A History Lesson.

[Ed Birch]

Iain wrote.........

>Audi just after the last world war had all their car producing factories
>in east germany, now with that being in the hands of the russians they had
a =
>choice. Either make cheap russian cars or pack up, the packed up wound the
>company up and started again in west germany<

 Ah not quite so easy to go, said the Russian to the Grasshopper!!   From
the
Audi-History site....
"On the orders of the Soviet military administration in Germany, the Saxon
plants of Auto Union were dismantled in 1945 as reparations. Following this,
the company's entire assets were expropriated without compensation. On 17
August 1948 Auto Union AG of Chemnitz was deleted from the Commercial
Register."     Expropriated meant, dismantled, packed, trucked to the rail
yard, put on flat bed and shipped to the Soviet Union. In addition, the Audi
factories at Zwickau, Spandau and Chemnitz were turned to rubble.

 >Ingolstadt was they had existing parts warehouses there which they
> converted into car manufacturing plants, and the rest is history........<<

 Yes Ingolstadt was the new Audi production location AFTER Audi received
generous monies from the Bavarian government and the Marshal Plan (Truman).

 To a degree BMW received the same fate losing motorcycle and truck
production facilities.  VW was the only German car manufacturer to escape
the Russian grasp since Wolfsburg was several miles outside the eastern
zone. The Russians wanted VW but
the British Military said NO!

 Yet with all the German automobile, truck and motorcycle production taken
by
the Soviet Union, the Russians are still unable to build a decent motor
vehicle.


 Ed Birch, KOP
93-100S
'02 BMW K1200RS
77 R-75/7