Chapter 588: Every Family Must Have a Car

The German people were happy because they had enough reasons to be happy. They saw themselves as citizens of the world’s number one power and were gradually adapting to their new lives with a proud and efficient lifestyle.

As large numbers of German troops were transported to the Eastern Front and North Africa along the ever-expanding outer defensive lines, the railways and highways that Germany had built in the early stages to rapidly move its troops began to be used mainly for civilian purposes. The people began to truly enjoy the benefits that the war had brought them and fell in love with this extravagant lifestyle.

The various daily necessities purchased from France and mailed back to the country began to slowly improve the originally tight living standards of the German people. Many things were no longer rationed, and supplies, including bread and various grains, began to be sold in large quantities. These food products from the Polish territory eased the impact that industry had had on German agriculture.

The highways were wide and flat. From Berlin, such roads stretched all the way to Munich and Wilhelmshaven. The road from Paris to Berlin was under repair and would be fully open in a few months at the earliest. The railway was even more terrifying. The Germans had already connected the whole of Europe to their railway network. Without changing trains, one could travel from Paris to Kiev in one go.

Most of the transportation network in France had already been converted to civilian use. After all, the military operations had ended, and everything here had returned to peace. Apart from the occasional patrolling soldiers, no one could feel that this had once been a battlefield of blood and fire.

Berlin’s streets and alleys were plastered with portraits of Führer Akado. Everyone here was already accustomed to greeting each other with “Heil Führer” and to walking quickly on the roads. The unemployment rate in Germany had dropped to an incredible level. Everyone had a job to do, and there were very few idle people loitering on the streets.

For the war, the steel mills, industrial zones, small enterprises, and workshops—the German people were producing the materials urgently needed by the front, bit by bit, without wasting a single second. Most enterprises had already begun to spontaneously work overtime, as the procurement contracts from the military were as numerous as snowflakes. The workers produced day and night, but they could only sigh at the ever-thickening pile of orders and their lack of rest.

The income from overtime had made the German people wealthy. The banks, which had been empty due to the economic collapse, were now worried because the people had more and more money in their hands. The government took out loans to expand the urban area of Berlin, making this already international metropolis even larger and more magnificent.

“As a major industrial power, we must let every citizen experience the earth-shaking changes brought about by our industrial empire,” August said to the reporters below the stage at a regular press conference. “Therefore, after popularizing the radio, the Reich will begin to work on popularizing the automobile. Every family in the Reich will have its own car. This is our promise to the German people.”

“My God,” the reporters below whispered to each other. Although Germany had produced quite a few cars, most of them were still being supplied to the endlessly demanding Wehrmacht. To this day, the United States still had the highest civilian car ownership in the world. Germany was now openly challenging America’s industrial hegemony.

“Mr. Chancellor, as far as I know, to this day, a Ford car costs over 3,000 Imperial Marks, and the cost of using it is even higher. For you to make such a promise to us today, I would like to know what measures you have to fulfill the grand vision you have described,” a reporter asked, raising his hand.

“First of all, by updating our production technology and applying the principles of rational labor distribution, our country has already mastered the core technology to reduce the cost of automobiles,” August said, holding a report from the Volkswagen car company, a subsidiary of the White Orchid Group, and began to recite with great pride. “By borrowing some military technology, the Volkswagen car company will launch a car with a price of around 1,000 Imperial Marks. This car is very fuel-efficient and easy to maintain, and will become the new means of transportation for the people of the Reich.”

This front-wheel-drive car with a canvas top had its production costs lowered by using a large amount of mature technology. The German soldiers particularly liked this car. In most cases, this car could be considered a symbol of the German army. In almost all photos of the panzer forces, the silhouette of this car could be found. It accompanied the German army’s advance, providing reliable transport capability.

To save metal, it used the same corrugated surface design as the Junkers aircraft, which allowed it to achieve a stronger support structure with a thinner metal skin. This car was very light; a strong soldier could even lift its front end. The benefit of being so light was that it was very fuel-efficient, with a fuel consumption of only 7 liters per 100 kilometers. For the German army, which was not rich in fuel, this was undoubtedly a very practical indicator.

To reduce costs, some of the structural strength was greatly weakened, and the top speed was also reduced to 70 kilometers per hour. The engine and the car body both used lower civilian standards, and even the production line was different from the military model. However, this car had two different shell designs. One was the German military’s Kübelwagen style, which looked crude and had no roof. The only advantage of this design was that it was cheap, so cheap that it was tempting.

And the other design was the Beetle design that Akado had personally drawn. This car gave the Volkswagen company a stylish and novel automobile, which fully met the needs of the upper class. The price of this Beetle was a bit more expensive than the Kübelwagen, and the cost was all in that sleek, charming shell.

The low cost meant that if you closed the door and rolled up the window of this car, the noise from the engine would be very frustrating. But in comparison, the price of this car was simply too low, making one unable to resist buying one as a practical tool for family transportation.

“After ensuring the low cost of this car, we will also try to raise the per capita income level of the Germans,” August said. “Every household will have a radio, steak to eat, and a car to use. These are just the beginning. What we ultimately want to achieve is a happy future society, where everyone can find their own place, make their own contribution, and receive an amazing remuneration for their labor!”

“Today, we remove the flowers for the sake of our motherland and plant vegetables in our gardens. In the future, we will see our gardens full of blooming flowers! Our vegetable supply has never been so abundant. The farm crops from Poland are about to mature, and these foods will soon be on the tables of the German people,” August said eloquently to the reporters. What he said were all facts. Germany’s economy had never been so good, and the people’s standard of living was improving at a visible rate.

“The planned annual production of this car is 1 million units. We have already established complete production lines in France and Belgium. When this car begins production, German cars will be the cheapest in the world,” August said, finishing his introduction of the entire Volkswagen company’s production plan and looking at the questioning reporter with a smile.

This reporter was clearly very satisfied with August’s answer. He sat down and began to record August’s words. His colleague handed him a shorthand notebook for him to check for any errors. Another reporter raised his hand and asked a relatively simple question: “Mr. Chancellor, may I ask, will this car be exported?”

August nodded and answered the reporter’s question. “This reporter, Germany’s cars will naturally participate in export competition. I think this new type of car, with its advantage of good quality and low price, will soon be able to monopolize the market. We will not only sell this car in the United States; our customers are in a much wider area. The Chinese, the Indians, the Africans, the South Americans—they will all use this cheap car.”

Akado had once proposed a plan at a representative conference of the Greater Germany Party: to let every family in Germany have a radio, to let every family in Germany have steak on their table, and to let every family in Germany drive their own small car.

This was the famous Führer’s economic development plan. For this plan, the German civilian enterprises had also worked overtime and had launched a frantic leap-forward expansion campaign. Now it seemed that the goal of every German household having a radio had basically been achieved, but the plan for everyone to eat steak was still in progress. After all, the production of crops was much faster than the breeding of beef cattle, and what Germany urgently needed to solve was the problem of hunger and poor food quality, not the tempting goal of every household eating beef.

But as the occupied territories gradually began to resume production, the food on the German people’s tables began to increase. For example, potatoes and vegetable leaves began to be supplied without limit, and bread could also be received in a monthly quota with government-issued welfare tickets. For the Germans who had experienced the financial crisis of 1930, this was already a heavenly life.

The press conference ended in a wave of cheers. August was surrounded by reporters and asked a few more questions, including a question from a French reporter about the Japanese invasion of Australia. August answered some and chose to avoid others. With his entourage, he left the carefully arranged conference room.

In the distant Wolf’s Lair, Akado heard August’s press conference on the German civilian economic revitalization on the radio. He listened with great interest from beginning to end. When only applause and cheers were left on the channel, he turned off the radio and smiled, looking back at Anna, who had come in without disturbing him.

“The people adore you, Akado,” Anna said with a smile. “The German people have never adored a leader so fervently before.”

“I give them a better life, and leave more wealth for their descendants,” Akado nodded and said proudly. “So, the German people cheer for me! They fight for me! They are willing to give their lives for me!”

Published: 2025-09-08T03:37:05.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-09T15:46:14.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c588-every-138391100

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