Ivan Hirst
Encyclopedia
Major Ivan Hirst was a British Army
officer and engineer
who was instrumental in reviving Volkswagen
from a single factory in Wolfsburg
, Germany
, into a major postwar automotive manufacturer
.
, Yorkshire
, England
and attended the Hulme Grammar School
in Oldham. Hirst's family had founded the Hirst Brothers Company, a manufacturer of watches, clocks and optical components in Oldham
. Hirst studied optical engineering at the University of Manchester
, prior to forming his own company repairing optical instruments. While a student he was a member of the university's Officers' Training Corps contingent.
in the 7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
(Territorial Army) on 27 June 1934, and promoted to lieutenant
three years later. A Captain
on the outbreak of the Second World War, he was appointed adjutant
on 1 October 1939. He transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
(RAOC) as a Mechanical Engineering Officer on 14 November 1941, and to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
(REME) on its formation on 1 October 1942. In the period after the D-Day landings he was in charge of a tank repair facility in Belgium. He landed in Germany
in the summer of 1945, along with his colleague, Colonel Charles Radclyffe, when the British Army
took control of the town of Wolfsburg
. The original intention was to scrap the factory and use the proceeds as war reparations
. But Hirst found a pre-war prototype Volkswagen in a remote workshop on the site and realised that the factory could be used for producing cars
for the British Army. Hence, Hirst and Radclyffe laid the foundations for Volkswagen's successful automotive business.
Much of the machinery had survived the bombing, having been stored in various outbuildings. Cars were put together with old-stock and whatever could be found, many using parts from the Kübelwagen
until 1946, when the factory produced about 1000 cars a month.
Hirst was fascinated by the potential of a four-wheel drive
"Commanderwagon", which he was confident would sell to the French and Canadian foresty industries. He also liked the proven versatility of the Volkswagen chassis demonstrated by Ambi Budd
, Karmann
and other coachworks.
Hirst ended the war as a Major
.
that was the transport of Colonel Charles Radclyffe over the summer months of 1946. The four-seater convertible
was Ivan Hirst's personal transport.
Karmann were asked to build a four-seater, and Hebmüller
were asked to make a two-seater roadster. The design of the roadster was not unlike the 'Radclyffe Roadster', with similar hood and side windows, the rear engine cover, however, was a hand-formed panel, and not a converted front bonnet as was the Radclyffe version.
) to which Hirst belonged, has a relationship with Volkswagen which began in 1945 with a REME detachment using the factory to repair captured enemy vehicles and later to overhaul Jeep and other British Army engines. Major Ivan Hirst, the Control Commission for Germany’s British Senior Resident Officer arrived at the Volkswagen factory in August of that year.
From 1946 the Volkswagen factory focus was on repairing and reconditioning Volkswagens and became known as No 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop. As the company’s prospects improved, the unit became essentially civilian run but directed by the Army. The REME link ended when, on 6th September 1949, ownership transferred to the German Government. Since then VW have recognised the role Ivan Hirst and REME played in their rise from the ashes of WW2. A close bond exists between Volkswagen and REME to this day.
Being a keen amateur photographer, his home was littered with photos taken in the early days at Volkswagen, including one really early photo of a prototype coupe which was very similar to the Hebmüller
cars of the early 1950s.
of a Volkswagen Beetle
that he had been presented with by Volkswagen. The 1:10 scale model, now on display in the REME Museum, was one of three made by Koch in Cologne. The second model was given to Colonel Charles Radclyffe and the third model was presented to Heinrich Nordhoff
, whom the British occupying authorities appointed Managing Director of Volkswagen in early 1948.
Top Gear
magazine, which revealed the story of how Major Hirst revived the Volkswagen car plant. He was also photographed driving a new front-drive, front-engined Beetle
in the magazine. Ivan Hirst had no children.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer and engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
who was instrumental in reviving Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
from a single factory in Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, into a major postwar automotive manufacturer
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
.
Education
Hirst was born in SaddleworthSaddleworth
Saddleworth is a civil parish of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham in Greater Manchester, England. It comprises several villages and hamlets amongst the west side of the Pennine hills: Uppermill, Greenfield, Dobcross, Delph, Diggle and others...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and attended the Hulme Grammar School
Hulme Grammar School
Hulme Grammar School is an independent grammar school situated on and around Chamber Road, about three-quarters of a mile south of the centre of Oldham, Greater Manchester, England, between Frederick Street and Windsor Road.-History:...
in Oldham. Hirst's family had founded the Hirst Brothers Company, a manufacturer of watches, clocks and optical components in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
. Hirst studied optical engineering at the University of Manchester
Victoria University of Manchester
The Victoria University of Manchester was a university in Manchester, England. On 1 October 2004 it merged with the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology to form a new entity, "The University of Manchester".-1851 - 1951:The University was founded in 1851 as Owens College,...
, prior to forming his own company repairing optical instruments. While a student he was a member of the university's Officers' Training Corps contingent.
World War II
Hirst was commissioned as a second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the 7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment
Duke of Wellington's Regiment
The Duke of Wellington's Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army, forming part of the King's Division.In 1702 Colonel George Hastings, 8th Earl of Huntingdon, was authorised to raise a new regiment, which he did in and around the city of Gloucester. As was the custom in those days...
(Territorial Army) on 27 June 1934, and promoted to lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
three years later. A Captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
on the outbreak of the Second World War, he was appointed adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
on 1 October 1939. He transferred to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps
Royal Army Ordnance Corps
The Royal Army Ordnance Corps was a corps of the British Army. It dealt only with the supply and maintenance of weaponry, munitions and other military equipment until 1965, when it took over most other supply functions, as well as the provision of staff clerks, from the Royal Army Service...
(RAOC) as a Mechanical Engineering Officer on 14 November 1941, and to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
(REME) on its formation on 1 October 1942. In the period after the D-Day landings he was in charge of a tank repair facility in Belgium. He landed in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in the summer of 1945, along with his colleague, Colonel Charles Radclyffe, when the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
took control of the town of Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
. The original intention was to scrap the factory and use the proceeds as war reparations
War reparations
War reparations are payments intended to cover damage or injury during a war. Generally, the term war reparations refers to money or goods changing hands, rather than such property transfers as the annexation of land.- History :...
. But Hirst found a pre-war prototype Volkswagen in a remote workshop on the site and realised that the factory could be used for producing cars
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
for the British Army. Hence, Hirst and Radclyffe laid the foundations for Volkswagen's successful automotive business.
Much of the machinery had survived the bombing, having been stored in various outbuildings. Cars were put together with old-stock and whatever could be found, many using parts from the Kübelwagen
Volkswagen Kübelwagen
The Volkswagen Kübelwagen was a military vehicle designed by Ferdinand Porsche and built by Volkswagen during World War II for use by the German military...
until 1946, when the factory produced about 1000 cars a month.
Hirst was fascinated by the potential of a four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive
Four-wheel drive, 4WD, or 4×4 is a four-wheeled vehicle with a drivetrain that allows all four wheels to receive torque from the engine simultaneously...
"Commanderwagon", which he was confident would sell to the French and Canadian foresty industries. He also liked the proven versatility of the Volkswagen chassis demonstrated by Ambi Budd
Ambi Budd
Ambi Budd was a company founded by Edward Gowen Budd in Philadelphia, USA. Budd studied at the University of Pennsylvania and his first work was at a company making automobile wheels from pressed steel rather than by casting. Steel-shaping technology progressed rapidly at the time and soon the...
, Karmann
Karmann
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, commonly known simply as Karmann, in Osnabrück, Germany was until 2009 the largest independent motor vehicle manufacturing company in Germany...
and other coachworks.
Hirst ended the war as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
.
Post War Specials
Two of the most significant 'special' cars developed by Volkswagen while under the control of the British were the 'Radclyffe Roadster', and a four-seater convertible, both custom-built by Rudolph Ringel. The Radclyffe was a two-seater roadsterRoadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
that was the transport of Colonel Charles Radclyffe over the summer months of 1946. The four-seater convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
was Ivan Hirst's personal transport.
Karmann were asked to build a four-seater, and Hebmüller
Hebmüller
The coachbuilding company Hebmüller And Sons was founded in 1889 by Joseph Hebmüller, it was established in the town of Wuppertal in Germany....
were asked to make a two-seater roadster. The design of the roadster was not unlike the 'Radclyffe Roadster', with similar hood and side windows, the rear engine cover, however, was a hand-formed panel, and not a converted front bonnet as was the Radclyffe version.
REME
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REMEReme
Reme may refer to:*Rəmə, Azerbaijan*Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
) to which Hirst belonged, has a relationship with Volkswagen which began in 1945 with a REME detachment using the factory to repair captured enemy vehicles and later to overhaul Jeep and other British Army engines. Major Ivan Hirst, the Control Commission for Germany’s British Senior Resident Officer arrived at the Volkswagen factory in August of that year.
From 1946 the Volkswagen factory focus was on repairing and reconditioning Volkswagens and became known as No 2 REME Auxiliary Workshop. As the company’s prospects improved, the unit became essentially civilian run but directed by the Army. The REME link ended when, on 6th September 1949, ownership transferred to the German Government. Since then VW have recognised the role Ivan Hirst and REME played in their rise from the ashes of WW2. A close bond exists between Volkswagen and REME to this day.
Memories
Hirst had strong memories of his time at Wolfsburg which he would share with his local Volkswagen enthusiasts. The one strongest memory he would refer to regularly was the smell of the fish glue used to fix the cardboard headlinings in early cars. In later life, he became somewhat more reticent about his involvement, often saying that it was only by chance that he had been involved and that if he hadn't done it someone else would have.Being a keen amateur photographer, his home was littered with photos taken in the early days at Volkswagen, including one really early photo of a prototype coupe which was very similar to the Hebmüller
Volkswagen Type 14A (Hebmüller Cabriolet)
The Volkswagen Type 14A is a German automobile produced after the Second World War....
cars of the early 1950s.
Presentation of the model cars
Maj. Hirst once showed a friend a scale modelScale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
of a Volkswagen Beetle
Volkswagen Beetle
The Volkswagen Type 1, widely known as the Volkswagen Beetle or Volkswagen Bug, is an economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen from 1938 until 2003...
that he had been presented with by Volkswagen. The 1:10 scale model, now on display in the REME Museum, was one of three made by Koch in Cologne. The second model was given to Colonel Charles Radclyffe and the third model was presented to Heinrich Nordhoff
Heinrich Nordhoff
Heinz Heinrich Nordhoff was a German engineer famous for his leadership of the Volkswagen company as it was rebuilt after World War II....
, whom the British occupying authorities appointed Managing Director of Volkswagen in early 1948.
Later life
Ivan Hirst died on . Just one month earlier, he had appeared in an edition of the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Top Gear
Top Gear (magazine)
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
magazine, which revealed the story of how Major Hirst revived the Volkswagen car plant. He was also photographed driving a new front-drive, front-engined Beetle
Volkswagen New Beetle
-Specifications:*Dimension:**Length: **Width: **Height: **Wheelbase: **Curb weight: *Max speed: 177–210 km/h *Acceleration : 6.5-13.2 sec-Body styles:-Engine choices:-Safety:...
in the magazine. Ivan Hirst had no children.