KDF?

[DerLocalVW]

I have been into the VW scene for quite sometime but do not know what KDF beetles are.....can someone help me?

[Bruce]

During the development of the Beetle in the 1930s, Porsche and staff refered to the car as the Volks Wagen (people's car). But when Adolf came around he gave it a more political name, KDF-Wagen. The actual German is Kraft durch Freude-wagen. Translated, it means "Strength through Joy-wagen". There was a whole government department devoted to building morale in the public, called the KDF. One plan was to put a car in the hands of every worker.
During the war, the official name for the car was KDF-Wagen. Thus, all cars built during the war were not Volkswagens, but KDF-Wagens. When the Brits took over the factory in 45, they officially called the car Volkswagen for the first time.

[Erik G]

this would also be the period of time that all of the cars were built by workers that were told saving stamps would get them a car, thus the peoples car. pretty much fueled hitlers political status, and the money from the cars helped fund hitlers war machine. correct me if thats wrong
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[schwartzbugg]

That's kinda correct. From what I understand, anyone could save for the car. It took 5 RM per week, and you got a stamp top put in a collection booklet. When the book was full, you'd trade it in for your new car. Then war broke out and the program was cancelled. So there were a lot of people stuck with half full books, and no where to use em. I actually saw one on Ebay-- I wanted to buy that one BAD! That would be a cool thing to display. And wouldn't I LOVE to have an original KDF!!
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[Kubel Nick]

In short KDF was teh name VW had before it was changed. Even though they always had teh VW logo, KDF just had it inside a cog wheel

Not too sure when it became VW, I'm guessing shorty after the war around '47??

[DerLocalVW]

Thanks for the help fellas...I appreciate it

[schwartzbugg]

As Ferdinand Porsche developed the vehicle, it was known as the Volkswagen, or Peoples car. When Hitler became involved, he called it the KDF, or as stated earlier, the strength through joy car. After the war, a group of British officers took over at Wolfsburg and renamed it back to the original VW, as it has remained since.
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[jeremyrockjock]

Also Wolfsburg was KDF stadt or "town of strength through joy" before the war.
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[del]

[jhicken]

[Bruce]

While Erwin and Karl did the actual pencil on paper work and are responsible for many details, it was all Porsche's project from the very start. Every detail had to be approved by Porsche.
Its has been well documented that Porsche is responsible for the design.

[Kubel Nick]

It was based on an old rear engined Mercedes. Yes Porsche oversaw everything but he did not do everything. Kind of like how everyone thinks Walt Disney made Mickey Mouse but was actually made by someone else, but Disney gets all the credit because he's the head of the company...

[oldovaldriver]

There's a big difference between actually designing something and simply "being responsible" for a design. Any boss or manager can be responsible for something. Often that just means approving it, and sometimes only the willingness to accept credit or blame after the fact.

Erwin Komenda was the body designer on Porsche's close-knit team. While he gets little recognition in many VW circles and histories, there is little doubt that he was the one who drew the world-famous lines of the classic Volkswagen. From the radically stylish VW30 of 1936 to the refined form of the final KdF design, all the lines, proportions, and styling details were Komenda's.

I am amazed at how successful, and yet how unorthodox, the VW beetle's styling is. While the compound curves and surface reliefs were necessetated in part by stiffness, light weight, and airodynamics, the creative treatment of the hood, decklid, and roof were unprecedented--and largely uncopied. Yet few would argue that these details are visually pleasing and lend the design its unique character.

As with many "great people" of history, part of Ferdinand Porsches actual greatness was his ability to exploit the talents of others.

Paul Rubenson

[79SuperVert]

Rather than say it was based on the rear-engine Mercedes, it would probably be more accurate to say that there was a lot of activity in those days with different designs, and one of the hot areas had to do with engine / transmission design. Not just Porsche and Mercedes, but also Fiat, Renault and Tatra, as well as English car companies, were among those experimenting with engine placement. Citroen and Auburn (USA - the Cord) were producing front-wheel drive cars about the same time. So everyone was trying out new ideas.

The Mercedes turned out to be a dud because the water-cooled rear engine was too heavy and stuck way out behind the rear axle, consequently handling like a POS. At the other extreme, Tatra was producing 8-cylinder air cooled rear engine cars that were outstanding. So Porsche was just one of many brilliant designers of the time.

[actorboy]

Some of these points are moot. If you work for a company and you design something at work it is the property of the company. If the company chooses to give you credit that's fine. You can't claim a design as your own if you were paid to make it at work. Henry Ford is given credit for creating a V8 that is cast as one block of metal. His design team were the ones who did it not him. They worked for him and acted on his orders so he gets credit. If you want to take credit for something you made or designed then maybe you should do it at home like Alexander Graham Bell or Thomas Edison. If you run around claiming you've invented things that you did at work be prepared to be sued and your rights to it stripped away. Just my 2 cents.

[jhicken]

Interesting thing though, Erwin Komenda's name appears on a number of the patents for the VW from the late '30's for body style and body construction, not Porsche's.

jeffrey

[oldovaldriver]

History vs. the Law: There's a difference.

True, an inventor can sell his or her legal rights to an invention. In effect, this is what employees do every day when they work in an R&D department. And of course, in the marketplace the firm has the right to claim credit for the innovation. For example, it's fair to say the Volvo company pioneered a number of safety features during the 1950s and 1960s, even though most of us have no idea who their individual engineers were.

But this legal reality has NOTHING TO DO WITH HISTORIC FACT. The guy who actually invented the McLean berger is the ONLY guy who invented the McLean berger. NOT the McDonald's board of directors. NOT the McDonald's corporate lawyer. If someone wants to know who owns the rights, or who successfully introduced it into the marketplace, that's a different question.

Erwin Komenda designed the classic body of the Volkswagen. Ferdinand Porsche hired him, paid him, and may well have inspired him. But Erwin's mind alone was the one that saw those beautiful lines when others only saw a blank page.

In History, the designer gets the credit. PERIOD.

Paul Rubenson

[oldovaldriver]

History vs. Law: there's a difference

It's true that a designer can sell the legal rights to an invention. In effect, this is what employees do every day when they work in an R&D department. In the marketplace, firms own the right to claim credit for innovations made by individuals. And further complicating things, commercial and legal considerations can continue to obscure what really happened even long after the fact.

But as far as HISTORY is concerned, individuals did what they really did. Designers made designs. Not CEOs. Not boards of directors. Not marketing managers. Not corporate lawyers.

Ferdinand Porsche can be credited for what he actually did, which was to facilitate the development of a rear-engined people's car in Germany in the 1930s. Likewise, Erwin Komenda gets credit for designing the classic Volkswagen body that we all know and love. It was Erwin's creative mind that envisioned those lines where others saw a blank page. Porsche selected Komenda, Porsche hired him, Porsche paid him, and Porsche may well have inspired him. And that is no small thing. Porsche gets and deserves plenty of credit for that and more.

But as far as history goes, the designer gets credit for the design. That was Komenda. Period.

Paul Rubenson

[UZI]

it's not that i dont believe you, i'm interested i your sources for this information. would you footnote your comments please.
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[jhicken]

A quick google search revealed this

http://www.komenda.at/

jeffrey