Had it not been for Major Ivan Hirst, a British Army officer assigned to take control of the heavily bombed Volkswagen factory in post-World War II Germany, the famous automaker would never have survived to - eventually - expand throughout the world and build a plant in Chattanooga. That's the gist of a tale told to members of the Chattanooga Civitan Club on Friday by a local VW official.
Guenther Scherelis, general manager of communication for Chattanooga Operations of Volkswagen of America, said the English translation for Volkswagen is "people's car.
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During the 1930s German dictator Adolph Hitler and other officials were envious of the Model T Ford and the fact that the average American could afford a car, while average Germans could not.
And when no carmaker was interested in producing a German vehicle that would be widely affordable, the government decided to design and build one itself.
Shortly after the Volkswagen plant was created, however, WWII began and it was retooled to produce tanks, airplanes and other wartime products, Mr. Scherellis explained.
After the war ended and the Allies occupied Germany, he continued, they set out to remove any potential that the nation might have to wage war again.
In 1945 the Americans handed the Volkswagen factory at Wolfsburg over to the British, who were to dismantle it and move it to their home nation.
However, no British automaker was interested in acquiring the German company, Mr. Scherellis said, so officials came up with a plan to rebuild and then utilize the auto plant to produce cars for the British army.
Major Hirst was charged with achieving that goal, which he did with great efficiency. By 1949, the factory was producing thousands of vehicles to be used by occupying British forces.