Personality

Ferdinand Porsche was born on September 3 1875in Mafferdoff town located in Austro-Hungarian province Bohemia (nowadays the territory of Czech Republic). From his early childhood Ferdinand expressed a lively interest to everything related to technics; being 15 he constructed generator and an electric light-bulb, so Porsche’s house became the second in the city lighted with electricity. Obviously such a talent wasn’t left unnoticed, and since Porsche was especially interested in self-propelled carriages his path to automobile industry already started… By the beginning of the century he was employed at a local Austro-Daimler Company, where he got the position of technical director by the age of 34. However his career went really giddy after the end of World War I.
In 1923 Mercedes invited the Austrian engineer for the position of technical director; Porsche accepted their invitation and moved to Stuttgart with his family without any hesitations. For 5 years he was responsible for working out perspective projects of this German company that was renamed to Daimler-Benz at that time, after amalgamating with Daimler Company); such masterpiece as Mercedes-Benz SSK was developed under his direction. Driving a car equipped with a 7-liter SSK motor with automatic fuel injection, making up to 200 km/h, legendary racer Rudolf Caracciola gained many victories on the edge of 30ies.

Ferdinand Porsche was in love with motoring sport and was reckoned that only sport moved technical progress. Once the engineer visited USSR, invited personally by Stalin, and was offered a post of Minister in Soviet government, but he rejected this flattering proposition because in Soviet Union there were no perspectives of developing motoring sport and the engineer would only agree to design tanks along with racing bolides. Another great leader provided him with such an opportunity.

In April 1931 Porsche together with his 22 year old son Ferdinand junior, named simply Ferry, founded an independent Company Dr. Ing. h. c. F Porsche AG, having the following slogan: “We design land, water and air vehicles and provide consulting services in their construction.” The first order they got, a compact motor car with 2-liter engine for Wanderer Company got the index of 007 in order for the clients to assume that wasn’t the first order they got. The order was fulfilled perfectly so another order from Auto Union followed, this time for constructing a racing car lighter than 750 kilograms.

The Auto Union P-wagon car was ahead of its time; the car rather resembled Formula-1 bolides of 60ies-70ies. Light-weight materials were used for constructing its body, including aluminum; 16-cylinder engine with supercharger and unique system for measuring the work of gas-distributing unit was located behind the driver. Ferry dedicated all his spare time to testing the cars until one day his father said to him: “I have enough of good drivers and only one son.”

In 1934 Porsche got the most important order of his life that made his name immortal; Adolph Hitler personally asked him to design a people’s car that would allow any ordinary citizen travel across German highways. The beginning of World War didn’t let the serial production of KdF model (future Volkswagen Beetle) be started; KdF-Stadt plant passed to Luftwaffe’s disposal. These 630 units they managed to assemble didn’t reach the costumers, but were distributed among high-rank army officers.
During the war times they found even more use to Ferdinand Porsche’s talent than during the peaceful times. He took part in construction of heavy armored vehicles Tiger, Ferdinand/Elefant, Leopard and Maus, projected light command cars and terrapin cars Kubelwagen, Schwimmwagen and Kommandeurwagen. At the same time further development of “people’s” KdF car continued.

After Germany lost the War the entire Porsche family moved to France, but there they were tracked down and arrested; the management of Renault Company was certainly involved… Ferdinand Porsche, his son Ferry, and his daughter’s husband Anton Piech were prosecuted for supporting the Nazi regime and imprisoned, just like Louis Renault. Louisa Piech, the engineer’s daughter that stayed free started struggling for her relations to be discharged and managed to set her brother free. Ferry immediately started constructing an AWD car of Formula-1 class for Italian Cisitalia Company. The money he earned for this order allowed him ransom his father and Anton Piech from Frenchmen.

The Porsches settled in Austrian town Gmund, where automobile enterprise Porsche AG was founded. Then they proceeded to constructing the first car of their own on the basis of Beetle. In 1950 production of the first car of Porsche brand started, that was coupe 356. Ferdinand Porsche died from heart-stroke in January 1951. Shortly before his death the great engineer visited Wolfsburg and for the first time saw hundreds of Beetles moving along its streets swiftly. The old man couldn’t keep from crying, as the dream of his life came true.

After his death Porsche left over 70 original projects. He was a remarkably versatile engineer designing not only passenger cars and trucks, but also tanks, off-roaders, motorcycles, train engines, aircraft engines and even windmills. His business was continued by Ferdinand junior (1909 – 1998). Exactly thanks to his efforts the company got the status of the highest authority in production of sport and racing cars and realizing custom orders. That’s also well-known that classical Russian VAZ 8 and 10 were partially elaborated by Porsche experts.

Rudolph Diesel (1858 – 1913) was a German engineer that constructed a brand new kind of internal combustion engine that was named after him.


An Engineer Can Succeed in Anything

This person constructed an engine that conquered the world, an engine moving trains, vessels and cars. When hearing the word “diesel” the people scarcely perceive it as a German surname, but only as an engine. But in fact that was a real person, a happy and unhappy person at the same time.

He was born in Paris on March 18 1858 and the only thing that distinguished him among other Paris street boys was an unusual neatness of his poor garments. He loved Paris and knew the city really well, since his father, being a bookbinder, sent him to deliver books to many addresses all across the city. They lived as thousands of other Paris citizens and their meal for today depended on how they worked the day before. They also spent their weekends in the common manner and nobody ever recalled they were Germans, not Frenchmen.

Then the War began and their ethnicity was recalled. The faults of Basen and McMahon led to outbursts of xenophobia and discrimination all across the capital. Suddenly they started treating the Diesel family as second-sort people, as “German pigs”. Diesel was only 12, yet he already suffered being discriminated and questioned how could they persecute a person for the religion one chose; how could they persecute a person for political attitudes one accepted? If one was born as a German no prayers to the God and no vows to political leaders could correct the situation, who should be the one to blame?

Many years later, when he became adult, he was reckoned he had 2 motherlands that would accept him – Germany and France. But in fact he had no motherland…

Havre, a sailing vessel with refugees, reticent and cautious German speech, open coasts of England. In several months father persuaded Rudolph leave his starving family and go to his uncle living in Germany and obtain education in Augsburg. So he was 13 when he was deprived of his family surroundings, although his uncle still supported him financially. This kind of independence made him stale and highly disciplined. He obtained such personal traits as pedantry, scrupulousness, modesty and obstinacy.

The genuine German diligence ripened within his heart. Probably because of his solitude he became the best student of his secondary school, then a polytechnic college and was treated kindly by a visiting professor and invited to Munich to enter a higher technical school.

In spring 1878 in Munich Rudolph had the fateful 45 minute long lecture given by professor Linde (the inventor of refrigerators) that concerned the thermodynamic cycle researched by great Sadi Carno, a marvelous process allowing transfer up to 70% of heating capacity of fuel used. On the margins of his student copybook Rudolph made some quick notes in order to recall his idea later, which read: “Research the practical use of isotherm”. That was simply a footnote that basically turned into a many-year program setting the direction of all his further life. Since then Karno’s spirit was following him.

He had a precise vision of his automobile and even described it in a brochure; finally he took out a patent for his dream. In a while he managed to set control over combustion process; increased the compression inside cylinder to 250 atmospheres; rejected the water cooling system; used carbon dust for feeding his engine; however the most important thing was that he managed to realize Karno’s isotherm in metal, in reality.

That was within the course of his problem, only he didn’t manage to fulfill one of its points.
Everything turned out to be more difficult. At that time Diesel already could realize how difficult that would be to maintain high pressure and to make the carbon dust burn, but he didn’t realize how difficult it would be to get sponsorship from Krupp and how difficult it would be to have others actively interested in his ideas. Sometimes he felt desperate, finding relief only in music of his favorite composer Wagner. He sent cry from the heart letters to his wife: “…I can endure everything they think about me, but it’s unbearable when they consider me a fool.” And he kept on working on his idea. He woke up very early and slept a little on noon, this way artificially turning the day to 2 dense halves full of hard work.

In July 1893 he finished his first experimental engine. During the very first trial its indicator scattered to pieces and that was the matter of great luck that Diesel stayed alive. The test log read: “This undone apparatus cannot be used for carrying out a work process.” Cannot? Why? Diesel clenched his teeth and went further. On February 17 1894 the testing of new revised engine started. Diesel didn’t witness its first idle running, he only noticed old Linden, his assembling fitter, taking off his oil-stained peaked cap. At that moment diesel engine was born.

Since then he led the life of a merchant, and his bulky trunks covered with colorful stickers no longer laid idle in his lumber-room. His trips to Nuernberg, Berlin, Bar-le-Duke, Fabri, Leipzig, Gent were basically a mix of triumphant parade and marketplace fuss. He felt like winner: “I managed to excel everything existing in car construction before I came so I can state that I’m at the head of technical progress…” Conferences, dinners, public speeches, his luxurious mansion in Munich, oil mines in Galicia, 3 million gold rubles earned in one year…

But he failed to do what he promised; his engine was working on liquid fuel, not carbon dust, as the big holders of Ruhr expected. Triumphant, he didn’t notice that the spears of the great war between Oil and Coal impended over him. His business was growing fast, yet he felt no rest because of these endless insinuations, swoops and attacks: “Diesel didn’t invent anything… He just assembled this invention… He’s not an engineer…”

Trying to escape the evil rumors he traveled all across Europe in his new car, unable to stop, unable to resume working. Two triumphant trips to USA, more banquets, more speeches… Surrounded by all this noise and turmoil he once asked Edison:

- Do you ever think about death? – I make business, not metaphysics, the American answered.
Diesel, this tall perfectly dressed handsome man, turning grey gradually in his age of 55, wearing a strict pince-nez and a perfectly stiff white collar and a cravat, so exhausted, so primed, and at the same time so calm… There he is, standing surrounded by a group of engineers on the board of Dresden vessel. They’re heading towards London, had an excellent supper, enjoyed excellent cigars; his followers saw him off to his cabin. He shook their hands, saying “Goodnight” and “See you tomorrow.”

Next morning they discovered an untouched berth and Rudolph’s precious golden watch he would never leave.
Two days later Vlissingen fishers found the dead body of a well-dressed person in the outfall of Shelda River. They caught it and sailed back home, but the sea seemed to go wild. The fishermen were quite superstitious and decided that Shelda wouldn’t let them go with her victim, so they threw the dead-man back to its waves. This way Rudolph Diesel disappeared. But diesels remained!

The fortune plays with its favourites in very rude way. For example – Louis Renault’s history where were mixed up victory and defeat, admiration and ostracism, talent and grip. The career of brilliant business, design and martial victories brought Renault to the scaffold. To industrialist’s strange death on the 24th of October 1944 was preceded by accusations of dealing with occupants.

The beginning of Louis Renault’s career was typically romantic. Hating school he was fascinated by engineering and mechanics and was spending many hours in workshop. The first practical success was modified on his own automobile with which Renault somehow managed to take street “motor racing” (his car could reach the speed of 40 km/h) victory driving up the slope of Lepic street in Montmartre. It was in 1898, he was about twenty one.

Louis’ enthusiasm turned out so serious that his brothers inspired by him to the heart helped him to establish family company. Renault became the first among French motor factory owners who was trying to change chain-drive with driveshaft and launched mass car production. Renault started on an aggressive export activity right early at the beginning of the century. In tsarist Russia people used to speak that everyone was driving Renault except the tsar (however, he was keeping one specimen in his garage too).

The First World War I added a militant bright to the name of Renault. In September 1914 German army punched through French defense and directed straight to unprotected Paris. Only miracle could save the capital and that happened. Next morning a front appeared along the Marne River line – six hundred Parisian Renault taxi brought several regiments using the dark of night.

Renault Type AG-1 turned into decisive factor in the war and hence deserved its place in National Museum.

During the war the Renault became the general purveyor of Russian front. At the same time Louis Renault met a perpetual rival. The author of “50 years in the ranks”, Russian military agent Alexei Ignatiev recalled that Louis Renault and Andre Citroen always used to take sit opposite each to other during industrialists meeting.

Renault was among the first manufacturers who launched tanks production. One of them – small caterpillar cuttlefish that was captured from interventionists and repaired by Red Army men, took part in Red Square parade in 1919. And in 1925 Louis Renault also provided Soviet Russia with first taxi batch of 120 vehicles.

After brothers’ death, Renault became an personal company owner, so he bought some adjacent factories and changed it into a large-scale industrial complex.

However, Renault went down in the history mainly for its mass automobiles, the company was also producing traditionally bright and expensive auto: XB limousine, Primaquatre, Juvaquatre, Monastella. And these exclusive models, and mass-produced Renault NN model, and even small tanks stood out some way because of their mischievous, extravagant, as well as noticible style.

How could it be that Renault’s brilliant career in auto industry ended with an arrest for collaboration? To be sure, Renault never fit to the standard stereotype of the collaborateur in a blue overcoat with a white police belt, who decided to turn against the nation out of cowardice. Alas, he was a conscious ally of Germany.

In the mid-1930s, the wave of the Depression hit France. Companies dropped like flies. The country was paralysed by civil unrest, and it became necessary to send troops to Renault plants. The pre-war French élite had been defending itself from disaster for two decades already: the First World War, socialists, bird flu, followed by sweet respite in the Twenties; then, crisis, civil unrest and decadence once again.

Those who had something to lose were afraid of war; they were certain that, defeat and victory were equally likely to cause a revolution. In June 1940 Germans broke French army, the British ran away beyond the La-Mansh. French elite deiced to save oneself and France with the help of Germans, as once in the presence of Commune of Paris.

That was looked like as a simple capitulation in the winner’s opinion with the tolerable conditions: half-France with the capital in Vichy was freely. By the Opposition’s legend that was the heap of collaborateurs selection but millions capitulated as a matter of fact. Ones decided to wait the wind of changes, others just wanted to survive without any drama, thirds one saw an obstacle for the States and Soviets with Germans. Even in 1942 French army fought with American paratroopers in Africa and the British were met by “Richelieu” battleship with volleys. People used to speak that Louis Renault hoped to spite Yankee-rivals with the help of Germans. And if the most French industrialists tried to keep distance with Germans, than Renault placed his plants with the state of 40 thousand workers at German's disposal. He wasn’t alone in such behavior.

But Renault involuntarily made his contribution on the France salvation. When allies released Paris, the country came up on the brick of anarchy.

Swinging with the “Capital” by Marks, communists had a dare to require the blood and nationalization

General de Gaulle gracefully disarmed them and promised the expropriation of the “Vichyists” that would establish a state sector not touching the moral principles. Renault plants came in handy then.

On the 24th of October 1944 Renault died charged for collaboration and not reached trial. The death circumstances remained obscured: it is rumored that Renault was tortured. In January of 1945, the plants came under Republic control. The steam gradually came off and unlucky revolutionists got nothing but to put oneself down on a waiting list for 2 hp Citroens by the party ticket.

As one can guess Ferdinand Piech is nobody else but son of Anton and Louise Piech, Ferdinand Porsche’s grandson. Ferdinand Piech was born in 1937, and in 1962 he graduated from Zurich Technical University with a degree in Technical Science Doctor. In 1963 he came in grandfather’s company when just shown off Porsche 911 was at the centre of attention.

Piech’s career was started at Engine Testing Department. In some years he headed Advanced Development Department, and in 1971 he was appointed technical manager of the company. Piech was realized perfectly that Porsche was an average-scale company that exerted, well to say, unimportant influence on car history course, and he was intended to preserve the mystery of his uncle for a long time. That’s why two years later Piech without any conflicts with relatives moved on to Audi-NSU Auto Union AG Corporation and gained the position of general manager of Testing Department. One year later he was appointed the manager of technological engineering and in 1983 took up the post of Audi AG directors committee vice-chairman.

Ferdinand Piech kept on Ferdinand Porsche’s line and very soon he persuaded colleagues to change branding logotype for Audi rescue. Sportcars became the priority of the company’s operation: in 1983 was established Quattro GmbH Department, and in 1983-84 years all-wheel drive Audi Quattro was dominating in World Rally Championship. One by one increasingly powerful versions of mass production with all-wheel drive and turbo-supercharging systems were put up on sale.

In 1988 sedan V8 production start was aimed at beating BMW 7 – series and Mercedes-Benz S-class. The mass production of elongated version of V8 Lang model was launched as well. The model was accepted considerable cool but the main aim was reached: Audi gained a deserving place among the world motor-car industry elite. Some years later Piech’s expectation that sportive sedan from Ingolstadt would begin to press BMW cars was justified.

In 1988 Ferdinand Piech became a chairman of Audi AG. He followed the policy of minimizing the expenses of the company that gave a rise to unfavorable criticism and even resistance, however, a continuing growth of the make prestige and the circumstance that it successfully survived the recession of sales at the beginning of ninetieths confirmed Piech’s reputation as a severe but skillful manager once again.

In his presence researching works in the field of aluminum carriage space frame development, multi-valve engine structure were launched, also transmission and antirust protection development were continued. The results showed its worth long since Piech left the company: in 1995 after A4 and A8 debuted, Audi sales volume increased 25%, up to 450 000 cars.

In January 1993 Volkswagen AG supervisory board was recommended Frederic Piech to appoint chairman of directors board. A proposal didn’t meet any objections and grandson was set the head of Volkswagen Company which had his grandfather at its roots. New chief declared that his aim would be to turn Volkswagen into the most profitable motor-car company. One of Piech’s strategy principles was the reduction of general platforms number that was the basement of all concern models construction.

The share of Volkswagen was greatly widened in the markets of remote regions – thus, the model line-up proposed for sales in Latin America and China was the subject to radical inspection. In addition Volkswagen AG absorbed the following makes given the existing Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda were added Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini and Bugatti; there were plans to renascence the pre-war make Horch. Plus Piech unwittingly affiliated with Volkswagen AG Concern Porsche AG Company that belonged to him.

In spite of his age, Ferdinand Piech was keeping abreast of all events and personally was controlling some operations in Volkswagen AG. Since December 1995 Piech was charged with the duty of scientific and technical researches and advanced development, and since November 1996 with sales and production optimization.

On the 18 of January 1999, Piech honored by great number rewards and possessing academic degrees of prestige universities was appointed the president of the ACEA - The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (Association des Constructeurs Européens d'Automobiles).

And for those who takes close interest wealth of people taking high positions in business like Piech we are glad to inform that Ferdinand Piech’s personal fortune is valued 3.5 billion US dollars.

The success history whose name is Citroen

There are famous names in the motor-car construction that don’t let anyone be indifferent. It is only worth to mention the name of Citroen, car experts will glean all possible synonyms right away: audacious and avant-garde style of innovations that take the lead over the time. This is the unique auto make that managed to allocate three own models in the top 10 list of the most famous cars of XX century.
It is impossible to narrate about “Citroen” company and its influence on car history not mentioning previously about Andre Citroen, the company’s founder, was first one in Europe who started car’s repetition work in 1919 year.

If there is a good intention,
the price is out of importance.
Andre Citroen.

Andre Citroen was born on the 5th of February 1878, in a family of successful merchant. His father was a joint owner of enterprises that were engaged in processing and selling gems. But it was not his father who taught Andre business wisdom. When future auto maker was about six years old, Levi Bernard Citroen took his own life. However, he left a lot to his family: a huge legacy plus contacts in financial and industrial circles of Paris.

Those times, son usually kept on father’s business. But the trade didn’t attract Andre. In 1889 he entered Polytechnic school and when he graduated from it at the age of 23 he started a job in workshops owned by his friends - brothers Estens, where parts for steam locomotives were being produced.

In 1905 Citroen became a partner of Estens, having invested in business the entire legacy he inherited after his parents. He arranged gear-making producing much more perfect than it was being produced by business rivals. Cog-wheel was devised unknown polish self-taught mechanic. Citroen just discerned timely that new technology held much promise and took out a patent for utilization. Cog-wheels very soon came in popular demand in international markets – in London, Brussels and even Moscow that made a profit to company owners.

From here it originates the company emblem in the form of turned over letters “V” that sketch mitre gear. They call “double chevron” this emblem in France.

Citroen fulfilled the duties of commercial and technical director and very soon he ceased to have rivals. The name of young entrepreneur became a legend and helped him in 1908 to take the technical director chair of successful Mors automobile plant.

Here Citroen developed feverish activity as well: he recruited fresh brains, modernized cars structure and design; proposed to put prices down. Hence success came immediately, sales abruptly increased.

During the World War I, Citroen proved his abilities again. He set his entrepreneurial talent for the service of the belligerent France and own professional ambitions. In the face of bad French army ammunition provosion, Citroen enters into negotiations with Ministry of Defence and proposes to set going the repetition work of ammunition within three months.

The project seems to be unrealizable to Ministry of Defence. However, Citroen convinced the government to conclude a treaty with him. Citroen raised money for the new factory establishing very quickly: the government advanced money to an enterprise 20% of bargain, the other lacking funds were taken in loan from his friends – manufacturers, financiers.

For a short period of time factories of weapon repetition work spring out practically of nowhere up in the Parisian quay Javelle producing more ammunition than the other factories in the country taken together. Citroen explains his own progress only with one word – organization.

Yet in the heat of the war Andre Citroen placed an order for engineers to design an automobile that took his name afterwards. And there it goes, after war when the cannonade ceased, Citroen had everything to start own automobile manufacturing: experienced, highly skilled workers; production facilities where ammunition was produced before, and huge financial resources earned during the war.

He visited the USA once and took closer look at American methods of automobiles production at Ford’s factories and in 1919 proceeded to produce automobiles in former armourers factory in the quay Javelle conjointly with designer Julien Salomon, the creator of the prosperous Le Zebre automobile. Citroen strived for producing 100 automobiles per day.

In contrast to his European rivals, Citroen built up production according to the American principle, started with producing only one model. Since then his main aim was the conversion of an automobile from unaffordable wonder item into widely available ordinary consumer’s pleasure.

Fuel-efficient cars that were advertised for sale at a low price were sold out as hot patties. Gradually model branch was enlarged and for the first decade of work the company increased the output of automobiles almost 50 times.

The first model was type A (“Citroen A”) with engine capacity 1300 cc and motor power rating of 74 kW/10 hp, produced in May 1919. Andre Citroen was at the age of 41 by far. The production volume was 100 automobiles per day - that was incredible given the level of automobile production in France for the moment.

Incognito for everybody, Andre Citroen was disassembling and scrutinizing such famous American cars as “Buick”, “Nash”, “Stoodbaker” in his factory, and studied possible methods of repetition work on them.

Actually his “Citroen A” simultaneously became the first European-scale serially manufactured automobile.

For four years the production ratio amounted to the three hundred automobiles per day. At the same time Citroen produced new “people’s” 5 CV automobile that was named “Trefle” (trefoil).
Citroen also was the first one who began to think about long-term advertisement opportunity. The point is that Citroen produced more than 60 thousand cars in 1925 year, and in 1929 – about 100 thousand. Such favorable outcome allowed Citroen to gain the first position production volume in France, and subsequently in Europe. But to automobiles product was just one step that’s why trade incentives and issues caught his attention so thoroughly. In order to catch interest of consumers, Citroen developed a scalable and complex advertising campaign for his cars and his name that transformed into automobile make name.

His company launched production of “Citroen” car toys, a duplicated copy of real cars. In order to insert the image of Citroen cars into every driver’s mind, there were set up indicators and traffic signs crowned with “double chevron” throughout the France.

For the sake of potential clients attraction so called “advertising races” were held round remote regions of France. In the course of automobiles journey company specialists were explaining about the features of one or another model via loud-speakers. Verbal speeches were entailed by bright bills, placards, amusing quizzes and lotteries that were held during the exhibitions. As a result, from 3% to 15% of visitors went home in own auto.

Goods demonstration in Citroen’s opinion was the best advertising way. “Exhibitions are the most effective and the least expensive advertising method. None of sophisticated advertising methods can be compared to exhibition. The impression of seen with one’s own eyes is much greater than of advertising that could be read in the newspaper” – businessman was thinking.

Citroen was never stingy about everything relating to his cars. So, in 1929 he built up an auto shop, the front was made of solid glass window with height 21 m(69 ft) and width 10 m(33 ft). It made it possible to supervise multitude of cars right from outside, placed on six circles through this transparent wall, 19 tons (21 US tons) of glass were use there. Then Citroen established own insurance company and his own blue and yellow traffic signs.

Once he heard about one English aircraft pilot who could paint letters in the sky with special white track of the plain. Citroen had a burning desire to paint his name in the sky. The wish was fulfilled: the letters of the entrepreneur’s name of four-hundred-meters (1312 ft) appeared in the sky stretching for 5 km (3.1 miles). In some minutes the inscription dissolved. The performance cost enormously big money but the impression effect was really worth the every penny.

The culmination of the promotional Citroen activity, corroborated with his own vanity, became the project “Eiffel tower in the lights”. Having placed 125,000 lights the company presented unforgettable show. One by one the images flashed out on the tower: Eiffel tower silhouette, starlit rain, the comet-flying, signs of the zodiac, the year of the tower creation, current year and eventually the name of Citroen.

Andre Citroen one of the first believed in international destination of automobile and confirmed his faith by participation in the adventurous activities like rally in Africa and Asia.

B2 model with engine power rating of 14.8 kW / 20 hp and semi-caterpillar chassis managed to pave the way through the Sahara; and Central Asia was conquered by C4 model as well as Arctic part of Canada afterwards.

Citroen was sending gramophone records with cars advertising to the customers. The economic crisis at the beginning of 30ies was the reason of Citroen’s activity decay.

In 1933 Citroen decided entirely reconstruct the factories in the quay Javelle. Having laid out vast sums of money, Citroen accomplished a reconstruction in a record short term – within 5 months only. At enterprise of total area 55,000 square meters of useful square (592,020 sq. ft) was erected giant manufacturing conveyer with productivity of 1,000 automobiles per day. This number reflected the demand for cars of the whole French auto market at that time.

But unfortunately giantomania of Citroen eventually turned against him. The financial part was an Achilles' heel for Citroen. He always lived with massive debts, attracting big sums of investment for his risky projects. His needs for money permanently took the lead over his financial opportunities. He had to pay for being so risky in 1934, at the very climax of economic crisis. The creditors refused in a new investments while reduction of demand for Citroen cars prevented Andre from the opportunity to overcome financial difficulties via his own capabilities. After some futile attempts to find the sources of finance, Citroen had to declare oneself a bankrupt. The tire maker Michelin received 60% of Citroen stocks that time.

Citroen didn’t live to see the success of a new revolutionary project with front drive, the conceptions that company didn’t reveal till the nowadays. Andre Citroen died in March 1935. His sudden death French mass media explained for several reasons: “monsieur Citroen was dead of incurable illness. It is quite possible that befallen financial hardship served to precipitate his death. Possibly the daughter’s death lied him down.”

However, Citroen’s 20 year long impetuous activity and achievements perpetuated his name for centuries. It still embellishes one of the most worldwide famous automobiles – Citroen.
“If there is a good intention, the price is out of importance.” – spoke Andre Citroen.

As a final summarizing it is important to stress that Andre Citroen quite was right and the true of his words has confirmations nowadays – genuine cars connoisseurs will not grudge money for the masterpieces of automobiles manufacturing which bear the name of Citroen.

When Honda was still a child, he had a dream. He dreamt that one day he would own a car. And scarcely had he ever assumed that one day he would not only have a car, but also become one of the giants of car industry. Honda was predetermined by the destiny to influence the automobile and motorcycle industry like no one else in the history.

His contribution was the drastic change of both the products and the entire market of its. He was the person responsible for construction of motorcycle that became so well-spread and popular among the people so is led to appearance of a new vast market segment. The products of Honda were constructed both for men and women, plus they fitted the middle class that was seldom targeted by manufactures.

The strengths of Honda were technical elegance, stylish design and market intuition. He didn’t have an engineering background or experience, since he only completed 8 grades. He knew nothing about marketing, finances and distribution; being a child of agrarian Japan he didn’t have a notion about big business and international trade. He reached success despite of Zaibatsu Japanese conglomerates who considered him an outsider and an insurgent. His success was stunning not only for Japan, but also for Germany that occupied a big part of car market and for America that possessed most of the rest markets.

The elegant solutions Honda suggested for complex problems, based on following the simpler ways. This approach was also peculiar to other great innovators of the world. He didn’t obtain an education and didn’t realize all the technical nuances that allowed him follow the trial-and-error way that was also used by, for example, Edison. By the beginning of 80ies Honda became the third among the greatest car manufacturers of Japan; by the end of 80ies he was occupying the third place on world car market. In 60ies he already dominated motorcycle production (70% of the market) and by the 1990ies he produced over 3 million motorcycles monthly and still keeps 60% of the world market today. That was quite good for a person with 8-grade education who had a dream and enough determination to make this dream come true. George Gilder considered Honda “The most outstanding, brilliant and successful industrialist in automobile production after Henry Ford.” British Sandy Times wrote in its automobile survey of 80ies wrote: “The appropriateness of Honda’s technical solutions, similar to the jeweler’s works, astonished every car engineer I ever encountered.”

Honda accomplished just another “impossible” breakthrough by proving the specialists that they were wrong stating that the American workers could not assemble a high-quality car on Japanese level. In mid 70ies he built a factory in Marysville, state Ohio and dispelled this myth by producing a car fitting perfectly the quality standards of Japanese car industry. Exactly this car – Honda Accord became the best-seller American car of 80ies and still kept its status in 90ies. Because of the success of this model Honda became the first Japanese manager who was recorded at the Hall of fame of American car industry.

Biography

Soichiro Honda was the first-born in a very poor family living at Hamamatsu, an agrarian province of Japan. He was born on November 17 1906 not far from Akio Morita, the founder of Sony Company. Morita was born in a rich family that owned tennis-courts and other advantages; as for Honda, he was a son of a poor blacksmith making money for living by repairing bicycles. This early involvement with sport vehicles shaped significantly Honda’s future interest in motorcycles. The lessons his father gave him shaped his skills of solving engineering problems and became a key factor in his elementary education. His family was so poor so 5 children died of starvation when infants.

Soichiro was a poor student and often shirked school, because he detested the formal educational process the school offered. He preferred the experimental approach and always studied more successfully through his own experience and mistakes. He always adored automobiles and machinery and was literally hypnotized when being a child he saw an automobile for the first time in his life. A quotation from his biography:
“I forgot everything in the world and ran after the car... I was deeply excited… I think, exactly at that time, although I was still a small child, I got the idea of constructing a car myself one day.” (Sanders, 1985)

In the beginning of 50ies Honda created a company and invaded the overcrowded motorcycle production company. During 5 years he effectively eliminated 250 concurrent firms (50 of them were Japanese). His model titled Dream was presented in 1950. Actually it was the realization of his childhood dream of building a superior vehicle. The Super Cub model followed, released since 1955 in Japan and since 1957 in USA under its already famous advertising slogan: “You meet the nicest people on a Honda”. Thanks to the uniqueness of this product supported by an impressive advertising campaign Honda achieved sustainable success and changed this brand of industry that was stagnated for some period of time. By 1963 Honda became the dominating force in motorcycle business in most world countries, turning Harley Davidson and Italian motorcycle-production companies into dust.

Honda was the person who turned motorcycle industry into a market with 3 milliard USD annual turnover. His original design and marketing ideas were the catalyst that changed the motorcycle image from an attribute of the men “wearing black leather jackets” of the cult Harley to a “marry family vehicle for middle-class”. Honda was the first company manufacturing this kind of products, so we can state that exactly this company changed this industry and is dominating in it as much as not a company before or afterwards.

After strengthening his company’s positions in motorcycle industry energetic and ambitious Honda decided to conquer the automobile market and gambled on racing cars. His first racing car debuted in 1962. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry of Japan affirmed him that Japan didn’t need just another automobile manufacture. Honda ignored them in his special manner as he ignored the market specialists who predicted his failure in USA. In 1970 he entered the concurrent automobile business that didn’t encounter any successful entries since 1925, when Walter Chrysler entered this complex money-consuming market as a neophyte. Before these two events – the success Chrysler and Honda’s attempt 10 companies failed, including Packard, Hudson, Studebaker, Kaiser, Willys, Taker, Crosly and quite recently DeLorean. Honda not only managed to do it, but also eliminated those standing on its way.

One of the first branches Honda attacked was the vulnerable spot of car industry – the exhaustion gases standards set by the American government. Neither of the industrial giants could cope with this big problem, neither American General Motors, Ford, Chrysler nor Japanese giants – Toyota and Nissan nor German authorities – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche. They solved this problem by constructing a catalytic converter. Honda made solving this problem the first priority and was doubtlessly victorious over all these giants by introducing a new low-pollution CCBC engine. This engine that effectively solved the problem of pollution was installed on the Civic model, which was set to production in 1975 and immediately became a best-seller.

Honda completed his secondary school in 1922 and straight away moved to Tokio, where he became an apprentice at a car repair service. After six years of apprenticeship he gathered enough money for establishing the first car repair service in his native town (1928). That very year he got the first of several hundreds patents for the idea of replacing the wood spokes of automobiles with metal ones. That was Honda’s first trip to the world of inventions that paved the way for his further incredible engineering solutions. Practically each of these was a simple solution of a complex problem. Honda was an ordinary person, but his gift was finding simple solutions for any problems emerging around his products.

Business and individual survival

Honda became famous after in 1938 he invented a Kolbenring. He established a new company that produced such rings for Toyota Company (Tokyo). His company kept on functioning during the War and his factory wasn’t any damaged during bombings. The earthquake of 1945 ruined it completely. Honda was frustrated he sold everything off and got a part-time job. His introduction to motorcycle market was absolutely accidental.

Once in 1946 Honda faced a problem, he didn’t have petrol for a car so he took one of the numerous engines abandoned by American Army and attached it to his bicycle. This engine worked on kerosene. Such simple elegant solutions of fundamental problems were a common approach of Honda. Then he was constructing mopeds for his friends. After completing a dozen of such orders, innovative Honda obviously assumed that the market for such vehicles was much bigger. In 1948 he founded Honda Motor Company for constructing and producing mopeds.

The first moped Honda produced was equipped with D engine (“D” comes from dream). The E model of Dream type was set to production in 1951 and by 1958, when Super Cub hit the US market, Honda became the first-rate moped manufacture of Japan, leaving behind 50 competitors. The Super Cub model was equipped with a unique footboard that became especially popular among women and teenagers. Soon, thanks to “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” advertising campaign this model started a real industrial revolution. This advertising campaign that cost 5 million dollars became the best-seller of 1962 and fulfilled its task successfully by creating a biker’s image favorable for popularizing the motorcycle. Since then the image of a “Hell’s Angel” wearing a black leather jacket vanished away. A marketing research proved that this Unisen-styled was an engineering breakthrough. Due to its effective engine, low price and excellent design qualities the market of this model expanded to millions of units.

In 1961 Honda produced 100,000 motorcycles monthly; by 1968 the millionth motorcycle was produced in USA. By the middle of 80ies Honda held 60% of world market; by 1990 the annual production reached 3 millions. This fellow watched the dream of his childhood come true and was preparing to conquering new markets.

Honda entered the automobile market in 1970 with his model Civic. He kept on equipping his models with technical innovations in the same way as he did when conquering the motorcycle market, and he still was not the beloved son of Japanese automobile industry. He was a real rebel, and that became especially apparent after in 1974 an oil crisis burst in Japan and all Japanese manufacturers agreed to decrease the production volume and increase prices. Only Honda rejected it and did everything conversely, just like Henry Ford used to do. He negated the economical model of Galbraith, according to which the production should decrease in such circumstances, and that was absolutely inconceivable. Honda doubled production and decreased the prices to greater extent than Ford 50 years before. Honda, who didn’t have a notion about price flexibility, was actually right. The sales volume of Nissan and Toyota decreased by 40%; sales volume of Honda increased by 76% and kept on rising quickly. By 1987 Honda was the most rapidly developing company of the world.

Behavior characteristics

In his youth Soichiro Honda behaved himself rather thoughtlessly and was a real ladies man. He was known as a “Playboy from Hamamatsu”, a person that responded to any provocations. Once his love for fun and careless entertainment led to that he fell off a bridge with two chicks in a car. He saved them by throwing them out of windows.

This extravagant person was known as Mr. Thunder among his employees. He was nicknamed in this way because of his emotional outbursts in response to the folly of workers. They loved Honda but were afraid of his anger.

The spirit of freedom peculiar to many inventions of Honda shows that he really was constantly pondering about his brainchildren. He was possessed by the spirit of freedom and kept on struggling against traditions through his entire career. He refused to employ at Honda specialists that had a formal many-year education, because he felt that their dogmatic thinking would be an obstacle in his search for innovations. His dreams about the truth and his perception of the world are reflected in a popular roman by R. Pirsig “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (1964), where the motorcycle served as a metaphor of freedom. “We identify the motorcycles we create with ourselves.” This statement characterizes the prescient innovator Soichiro Honda who realized this truth better than anyone else and was persistent in self-improvement and inmprovement of his products.

Honda was an extravert intuitively sensing the business perspectives and using his analytical thinking for problem-solving. He had a Prometheus temper coupled with firm convictions and steady position in life. He had such character traits as impatience, rebelliousness, and high resistance to failures. This person never surrendered facing just another problem. Honda was intolerant to common and traditional methods. He resisted the influence of world trends on Hondo Motors that was governed by its unique principles. He accused the formal education that it brings up specialists avoiding any risks. He was reckoned that academic education endows specialists with distrust in intuition and implementation of innovative methods of problem-solving. He admitted his mistakes, that is obvious from his speech at the Technical University of Michigan:
“Looking back at my work I feel that I made nothing but mistakes, series of errors, serious omissions. But I’m also proud of my achievements. Although I made one mistake after another my mistakes and failures were never caused by the same reason twice.”

Honda paid much attention to experimental work and resisted any attempts of controlling him or his company through the traditional caste system. In his interview for New-York Times he said: “The government officials always protect the societal interests. But they always oppose those intending to introduce something new.” This innovator operating his right-hemisphere thinking almost made establishment go nuts with his constant experiments. He was against the hierarchal form of management that is implied in the following quotation: “Generally, people work more effectively and innovatively when they aren’t subjected to constraint. It’s way different at the enterprises where they are strictly commanded what to do.” What astuteness! Since then psychologists provided the evidence that he was right, so the modern progressive management styles are quite close to Honda’s methods.

The disposition to taking risks.

Honda really loved risking. In mid-30ies he was close to death after an accident on a race. He won the race, but got in an accident behind the finish line, then he spent 3 months in a hospital and afterwards he was prohibited to take part in racing. When being 60 Honda mastered operating his personal helicopter and scared his passengers so much so he had to let professionals pilot it.

His vehemence was a legend. He didn’t take failures seriously and could risk everything for his convictions and ideas. His refusal to decrease the production volumes due to OPEC oil crisis in mid-70ies was the best step possible. Honda Motors would have sunk into oblivion if he doubted his choice. But he was positive about the decision he made, that’s why Honda became a great force in car industry.

A story from Akio Morita’s biography “Made in Japan” (1986) provided clear evidence of Honda’s venturesome character. Morita described the unbending, risky and competitive nature of Honda. When he was considering coming out to the world automobile market, Yamaha, his main enemy in motorcycle production, saw an opportunity of winning the market from Honda taking an advantage of its financial vulnerability. Yamaha constructed numerous new models and decreased the prices, being sure that Honda was too busy building automobiles to respond. Yamaha was wrong. Honda responded involving all his resources and they started a real war to death.

According to Morita, Honda managements responded immediately despite of its complicated financial circumstances. They struggled by constructing a new model weekly during one year. Yamaha could not compete with that and finally had to change its top-management.

Persistence personified
Honda did for motorcycle industry what Henry Ford did for automobile one. He got an inoperative stagnant market and made it active and dynamic. His strong determination for realizing his dream of a superior vehicle was realized in elegant automobiles. Honda became the permanent trendsetter in motorcycle design all around the world from mid-50ies to the beginning of 90ies. Acura car produced by Honda was the world bestseller car in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992, according to “Car and Track” magazine. In 1991 Honda constructed another hyper-popular sport car NSX. In 1993 Honda won praise from J. D. Power over again, as Acura again was nominated the most popular model in USA. Honda was considered the biggest company among those formed after the World War 2 in Japan.

In March 1988 the “Motor Trend” magazine published a rating of the most popular world cars and its top 3 positions were taken by Honda models CRX, Civic and Prelude. Just another complimentary article was published in “Car and Driver” magazine that stated that Accord was among the top-10 the most popular cars of USA. Concerning the unofficial information that they planned to revise this model, the author of this article responded in the following way: “It’s something similar to revising Sistine chapel of Acropolis, it would be really stupid.”

All these acknowledgements and the company’s success are the merit of a person originating from a poor family from a small Japanese town, a person with an up-to-date cast of mind and a willingness to risk on his search for innovations, which worked really well in USA. In Japan, where the societal loyalty is considered the highest priority, Honda was considered a genuine non-conformist. His nickname Mr. Thunder seemed irrelevant to his low stature and inconceivable behavior of a typical Japanese manager. He was a bright example of determination, modesty, and agreeable manners, plus the ability to take mistakes as the most valuable asset.

Henry Ford was born in Springfield village (state Michigan) on July 30 1863. He was the eldest of 6 children of William and Mary Ford, who ran a successful farming business. Henry’s childhood passed at his parents’ farm. He was helping his parents with the farm and attended an ordinary village school. From his very childhood Henry expressed an active interest in machinery, which actually led him to the status of one the most famous world industrialists.

The Experience

When Henry was 12 he equipped a small workshop, where he enthusiastically spent all his free time. Exactly at that workshop he constructed his first steam engine several years later. In 1879 Henry Ford moved to Detroit, where he got a job of an engine-driver’s mate. 3 years later Ford moved to Dearborn and during 5 years he was working constructing and repairing steam-engines, sometimes earning additionally on a factory in Detroit. In 1888 he married Clara Bryant and shortly after he became a manager of a timber mill.

In 1891 Ford took the position of engineer at Edison Illuminating Company and in 2 years he was promoted to the position of the chief engineer of the Company. His good salary and sufficient spare time allowed him devote more time to constructing an internal-combustion engine.

The Quadracycle.

The very first internal-combustion engine was assembled by Ford in his kitchen. Then he decided to install it onto a frame with 4 bicycle wheels. This way in 1896 quadracycle appeared, the vehicle that was the first automobile manufactured by Ford.

Own Business

After leaving Edison Illuminating Company in 1899 Henry Ford founded a firm of his own titled Detroit Automobile. Although the firm failed soon, Ford managed to build several racing cars. Ford himself participated a car race in October 1901 and won the Champion of USA Alexander Winton.

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company was formed in 1903. Its founders were 12 businessmen from Michigan state headed by Henry Ford, who had 25.5% of the stocks and held the position of vice-President and chief engineer of the company. The former wagon factory of Mack Avenue (Detroit state) was converted into an automobile manufacture. A group of 2-3 workers supervised directly by Ford assembled automobiles from components custom-built by other firms. The first automobile the company produced was sold on July 23 1903. Since 1906 Henry Ford was the President and the main proprietor of the company.

In 1908 Henry Ford realized a dream of his by releasing a T model, a reliable and inexpensive automobile that became one of the most popular mass automobiles of that time. Exactly appearance of Ford T model started a new era of development of individual transport means. Ford’s automobile was easy to drive, it didn’t require special technical maintenance and could even master the rural roads.

The New Generation.

In 1919 Henry Ford and his son bought up the stocks of the rest stockholders for 105,568,858 USD and became the only owners of the company. That very year Edsel inherited the President’s post from his father he was occupying until his death in 1943. After the premature death of his son Henry Ford had to govern the company again.

Retirement

In September 1945 Henry Ford passed his credentials to the elder of his grand-children Henry Ford Jr. In May 1946 Henry Ford Sr. was awarded with a honorable prize for his contribution to automobile industry; at the end of the year the American Petroleum Institute presented him with a gold medal for his merits in the society.

The Ending of Epoch

Henry Ford died at the age of 83 at his house in Dearborn on April 7 1947. That was the ending of a whole epoch in the history of Ford Motor Company that keep on actively developing despite of the death of its founder.

Cugnio mover was one of the very first steam-enigines, produced by N. J. Cugnio in Paris in 1770. Nicolas Joseph Cugnio was born in Lorraine in 1725. Since his youth he showed his worth as a very promising inventor and rationalizer. As long as he wasn’t well-to-do enough himself he was unable to sponsor his experiments, he had to join French military forces and being a captain of French army he invented a lot. Some of these are still actual today. Steam-engine is what especially attracted ingenious Cugnio. He pondered much about a way of using it for constructing self-propelled carriages, especially about a way to decrease their size and weight, and increase their power. In 1764 the Minister of War of France officially ordered him to construct a steam-engine necessary for moving French artillery. Cugnio designed a model of a small mover and in 1769 publicly demonstrated it in Paris at that very spot St. Magdalene’s temple is located today. This vehicle made 4.5 km/h; the work cycle of its steam-boiler was just 12 minutes. As this cycle was over, the steam-boiler had to be filled afresh with water, and then boiled over a bonfire for several hours in order to continue movement for 12 more minutes. Despite of all these drawbacks the French Minister of War liked the steam-engine so much so he immediately ordered Cugnio to project a bigger machine. On the 22nd of 1770 this vehicle was subjected to approbation by an official representative of civil and military departments. It made less than 4 km/h, but there was an independent oven attached to the steam-boiler so it was no longer necessary to start a bonfire under the steam-boiler. The 1-cylinder steam-engine was located right above the front wheel of this vehicle. These solid bronze cylinders were 325 millimeters in diameter, 378 mm piston stroke. The drive momentum was delivered from piston to the wheel via a fork-and-pin mechanism. By changing its position the operator could start reverse movement. Initially the demonstration of this vehicle went well, but later the control system jammed, the mover hit a wall and it collapsed. Despite of this heavy blow the mover wasn’t any damaged and that proved the great durability of this war machine. Nevertheless, as it usually happened in history, the inventor lost his luck after the Minister of War fell into disgrace at court. Indifferent to everything and forgotten by everyone Cugnio died in 1804 in Brussels. Only once more the fire was started under the steam-boiler of his vehicle, when it was being transported from the arsenal building to Conservatoire Nationale des Arts et Metier in Paris. Today it’s still exhibited there.