logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2023
11m 52s

From Hitler To Herbie: The VW Beetle

The Retrospectors
About this episode
Between 1908 and 1927, the Ford Motor Company sold 15,007,033 Model Ts, making the car the best-selling automobile the world had ever seen. That record came to an end on the 17th February, 1972 when the 15,007,034th Volkswagen Beetle rolled off the production line. The car was the brainchild of Adolf Hitler who commissioned it almost immediately after her be ... Show More
Up next
Today
The Origins of AstroTurf
The Houston Astrodome was a marvel of modern engineering: the world’s first fully covered sports stadium; a futuristic symbol of Houston’s rise as the home of NASA’s Mission Control. But, after its glorious see-through roof created a blinding glare that made it nearly impossible ... Show More
11m 49s
Apr 17
The World's Weirdest War
A 335-year-long ‘war’ (in which not a single shot was fired) officially ended on 17th April, 1986, when the UK’s Dutch ambassador landed on the Isles of Scilly and declared an end to hostilities between the Netherlands and this tiny archipelago off the coast of Cornwall. The orig ... Show More
10m 49s
Apr 16
I Name This Ship Brittania
Queen Elizabeth II stood before 30,000 spectators at Clydebank to launch HMY Britannia on 16th April, 1953. The yacht’s name had been kept secret, and when the Queen finally declared it “Britannia”, the crowd responded with a surge of cheering applause. Commissioned shortly befor ... Show More
12 m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
S1 Ep113: Steve McQueen Was The O.G. Car Nerd
Hi everybody I’m Nolan from Past Gas by Donut Media, we’re an automotive history show. Its kind of like hanging out in the garage with your friends, listening to them tell a story from automotive history! Fast cars and big movies are as American as Abraham Lincoln. From the Delor ... Show More
43m 50s
Mar 2021
S1 Ep69: Why Volkswagen is the Gamestop of Cars
Before Gamestop revolutionized the world of stonks, there was… Volkswagen. Over a decade before Reddit made GME a meme, one of the craziest short squeezes in history involved VW and Porsche. How did VW briefly become the most valuable company in the world? And how did it all go d ... Show More
44m 6s
Jan 2020
Volkswagen: Beyond the Beetle
What did Volkswagen produce beyond the iconic Beetle? From buses to Audi, we look at how Volkswagen evolved up to the 1980s. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 
43m 27s
Nov 2022
S1 Ep157: Subaru Made War Planes?!
It’s no secret that the global auto industry was turned on its head during World War II. From Subaru to Chrysler, nearly every major car company stopped in their tracks to help their respective nations during the horrifying conflict. But which companies were the biggest players? ... Show More
58m 4s
Jan 2023
S1 Ep166: Pluspy: The Japanese Car Video That Inspired a Generation
Twenty years before the launch of YouTube, tuning shops partnered with tuner magazines and illegal street racers in Japan to produce one of the most legendary viral car videos in history. The video would go on to cement careers, create massive media franchises, and ultimately res ... Show More
56m 14s
Dec 2021
Holiday Shopping List & VW Buzz | Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
In this Saturday morning's edition of DriveTime Radio, New York Vinnie begins by sharing his thoughts on the all new Volkswagen Buzz, which will be the electric rendition of the iconic Volkswagen Bus. Then, he takes a look at some of the all-electric trucks which are emerging in ... Show More
53m 12s