There was such a car at that time. It's not included in my 1957
Observers Book of the Automobile, but it was about then that there was
one in the town where I lived. It was shaped like a disposable aircraft
fuel tank, with plexiglass, side opening top. Seated two, one behind the
other. Two wheels forward, outside the body but covered with cycle
fenders and, I think, one wheel aft that was the drive wheel.
Since VWs, Mercedes, BMW, Auto-Union, Borgward, Isettas and others were
coming into the US at that time, my guess would be that its purpose was
not to get around import restrictions, rather to provide least-expensive
enclosed wheels for the home market.
Bob
On Wed, 27 Aug 1997 06:02:00 -0500 john.kahoon@pcohio.com (John Kahoon)
writes:
> Here's one, slightly off topic . A friend of a friend gota hold of a
>Motorcycle/car thing ( as he descibed it ) made by the Messerschmidt
>aircraft company during the early 50's. He said it was made into a
>Car/motorcycle thing, due to some kind of import restrictions by the
>US.
>Anyways, if anyone has a clue as to where info/parts could be had for
>this beast, he would be greatful.
> I guess the freeworld did not exactly bend over backwards for the
>Axis
>countries after the war. Motorcycle/car thing ? Sounds like a real
>money
>maker to me :)
>
>
>Dr.Doug wrote:
>
>DR>Demmings was not accepted in this country because American
>management though
>DR>it was stupid and unnecessary. Why the though of treating workers
>as a
>DR>resource that needed to be cultivated and listened to was outright
>rejected
>DR>after all they were paid!!!!!. American Management preferred the
>"Management
>DR>by Exception" technique - when you screwed up you heard from the
>boss. This
>DR>management method is still in wide use today - sound familiar???
>
>DR>Dr. Doug
>DR>A group of hung over 69 MGs wondering when Franky Z is going to
>stop talking
>
>DR>-----Original Message-----
>DR>From: owner-mgs@autox.team.net On Behalf Of ROBERT G. HOWARD
>DR>Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 1997 8:45 AM
>DR>To: gardner@lwcomm.com
>DR>Cc: mgs@autox.team.net
>DR>Subject: Re: American car companies and WWII
>
>DR>Hi Scott,
>DR> That's interesting material you have.
>DR> When you mention the sale of military vehicles during the war,
>would
>DR>those not have been produced in the Axis countries in the factories
>that
>DR>were already in place? Or were they Made In USA for export, and, if
>so,
>DR>how were they delivered?
>DR> Paul H is right about the Japanese copying LBCs when they went
>back
>DR>into the car manufacturing business. Early Toyopets and Bluebirds
>and
>DR>other forgettable models were real knock-offs of postwar English
>models.
>DR> The American, Paul Deming, is the person who introduced American
>DR>methods of quality control, inventory control and many other
>practices
>DR>still used in Japan today. As an unhonored prophet in his own
>country,
>DR>it's ironic that the USA was not continuing the habits that proved
>so
>DR>sucessful for the emerging competitors.
>DR> Bob
>
>
>DR>On Tue, 26 Aug 1997 00:17:42 +0000 "Scott Gardner"
><gardner@lwcomm.com>
>DR>writes:
>DR>>> << Would american manufacturers ever make a compact car if
>DR>>> the japanese hadn't done it first?
>DR>>> >>
>DR>>> > The Japanese didn't do it first.......you need to read up
>there,
>DR>>Trevor. The
>DR>>> > Jap industry was seeded by- you guessed it!- the British after
>DR>>WW2.
>DR>>>
>DR>>> It was my understanding that it was the Americans that sorted
>out
>DR>>Japanese
>DR>>> industry after WWII. The British saw to Germany, particularly
>VW.
>DR>>>
>DR>>> PaulH.
>DR>>>
>DR>>Read a history of the automotive market called "Car Wars"
>recently,
>DR>>and found some interesting stuff. Turns out that during the 40's
>Ford
>DR>>and GM considered themselves "international" companies, and above
>DR>>such petty squabbles as a world war, so they continued to sell
>DR>>military vehicles to the Nazis DURING the war. After the war, GM
>DR>>received compensation from the US government for damage to their
>DR>>plants in Germany from ALLIED bombing runs. Not to mention Henry
>DR>>Ford's $50,000 birthday check to Hitler. Just some of the things
>DR>>you'll NEVER see in the brochures for car companies...
>DR>>Scott
>DR>>Scott Gardner
>DR>>gardner@lwcomm.com
>DR>>www.lwcomm.com/~gardner
>DR>>
>---
> þ SLMR 2.1a þ john.kahoon@pcohio.com
>
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