April 4 2017 The Hague, the Netherlands / Bern, PRESS RELEASE

Rebuilding original 1933 VW Beetle forerunner

Crowdfunding project aims to rebuild the original «» of Jewish engineer Josef Ganz The Hague, the Netherlands / Bern, Switzerland – Unique crowdfunding project aims to restore the original «Volkswagen» developed by Jewish engineer Josef Ganz and presented before at the 1933 motor show. Fast forward five years: Hitler introduces the Volkswagen to the German people while the Nazis deliberately erased Josef Ganz from the pages of history.

Only surviving car This project is initiated by Paul Schilperoord from the Netherlands, writer of the book The Ex- traordinary Life of Josef Ganz – The Jewish Engineer Behind Hitler’s Volkswagen, and Lorenz Schmid, a Swiss-born relative of Josef Ganz. Together, we secured the only surviving rolling chassis of Josef Ganz’s «Volkswagen»: the type I. An estimated number of around 250 cars were built in April to September 1933.

Presentation at Louwman Museum Our car survived as it was kept on the road in East for decades, but the bodywork has been largely modified using Trabant parts. Working with professional restorers, we want to rec- reate the original wooden bodywork of this car – and use the car to promote the work of the for- gotten genius Josef Ganz. We aim to unveil the finished car in 2018 during a special event at the prestigious Louwman Museum in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Milestone in automotive history The Standard Superior is the embodiment of Josef Ganz‘s propaganda campaign «For the German Volkswagen». As editor-in-chief of Motor-Kritik magazine, in the period 1928-1933, he outlined the specifications for this future car: low-slung, streamlined, backbone chassis, rear-mounted engine, fully independent suspension with swing axles and a price not exceeding 1,000 Re- ichsmark. His vision first materialized in his 1931 Maikäfer (May Bug) prototype. Josef Ganz inspired the industry to develop radical new prototypes – including the Zündapp Type 12 and NSU Type 32 «Volksauto» prototypes by . At the time of its in- troduction at the Berlin motor show in 1933, the Standard Superior was the only 4-wheeled, rear-engined production car in Germany. It even inspired Hitler to realize the ultimate Volk- swagen for the German people, developed by Porsche. Sadly, Ganz was nearly assassinated and erased from history.

Unique perks Our crowdfunding campaign kicks off on the Indiegogo platform on 1 May 2017. Working with selected partners, we offer a number of unique perks in return for support. We will offer an ex- clusive 20% discount combo pack for super early bird backers, including: • Unique event to present the finished car at the Louwman Museum (www.louwmanmuseum.nl) in The Hague, the Netherlands – backers can even go for a ride; • Brand-new collector’s set of 4 unique «pre-Volkswagen history» 1:43 scale models – includ- ing the Mercedes-Benz 120 (W17), NSU Type 32, Standard Superior type II and Tatra V570 – by AutoCult (www.autocult.de); • Biography The Extraordinary Life of Josef Ganz – The Jewish Engineer Behind Hitler’s Volkswagen signed by author Paul Schilperoord.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 4 2017 The Hague, the Netherlands / Bern, Switzerland PRESS RELEASE SPONSORS

Paul Schilperoord (left) and The Standard Superior type I The Standard Superior type I Lorenz Schmid (right) with project car. project car. the Standard Superior type I project car.

The original Standard Superior The original Standard Superior Original brochure for the Stan- type I (left) next to the Zündapp type I, Germany, 1933. dard Superior type I, Germany, Type 12 prototype (right) by Fer- 1933. dinand Porsche, Berlin, 1933.

Cover of Motor-Kritik showing Josef Ganz, Australia, 1960s. Set of 1:43 scale models by the chassis oft he Standard Su- AutoCult, including the Mer- perior, Germany, 1933. cedes-Benz 120 (W17), NSU Type 32, Standard Superior type II and Tatra V570.

Photos and more information High resolution photos are available by download: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/92ghxxikxwpy6o9/AACPXVg0Fihv3i9GQw9gKpCia?dl=0 For more information on this project please contact Paul Schilperoord in the Netherlands, [email protected], M +31 (0)6 41887902 or Lorenz Schmid in Switzerland, [email protected], M + 41 (0)79 5960096 More information can be found on the website www.josefganz.org/crowdfunding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE