A charismatic, major world leader, who came to leadership through a campaign of change, nationalized a domestic auto manufacturer and dictated that they need to build more fuel-efficient cars that the common man can easily afford. He specified how these cars should be constructed and that they should do this restructuring for the good of the people, the economy, and for the country overall. He ostracized the company’s head executive in the process.
Sound familiar? Keep reading.
The auto manufacturer was instructed to build a car that would carry five people, get 33-mpg, could easily cruise public highways and stay well within the budget of the average household. He suggested that they call this new car “People’s Car.”
In the short term, this led to a new car company, run by the national government, which produced many military and civilian vehicles. They were well-built cars that were ultimately built in several countries and driven the world over. They were produced in several different body and engine configurations.
Over the course of the next 75-years, this automotive manufacturer developed and produced hundreds of thousands of cars that many drivers own and love.
What car am I talking about? Not Ford. Not Chrysler. Not General Motors.
This one.
What world leader am I referring to? Not the one you initially thought.
Reference.
Change you can believe in?
