1949 and West Germany is still struggling to recover from the war. In the summer, the first international auto expo is held in Hannover. The focus is on vehicles for the export market. The star of the show is the new car from Borgward, the Hansa 1500, the earliest proponent of the new pontoon body style in German automobiles. The Hansa targets the export market and those with ready cash. The average German worker is forced to make do with Borgward's wood and leatherette Lloyd 300 (read about it here: https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2022/07/1950-lloyd-ps300.html).
For ordinary Germans there are motorcycles - lots of them. Allied restrictions on the maximum cubic capacity of Germany motorcycles mean the market is dominated by lightweights, but things are beginning to change. Soon restrictions will be lifted and the German motorcycle industrial will boom, getting the country moving again.
Another interesting - albeit brief - article covers a development that would have great significance for the future is a review of Ferry Porsche's Cistalia Grand Prix racer on page 216. Cistalia's contract with Ferry to design a grand prix car was the lifeline that saved the Porsche Design Studio. Although the car would never actually race as the grand prix specifications changed in 1950, the money from that contract was sufficient for Ferry to develop his own budget sportscar based on Volkswagen components. Later in 1949, Ferry would showcase the Porsche 356.1 cabriolet and began taking orders. The original Porsche 356 had many design features borrowed from the Cistalia, including a tube-steel spaceframe body, aluminium bodywork and centrally mounted engine.
https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2022/12/1950-porsche-356-pre-a.html
1950 Das Auto Nr.9
https://heinkelscooter.blogspot.com/2022/07/das-auto-magazine-nr-9-may-1950.html
