Heinz Heinrich Nordhoff was a German engineer who led the Volkswagen company as it was rebuilt after World War II.
11 Facts About Heinrich Nordhoff
2.
Heinrich Nordhoff graduated from the Technical University of Berlin, where he became a member of the Roman Catholic fraternity Askania-Burgundia, and in 1927, began work for BMW working on aircraft engines.
3.
Heinrich Nordhoff was rapidly promoted: in 1936 he was the Commercial-Technical director who presented the company's innovative new small car, the Kadett, to the public.
4.
Heinrich Nordhoff obtained a job as a service manager at a Hamburg garage.
5.
Heinrich Nordhoff became legendary for turning the Volkswagen Beetle into a worldwide automotive phenomenon; he developed export markets and ultimately manufacturing facilities abroad.
6.
Heinrich Nordhoff pioneered the idea of constant improvement while keeping the styling the same.
7.
Heinrich Nordhoff gave liberal benefits to Volkswagen workers and increased pay scales.
8.
In 1955, shortly before the Wolfsburg factory celebrated its millionth Volkswagen, Heinrich Nordhoff was awarded a Federal Service Cross with star.
9.
Heinrich Nordhoff took full credit for the company's successes and has been seen as overly self-promoting; in the 1950s he was nicknamed "King Nordhoff" by the German press.
10.
Heinrich Nordhoff had wanted Carl Hahn, head of Volkswagen of America, to succeed him on his retirement, but the Board of Directors chose Kurt Lotz.
11.
Heinrich Nordhoff had a heart attack in summer 1967, and although he returned to work in October, he died six months later, in April 1968; he was to have retired that autumn.