Saving BMW

Part 2 of Proof of Concept

The German auto industry is in many ways closely associated with the U.S. Henry Ford's rabid antisemitism contributed greatly to the ideology of Hitler and Hitler Youth, at a time when his wife, Clara Bryant Ford was marching for the rights of women. The ideology was communicated through Baldur von Shirach. who ran the Hitler Youth organization. Henry Ford also inspired the creation of a Volks Wagen, a people's car.

"A chicken for every pot, a car for every garage." - promised a Herbert Hoover political ad?in the NY Times. During Hoover's Administration, a competitive round of currency devaluation occurred with the protectionist and isolationist Smoot-Hawley Tariffs:

This thinking perpetrated The Great Depression. After Hoover, no Republican was elected President for 20 years.

"No good times, no bad times, no times at all- just the NY Times." ~ Simon and Garfunkel?

Wikipedia: [BMW] Post-war business activities

The unique Cabriolet version of the?BMW 3200 CS, a gift to Herbert Quandt for his contribution in the rescue of BMW

He [Herbert Quandt]?gained greater responsibility for companies which his father had acquired and after 1945, he rebuilt them.[3] He developed a business philosophy of decentralised organization which gave executives wide powers for decision-making and allowed employees to participate in their company's success.

When Quandt's father died in 1954, the Quandt group was a conglomerate of about 200 businesses including the battery manufacturer, several metal fabrication companies, textile companies and chemical companies (including?Altana?AG). It also owned about 10% of car company?Daimler-Benz?and about 30% of BMW. The conglomerate was then divided between his two surviving sons: Herbert and?Harald Quandt, who was Herbert's half brother.[10] BMW was an ailing company and in 1959 its management suggested selling the whole concern to Daimler-Benz. Herbert Quandt was close to agreeing to such a deal but changed his mind at the last minute because of opposition from the workforce and?trade unions. Instead he increased his share in BMW to 50% against the advice of his bankers, risking much of his wealth. He was instrumental in reversing the company's fortunes by financing the?BMW 700:?

which transformed the company's profitability.[3] BMW was already planning its?BMW 1500:

model when Quandt took control. It was launched in 1962 and established a new segment in the car market: the quality production saloon. It occupied a position between the mass production car and the craftsman-built output of the luxury producers. BMW's sophisticated technical skills put it in a strong position to fill this niche. This model in its new segment firmly established the long-term success of BMW.

When Harald died in 1967 in an air crash, Herbert received more shares in BMW, VARTA and IWKA. In 1974, Herbert, and Harald's widow, Inge, sold their stake in Daimler-Benz to the Government of?Kuwait.

Personal life

He [Herbert Quandt] married his first wife, Ursel Münstermann, in 1933 but they divorced in 1940. This marriage had produced a daughter,?Silvia Quandt?(born 1937),[2] who stayed with her mother after the divorce. Silvia is now an artist who lives in Munich. Ten years later, in 1950, he married his second wife, the jeweller Lieselotte Blobelt, but they divorced in 1959. This second marriage produced Sonja (born 1951) (now Sonja Quandt-Wolf), Sabina (born 1953) and Sven (born 1956).[2] Sven became the manager of the?BMW?rally team.

Herbert married his third wife?Johanna Bruhn?in 1960, just a year after his second divorce. She had been a secretary in his office in the 1950s and eventually became his personal assistant. She did not remarry after Herbert's death, and lived quietly in?Bad Homburg?until her own death in 2015. The current supervisory board members at BMW include Johanna's two children:?Stefan Quandt, holder of 23.7% of the shares in BMW, and?Susanne Klatten, a 19.2% shareholder.[11] They joined the board in May 1997.

Herbert ensured that the shares in his companies were not thinly spread and so to avoid family disputes the children of the previous marriages received large shares in other Quandt family companies. Silvia Quandt, the oldest child, received extensive investments and property in the 1970s. Later the three children from the second marriage were given the majority of the shares of VARTA Battery AG but these have since been sold. Susanne also received his shares in Altana AG, while Stefan also received shares in a holding company called?Delton?with interests in medical products and power supplies.

Herbert Quandt died on 2 June 1982 in?Kiel.

There is now a foundation in the Herbert Quandt name through BMW.[12]

Next: Crimes Against Humanity: The Quandts and the Nazi Regime