beetle going - if not through Hirst, then through someone. Either that or NSU would be making licenced copies of the Cinquecento (that is if the FIAT links remain with NSU). If Ford-Werke is involved, then manybe a LHD version of the Ford Anglia/Popular (which started production in 1940, in 1953 old-style production of the Anglia (that is, of the E494A generation) stopped, with the Popular taking over as a budget alternative in Ford of Britain's lineup until 1962) would be a possibility. However, if BMW trademarked the twin-lobed radiator grille (which the E494A Anglia/Popular had) then it would resolved by making it not twin-lobed, but by doing a minor alteration to the grille.

Here's a Wiki picture of a Ford Popular of the 1956 variety:

 

[pacifichistorian]

Don't forget the Tatra, or the Mini.

 

[Michel Van]

NO VW-Beetle ?
Will been a disaster for the German economy
because the Beetle production kickstart it !

the Czechoslovakia Tatra has one problem
a Communist governments in Czechoslovakia !
see trubble they had company of Trabant and Wartburg
with thery Communist governments of GDR

Fiat 500 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_500
pretty, cute, but too small for most people

is there car to fit in gap of Beetle ?
yes !

Citroën 2CV http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citroën_2CV
introduced right after World War II, with no VW-Beetle
the 2CV had become the "cult" car of the century

but Disney "Herbie" a 2CV ?!

 

[carlton_bach]

There were several companies trying for the 'small car' market niche. Messerschmitt was among them, which would at least make police radio occasionally interesting ("In pursuit of a speeding Messerschmitt northbound on M1"). Of course, the beetle was a damneed well designed one, but it didn't invent the genre.

The 2CV would make the most promising replacement I think, but there were loads of others (Opel Kadett, for a truly dystopic ATL)

 

[Scott_B]

You would quite possibly butterfly away Porsche, certainly the 911 anyway as it was Beetle based at the kick off.

Saying that if Ferdinand Porsche is still alive as in OTL he is probably gonna design another Beetle esque car at some stage if you take away the VW, so either you get an ATL Porsche selling family cars or he ends up working for some other company...

 

[freodhoric]

is there car to fit in gap of Beetle ?
yes !

<IMG snip>
Citroën 2CV http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citroën_2CV
introduced right after World War II, with no VW-Beetle
the 2CV had become the "cult" car of the century

Similar, but too slow. Nevertheles reached extremely high production numbers and had a very long production run. I hear because of extreme durability.

There were several companies trying for the 'small car' market niche. Messerschmitt was among them, which would at least make police radio occasionally interesting ("In pursuit of a speeding Messerschmitt northbound on M1"). Of course, the beetle was a damneed well designed one, but it didn't invent the genre.

The 2CV would make the most promising replacement I think, but there were loads of others (Opel Kadett, for a truly dystopic ATL)

Messerschmitts were really a different class of car, more in with Isettas and the like. For a Beetle replacement, i'd look more towards Morris Minor or Renault 4cv. Sold several millions apiece, durable, low-cost, excellent handling. A little small for the American market. There're oodles of other possibilities, Renault Dauphine, Fiat 600, Citroen ID19, Saab 93, DKW 3=6, and many more. Not to mention really small cars like NSU Prinz, Vespa 400, and aforementioned Isetta and Fiat 500.

Maybe Alpine would become TTLs Porsche and the 4cv could become the standard for kit cars. 2cv had possibilities in that line as well.

As for VW-based Porsche, i'm fairly sure that it was the 356, not 911.

I think world-wide things won't change much. Closer one gets to Germany, the more thing'll change.

 

[Dan1988]

Don't forget the Tatra, or the Mini.

The Mini wasn't around during the 1940s, and Tatras were Czech luxury cars - too expensive for post-war Germany.

 

[Dan1988]

The 2CV would make the most promising replacement I think, but there were loads of others (Opel Kadett, for a truly dystopic ATL)

I don't see Germans buying 2CVs at the imminent beginning of 1940s Germany, Carlton. I'm sorry.

As I already said, there could still be a way for VW Type 1 production to be kick-started, even if Major Hirst wasn't around. Wolfsburg, IIRC, was in the British zone, so if, say, a British company (like Ford of Britain, in tandem with Ford-Werke) were around, than the Type 1 would get a Ford badge, but it would still be Type 1 production kick-starting. At least it would provide a nice alternative to the other "heavy" German Fords at the time (the Eifel and Rheinland in particular).

 

[Dan1988]

You would quite possibly butterfly away Porsche, certainly the 911 anyway as it was Beetle based at the kick off.

Saying that if Ferdinand Porsche is still alive as in OTL he is probably gonna design another Beetle esque car at some stage if you take away the VW, so either you get an ATL Porsche selling family cars or he ends up working for some other company...

Unless if Porsche gets control of the Wolfsburg factory (which is enitrely possible, but that would risk turning the Type 1 into a mini-356).