1 00:00:01,043 --> 00:00:02,501 (car engine revving) 2 00:00:02,586 --> 00:00:04,670 - [narrator] previously, on "the cars that built the world." 3 00:00:04,714 --> 00:00:09,133 visionary engineer, w.O. Bentley helps win a war! 4 00:00:09,218 --> 00:00:11,385 - Our boys just out-ran the germans. 5 00:00:11,470 --> 00:00:14,555 - [narrator] turning victory into a must-have car. 6 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:15,764 - He wanted to 7 00:00:15,850 --> 00:00:18,517 combine engineering excellence with speed 8 00:00:18,602 --> 00:00:21,311 to create what he thought would be the best car. 9 00:00:21,355 --> 00:00:22,646 - [narrator] only to lose out 10 00:00:22,732 --> 00:00:25,482 to the ruthlessness of henry royce. 11 00:00:25,568 --> 00:00:28,152 - It's a pleasure to finally meet you! 12 00:00:28,237 --> 00:00:32,823 - [narrator] in germany, daimler and benz joined forces, 13 00:00:32,908 --> 00:00:36,660 creating the car making giant, mercedes benz! 14 00:00:36,746 --> 00:00:37,703 (members clapping) 15 00:00:37,788 --> 00:00:40,039 with a new top engineer. 16 00:00:40,082 --> 00:00:41,707 - Congratulations mr. Porsche! (pronounced porsh) 17 00:00:41,792 --> 00:00:43,250 - actually, is a porsche. (pronounced por-shuh) 18 00:00:43,335 --> 00:00:46,420 - ferdinand porsche could really push the car 19 00:00:46,505 --> 00:00:48,672 further than anyone else had before him. 20 00:00:48,758 --> 00:00:50,049 - [narrator] but when porsche turns 21 00:00:50,092 --> 00:00:51,592 from quality to quantity. 22 00:00:51,677 --> 00:00:54,845 - Build a car that the average family in germany can afford. 23 00:00:54,930 --> 00:00:56,346 - [narrator] he is rejected. 24 00:00:56,432 --> 00:00:58,724 - If you can't see that, I have no business here. 25 00:01:00,311 --> 00:01:03,437 - [narrator] now, as international tensions rise 26 00:01:03,522 --> 00:01:06,607 from nazi germany, to the empire of japan, 27 00:01:06,692 --> 00:01:10,027 building cars becomes more than a challenge. 28 00:01:10,112 --> 00:01:13,363 It could soon be, the key to victory. 29 00:01:14,366 --> 00:01:17,951 As benz, daimler, maybach, 30 00:01:18,037 --> 00:01:20,162 rolls and royce, 31 00:01:20,247 --> 00:01:21,455 ford, 32 00:01:21,540 --> 00:01:22,247 bentley, 33 00:01:22,333 --> 00:01:24,416 porsche, 34 00:01:24,502 --> 00:01:25,751 honda, 35 00:01:25,795 --> 00:01:26,919 and toyota 36 00:01:26,962 --> 00:01:30,214 create the cars that built the world. 37 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,551 (pensive music) 38 00:01:34,637 --> 00:01:39,264 in 1933, adolf hitler ramps up german industry, 39 00:01:39,350 --> 00:01:41,975 laying the foundation for a war machine 40 00:01:42,061 --> 00:01:45,145 that will go on to kill millions. 41 00:01:45,231 --> 00:01:48,398 Accelerating car production and building highways 42 00:01:48,484 --> 00:01:50,567 are two of his first steps. 43 00:01:54,323 --> 00:01:58,075 So, he issues a challenge to german car makers, 44 00:01:58,119 --> 00:02:00,244 design a car for their people. 45 00:02:03,165 --> 00:02:05,124 - They were looking for ways to make 46 00:02:05,209 --> 00:02:07,960 their fascistic system attractive to the people. 47 00:02:08,003 --> 00:02:09,044 - Jacob from berlin. 48 00:02:09,130 --> 00:02:11,255 I was told to meet him in the lobby. 49 00:02:11,340 --> 00:02:14,299 - Cars were toys for the lucky few in germany, 50 00:02:14,385 --> 00:02:17,469 and to making such a technology available for the masses, 51 00:02:17,513 --> 00:02:19,638 of course, this was highly attractive. 52 00:02:19,682 --> 00:02:22,015 - Porsche, jacob, where the hell have you been? 53 00:02:22,101 --> 00:02:24,434 - He saw that by connecting the people's car, 54 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,521 idea to him, and to his politics, 55 00:02:27,606 --> 00:02:30,149 he could ride that wave of power. 56 00:02:30,234 --> 00:02:33,777 - No first names. And for god's sake, no alcohol! 57 00:02:33,863 --> 00:02:36,488 (intense music) 58 00:02:42,538 --> 00:02:44,163 - [narrator] for ferdinand porsche, 59 00:02:44,206 --> 00:02:47,791 it's an opportunity he desperately needs. 60 00:02:47,835 --> 00:02:52,462 He's left mercedes benz and started his own car company, 61 00:02:52,506 --> 00:02:55,007 designing small, affordable cars. 62 00:02:56,302 --> 00:02:58,844 - Good afternoon, sir. Thank you for seeing me. 63 00:03:01,557 --> 00:03:05,976 I know you wanna fill the streets of germany with cars. 64 00:03:07,146 --> 00:03:09,104 Let me design them for you. 65 00:03:09,148 --> 00:03:10,480 Nothing fancy, 66 00:03:10,524 --> 00:03:12,691 something simple, affordable for the people. 67 00:03:16,155 --> 00:03:20,157 I already have, some designs, it will be like ford. 68 00:03:21,202 --> 00:03:26,205 (book slams) (suspensive music) 69 00:03:30,002 --> 00:03:35,005 (fingers snapping) (suspensive music continues) 70 00:04:00,574 --> 00:04:02,824 - [narrator] if he lands the contract, 71 00:04:02,868 --> 00:04:06,495 porsche could not only save his faltering company, 72 00:04:06,538 --> 00:04:08,413 but catapult to being one 73 00:04:08,457 --> 00:04:11,208 of the biggest car designers in the world. 74 00:04:16,757 --> 00:04:17,923 - What the hell did you say? 75 00:04:19,385 --> 00:04:21,385 - I gotta get back to work. 76 00:04:24,181 --> 00:04:26,848 - I don't know how much of adolf's plan was, 77 00:04:26,892 --> 00:04:28,600 I'm gonna let the people move around 78 00:04:28,644 --> 00:04:29,977 or how much of it was, 79 00:04:30,020 --> 00:04:32,396 I'm gonna let the military move around. 80 00:04:32,439 --> 00:04:36,108 But either way, he needed a vehicle 81 00:04:36,151 --> 00:04:40,279 that was light, and inexpensive, and reliable. 82 00:04:40,322 --> 00:04:42,698 - What hitler did that was so terrible, 83 00:04:42,741 --> 00:04:45,826 was to take advantage of that desire need, 84 00:04:45,869 --> 00:04:47,619 in everyday people. 85 00:04:47,663 --> 00:04:51,456 - [narrator] while, adolf hitler dreams of mass production, 86 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:54,793 in the united states, they figured it out. 87 00:04:57,464 --> 00:05:01,633 At its peak in 1921, henry ford's model t, 88 00:05:01,677 --> 00:05:05,804 claims over 60% of the u.S auto market. 89 00:05:05,848 --> 00:05:08,223 - Henry ford was really the first automaker 90 00:05:08,267 --> 00:05:10,976 to get cars into the hands of everyday people. 91 00:05:11,020 --> 00:05:13,645 He made production more efficient, 92 00:05:13,689 --> 00:05:16,064 which made it cheaper to build each car, 93 00:05:16,108 --> 00:05:17,983 and the cars came out higher quality. 94 00:05:19,445 --> 00:05:22,738 - [narrator] now, hitler's challenged ferdinand porsche 95 00:05:22,781 --> 00:05:27,242 and his son ferry, to design a car at the same price point 96 00:05:27,286 --> 00:05:29,286 as the cheapest model t. 97 00:05:31,123 --> 00:05:32,998 - Here, is what he wants. 98 00:05:33,042 --> 00:05:35,667 He's calling it the people's car, the volkswagen. 99 00:05:37,713 --> 00:05:38,670 - Let me look at this? 100 00:05:41,884 --> 00:05:43,717 Maintain 60 miles per hour, 101 00:05:43,761 --> 00:05:46,720 30 miles per gallon for just 900 marks! 102 00:05:46,764 --> 00:05:48,221 It's impossible, it can't be done. 103 00:05:48,265 --> 00:05:50,223 - This is the opportunity we've been waiting for! 104 00:05:50,267 --> 00:05:52,059 - He's not just another customer! 105 00:05:52,102 --> 00:05:53,643 - Have some courage! 106 00:05:53,687 --> 00:05:55,645 - They executed people in the streets. 107 00:05:56,899 --> 00:06:00,317 - It's a really basic set of requirements, 108 00:06:00,361 --> 00:06:02,944 but it's immensely difficult to achieve this 109 00:06:02,988 --> 00:06:05,614 in one single vehicle, and make it affordable. 110 00:06:05,657 --> 00:06:07,366 - It can be done! 111 00:06:07,409 --> 00:06:09,701 - Basically, hitler set up some guidelines 112 00:06:09,745 --> 00:06:10,952 that needed to be followed, 113 00:06:10,996 --> 00:06:12,162 and these guidelines were impossible. 114 00:06:12,206 --> 00:06:14,331 - And we're gonna be the ones to do it. 115 00:06:14,375 --> 00:06:15,665 - Everything he wanted basically, 116 00:06:15,709 --> 00:06:19,127 needed to be invented from scratch. 117 00:06:19,171 --> 00:06:21,880 (brooding music) 118 00:06:24,593 --> 00:06:26,635 - [narrator] as the porsche's struggle to realize 119 00:06:26,678 --> 00:06:29,137 hitler's radical new concept, 120 00:06:29,181 --> 00:06:33,558 in England, henry royce has reached the pinnacle of success. 121 00:06:35,604 --> 00:06:37,062 When royce started out, 122 00:06:37,106 --> 00:06:40,232 England's king drove a german car. 123 00:06:40,275 --> 00:06:43,527 Now, 30 years later, british royalty 124 00:06:43,570 --> 00:06:46,863 will settle for nothing less than a rolls royce. 125 00:06:49,076 --> 00:06:51,076 But times are changing! 126 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:54,204 - The good times in the 1920s only lasted so long, 127 00:06:54,248 --> 00:06:57,124 and they resulted in the epic collapse 128 00:06:57,167 --> 00:06:59,751 of the stock market in 1929. 129 00:07:00,963 --> 00:07:04,172 - When the worldwide depression hit, 130 00:07:04,216 --> 00:07:06,842 the economies of the world were in dire straits 131 00:07:06,885 --> 00:07:08,385 during most of the 1930s. 132 00:07:12,099 --> 00:07:14,015 - [narrator] as the effects of the great depression 133 00:07:14,059 --> 00:07:18,228 take hold, henry royce's upscale car company, 134 00:07:18,272 --> 00:07:20,439 and his health are failing. 135 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:29,698 But on the other side of the globe, a new contender 136 00:07:29,741 --> 00:07:32,951 has entered the cutthroat world of car making. 137 00:07:34,288 --> 00:07:37,080 35-year-old kiichiro toyoda. 138 00:07:38,459 --> 00:07:41,376 - In the 1920s, japan was a very agricultural society. 139 00:07:41,420 --> 00:07:42,752 The idea of even having a car 140 00:07:42,796 --> 00:07:44,963 was like a distant dream for most people. 141 00:07:45,007 --> 00:07:47,674 The roads for the most part weren't paved, 142 00:07:47,718 --> 00:07:49,509 there wasn't the infrastructure to support 143 00:07:49,553 --> 00:07:51,595 a widespread auto industry. 144 00:07:51,638 --> 00:07:54,097 - [narrator] the market is dominated by imports, 145 00:07:55,476 --> 00:07:58,810 which sell nearly 80 cars for every one made in japan. 146 00:08:01,482 --> 00:08:04,524 In 1929, kiichiro toyoda learns 147 00:08:04,568 --> 00:08:07,444 that improving that ratio is up to him. 148 00:08:08,530 --> 00:08:11,239 The only son of a wealthy textile magnate, 149 00:08:11,283 --> 00:08:14,659 he expects to inherit control of his family's company, 150 00:08:15,537 --> 00:08:18,914 but his father has other plans. 151 00:08:18,957 --> 00:08:21,416 - So, sakichi toyoda invented the first 152 00:08:21,460 --> 00:08:22,709 fully automatic power loom 153 00:08:22,753 --> 00:08:24,878 working with a son kiichiro toyoda, 154 00:08:24,922 --> 00:08:26,087 but he didn't want kiichiro toyoda 155 00:08:26,131 --> 00:08:28,006 to go into the family business, 156 00:08:28,050 --> 00:08:29,424 he wanted him to do something 157 00:08:29,468 --> 00:08:31,510 to contribute to society on his own. 158 00:08:33,096 --> 00:08:34,971 - [narrator] instead, 159 00:08:35,015 --> 00:08:37,974 toyoda is instructed to create a car company, 160 00:08:39,394 --> 00:08:40,644 from scratch! 161 00:08:42,981 --> 00:08:46,525 - All my life I've been training to lead this company. 162 00:08:48,195 --> 00:08:51,363 And now, I discover that's not the plan! 163 00:08:52,533 --> 00:08:54,533 Forgive me, but cars? 164 00:08:56,995 --> 00:08:58,537 I know nothing about cars. 165 00:08:59,706 --> 00:09:02,499 - You will learn. (intense music) 166 00:09:09,216 --> 00:09:11,174 - [narrator] if he's going to succeed, 167 00:09:12,052 --> 00:09:13,635 kiichiro will have to best 168 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,346 some of the world's most powerful companies. 169 00:09:21,311 --> 00:09:23,770 - Cut the engine! 170 00:09:23,814 --> 00:09:28,817 The rising nazi regime, looms over all aspects of life. 171 00:09:29,194 --> 00:09:31,611 While hitler's plans for expansion 172 00:09:31,655 --> 00:09:33,822 unnerve his european neighbors. 173 00:09:33,865 --> 00:09:35,282 At home, 174 00:09:35,325 --> 00:09:40,036 his efforts to revitalize the nation win many over. 175 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:43,290 He's built 2000 miles of paved autobahn, 176 00:09:43,333 --> 00:09:46,960 that's nearly ready to fill with his people's car. 177 00:09:47,004 --> 00:09:49,879 - Adolf hitler comes out and announces to the world 178 00:09:49,923 --> 00:09:52,591 that germany is going to build this car 179 00:09:52,634 --> 00:09:55,218 that will revolutionize the auto industry 180 00:09:55,262 --> 00:09:58,138 and put germans on the road. 181 00:09:58,181 --> 00:10:01,141 - [narrator] a car that will be light, but sturdy, 182 00:10:01,184 --> 00:10:04,394 high quality, but affordable. 183 00:10:04,438 --> 00:10:07,981 - He set out this nearly impossible challenge, 184 00:10:08,025 --> 00:10:11,401 it's easy to see why ferdinand porsche would like this idea. 185 00:10:11,445 --> 00:10:14,195 He was a brilliant engineer, 186 00:10:14,239 --> 00:10:16,781 and also, a bit of an egomaniac. 187 00:10:21,204 --> 00:10:24,164 - [narrator] a year after ferdinand's fateful meeting, 188 00:10:24,207 --> 00:10:27,626 hitler approves porsche's volkswagen design, 189 00:10:27,669 --> 00:10:29,502 giving the father and son team, 190 00:10:29,546 --> 00:10:33,632 less than a year, to produce a radically new car. 191 00:10:35,010 --> 00:10:37,761 But packing the power required for the autobahn 192 00:10:37,804 --> 00:10:41,556 into such a small car creates a problem, 193 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:43,308 keeping it cool! 194 00:10:43,352 --> 00:10:47,187 - He is the enemy of internal combustion. 195 00:10:47,230 --> 00:10:50,231 You gotta figure out a way to cool the engine. 196 00:10:50,275 --> 00:10:53,610 - You have to get heat out from every time 197 00:10:53,654 --> 00:10:55,320 that cylinder fires, 198 00:10:55,364 --> 00:10:58,073 its plug and explodes that fuel and air mixture, 199 00:10:58,116 --> 00:10:59,658 this was not easy to do. 200 00:11:01,036 --> 00:11:04,287 Traditional cars that were water cooled or liquid cooled, 201 00:11:04,331 --> 00:11:08,291 you'd have to have a large radiator, water pump, hoses, 202 00:11:08,335 --> 00:11:10,877 all kinds of extra equipment to keep that engine cool. 203 00:11:10,921 --> 00:11:12,337 - I will make it work. 204 00:11:12,381 --> 00:11:14,172 - [narrator] but creating a water cooled engine 205 00:11:14,216 --> 00:11:15,840 to fit a tiny volkswagen- 206 00:11:15,884 --> 00:11:16,424 - cut it, cut it! 207 00:11:16,468 --> 00:11:17,842 Cut the engine! 208 00:11:18,261 --> 00:11:21,554 - Is incredibly challenging. 209 00:11:21,598 --> 00:11:24,349 - [jason] porsche really had a good gift for looking around 210 00:11:24,393 --> 00:11:26,768 and picking out the pieces that are gonna work best 211 00:11:26,812 --> 00:11:29,229 to solve his particular problem. 212 00:11:29,272 --> 00:11:31,064 - [narrator] ferdinand knows the engine, 213 00:11:31,108 --> 00:11:35,151 the radiator, the water pump, inside and out, 214 00:11:35,195 --> 00:11:38,697 but no matter how he configures it, it's too expensive, 215 00:11:38,740 --> 00:11:41,616 too complicated, and weighs too much. 216 00:11:47,374 --> 00:11:50,375 (inhale and exhales) 217 00:11:51,753 --> 00:11:54,879 he needs to cool the engine with less, not more, 218 00:11:56,758 --> 00:11:59,300 (upbeat music) he does it! 219 00:12:00,303 --> 00:12:01,886 - The hell are you doing? 220 00:12:03,306 --> 00:12:06,266 - [narrator] by removing the need for water. 221 00:12:06,309 --> 00:12:07,142 - Air! 222 00:12:08,395 --> 00:12:10,228 - You're either gonna do it through air, 223 00:12:10,272 --> 00:12:13,481 or you're gonna do it with water. 224 00:12:13,525 --> 00:12:15,525 Air cooled is lighter. 225 00:12:15,569 --> 00:12:17,986 - We'll force air into the engine compartment, 226 00:12:18,029 --> 00:12:19,154 and we can add a fan. 227 00:12:20,449 --> 00:12:22,574 - [narrator] the vw signature air cooled engine, 228 00:12:22,617 --> 00:12:26,786 pulls air in through a grill just below the rear window. 229 00:12:26,830 --> 00:12:31,416 The airflow is over an oil cooler removing internal heat, 230 00:12:31,460 --> 00:12:35,128 then over metal fins adding surface area, 231 00:12:35,172 --> 00:12:38,631 to remove even more heat from the engine cylinders, 232 00:12:38,675 --> 00:12:42,093 all without using a drop of water. 233 00:12:42,137 --> 00:12:43,595 - That is genius! 234 00:12:49,644 --> 00:12:53,021 - [narrator] meanwhile, in rapidly industrializing japan, 235 00:12:55,192 --> 00:12:57,942 entrepreneurs are searching for opportunity, 236 00:12:59,446 --> 00:13:04,032 including a young mechanic, named, soichiro honda. 237 00:13:06,036 --> 00:13:09,871 Like kiichiro toyoda, he wants to make cars, 238 00:13:09,915 --> 00:13:13,792 but unlike toyoda, he comes from nothing. 239 00:13:16,129 --> 00:13:18,713 - Soichiro honda grew up few hours outside of tokyo. 240 00:13:20,675 --> 00:13:23,676 Seeing a car was an anomaly. 241 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,514 One day he saw a car driving through his village. 242 00:13:27,557 --> 00:13:29,849 As the story goes, he was so taken with the car, 243 00:13:29,893 --> 00:13:32,185 he dipped his finger in the oil 244 00:13:32,229 --> 00:13:34,312 and smelled it like it was honey. 245 00:13:35,482 --> 00:13:37,649 - [narrator] the son of a bicycle repairman, 246 00:13:37,692 --> 00:13:41,694 honda has no schooling and no connections. 247 00:13:41,738 --> 00:13:45,365 Instead, he teaches himself engineering, 248 00:13:45,408 --> 00:13:49,285 lands an apprenticeship and becomes a mechanic. 249 00:13:49,329 --> 00:13:52,247 Now, he's looking for a business opportunity. 250 00:13:52,290 --> 00:13:54,833 (door knocks) 251 00:13:56,711 --> 00:13:58,211 - piston rings, 252 00:13:58,255 --> 00:14:02,048 they're small, essential, and offer maximum markup. 253 00:14:03,468 --> 00:14:07,178 First, we make them for the shop and we start selling them. 254 00:14:08,682 --> 00:14:12,183 - You are a good mechanic honda, stick to fixing cars. 255 00:14:13,979 --> 00:14:18,189 - Soichiro honda loved the art of engineering 256 00:14:18,233 --> 00:14:20,900 and he was extremely driven, 257 00:14:20,944 --> 00:14:24,529 and some would say even overconfident in himself. 258 00:14:26,116 --> 00:14:27,699 - [narrator] as honda struggles, 259 00:14:30,078 --> 00:14:33,413 the porsches build three volkswagen prototypes 260 00:14:33,456 --> 00:14:35,707 in their home garage, 261 00:14:35,750 --> 00:14:37,876 barely meeting hitler's deadline. 262 00:14:39,379 --> 00:14:40,712 - Push it hard, 263 00:14:40,755 --> 00:14:44,215 we need to see how it holds up. (car engine roaring) 264 00:14:44,259 --> 00:14:48,595 he expects perfection! (car engine revving) 265 00:14:48,638 --> 00:14:49,637 and so do I! 266 00:14:51,725 --> 00:14:54,267 (upbeat music) 267 00:14:54,895 --> 00:14:57,854 - [narrator] by 1937, they're putting the volkswagen 268 00:14:57,898 --> 00:15:02,609 through over 1.8 million miles of rigorous road testing, 269 00:15:02,652 --> 00:15:04,986 more than any car in history. 270 00:15:07,115 --> 00:15:09,574 Porsche designs a streamlined body, 271 00:15:09,618 --> 00:15:12,118 to maximize fuel efficiency. 272 00:15:12,162 --> 00:15:14,245 He sets the engine in the back, 273 00:15:14,289 --> 00:15:17,332 to help keep the car small, light, and cheap. 274 00:15:18,251 --> 00:15:21,711 (upbeat music continues) 275 00:15:21,755 --> 00:15:25,924 but that solution leads to a different problem. 276 00:15:25,967 --> 00:15:28,927 (suspensive music) 277 00:15:36,311 --> 00:15:37,727 - [ferry] it bounces all over the place, 278 00:15:37,771 --> 00:15:39,520 we can barely keep it on the road. 279 00:15:39,564 --> 00:15:40,438 - [porsche] 21? 280 00:15:41,524 --> 00:15:43,149 - [narrator] the little car is so light 281 00:15:43,193 --> 00:15:48,154 and its wheelbase so short, its handling is a nightmare. 282 00:15:48,198 --> 00:15:50,949 With no room for a traditional suspension, 283 00:15:50,992 --> 00:15:53,576 porsche create something brand new 284 00:15:53,620 --> 00:15:57,664 by connecting metal bars to the wheels and the frame. 285 00:15:57,707 --> 00:16:02,669 Each bar has a twist that recoils as the car hits bumps, 286 00:16:02,712 --> 00:16:07,340 absorbing the impact, smoothing, and stiffening the ride. 287 00:16:07,384 --> 00:16:08,967 - In the early 1930s, 288 00:16:09,010 --> 00:16:12,929 most cars were still riding around on suspension technology 289 00:16:12,973 --> 00:16:15,223 that was invented for the horse and carriage. 290 00:16:16,393 --> 00:16:18,267 What ferdinand porsche achieved 291 00:16:18,311 --> 00:16:20,436 with the torsion beam suspension, 292 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,649 was an entirely new design that was lightweight, 293 00:16:24,693 --> 00:16:26,567 it was inexpensive to build, 294 00:16:26,611 --> 00:16:29,946 it took up less space, and it was reliable. 295 00:16:29,990 --> 00:16:32,031 - [narrator] it's the final piece of the puzzle 296 00:16:32,075 --> 00:16:34,701 for porsche's people's car. 297 00:16:34,744 --> 00:16:37,537 A model that will eventually go on to sell 298 00:16:37,580 --> 00:16:41,666 over 21 million units, in 91 countries. 299 00:16:43,003 --> 00:16:45,586 Now, hailed as the great german engineer, 300 00:16:45,630 --> 00:16:49,132 ferdinand porsche officially, joins the nazi party 301 00:16:49,175 --> 00:16:50,341 along with ferry, 302 00:16:51,594 --> 00:16:54,512 as hitler fast tracks a factory in wolfsburg 303 00:16:56,099 --> 00:16:57,765 to build volkswagens. 304 00:16:59,853 --> 00:17:03,813 In japan, in 1937, 305 00:17:03,857 --> 00:17:06,858 soichiro honda pawns his wife's jewelry 306 00:17:06,901 --> 00:17:08,526 to start his own business. 307 00:17:09,863 --> 00:17:13,072 His first big break, pitching his piston rings 308 00:17:13,116 --> 00:17:15,074 to a large industrial company 309 00:17:15,118 --> 00:17:17,368 that's just starting to make cars. 310 00:17:21,041 --> 00:17:21,873 - Mr. Toyoda, 311 00:17:24,294 --> 00:17:25,793 an honor to meet you sir. 312 00:17:27,797 --> 00:17:32,341 - Toyoda was already one of the biggest companies in japan. 313 00:17:32,385 --> 00:17:35,511 For a nobody likes soichiro honda making piston rings, 314 00:17:35,555 --> 00:17:38,765 for toyoda was like a dream come true. 315 00:17:38,808 --> 00:17:41,684 Considered a loom maker by the government, 316 00:17:41,728 --> 00:17:44,228 toyoda lacks the preferential treatment 317 00:17:44,272 --> 00:17:47,732 of established car makers, nissan and mitsubishi. 318 00:17:48,902 --> 00:17:50,860 He can't afford to make mistakes. 319 00:17:50,904 --> 00:17:53,321 - You made these piston rings yourself, mr. Honda? 320 00:17:53,364 --> 00:17:54,280 - I did. 321 00:17:54,324 --> 00:17:56,532 We can be in production soon, 322 00:17:56,576 --> 00:17:57,825 with as many as you need. 323 00:18:00,663 --> 00:18:01,496 - This one 324 00:18:03,249 --> 00:18:04,082 failed! 325 00:18:05,668 --> 00:18:08,086 Only three are acceptable. 326 00:18:15,804 --> 00:18:19,931 If you truly want to make piston rings, might I suggest, 327 00:18:21,267 --> 00:18:24,185 you go to school and learn how. 328 00:18:26,189 --> 00:18:27,396 - [narrator] on the brink 329 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:29,190 of what he thought was his first step 330 00:18:29,234 --> 00:18:31,818 toward becoming an automaker, 331 00:18:31,861 --> 00:18:35,029 soichiro honda's dream is crushed. 332 00:18:36,282 --> 00:18:38,282 - This was a big blow to honda, 333 00:18:38,326 --> 00:18:41,452 and he realized he needed to learn more. 334 00:18:41,496 --> 00:18:42,995 He had to go back to school, 335 00:18:43,039 --> 00:18:46,374 he had to go figure out all the things he wasn't aware of, 336 00:18:46,417 --> 00:18:48,209 and he took it very seriously. 337 00:18:51,005 --> 00:18:53,840 - [narrator] but his future rival kiichiro toyoda, 338 00:18:53,883 --> 00:18:57,510 a man with all the resources honda lacks, 339 00:18:57,554 --> 00:19:02,557 still hasn't sold a single car after five years of trying. 340 00:19:08,731 --> 00:19:10,731 If he doesn't start to compete soon, 341 00:19:11,901 --> 00:19:13,693 - [narrator] in, just over a decade, 342 00:19:13,736 --> 00:19:17,196 japan's ultra nationalist emperor, hirohito, 343 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:20,783 transforms his country into an industrialized power 344 00:19:20,827 --> 00:19:22,743 with imperialist ambitions, 345 00:19:24,164 --> 00:19:28,082 all part of his plan for military and economic dominance. 346 00:19:30,545 --> 00:19:33,462 - Japan was known as this hermit kingdom, 347 00:19:33,506 --> 00:19:36,299 but now all of a sudden japan had come out of its shell. 348 00:19:36,342 --> 00:19:38,801 And so for the first time, american leaders, 349 00:19:38,845 --> 00:19:41,304 british leaders had to pay attention. 350 00:19:41,347 --> 00:19:43,806 - [narrator] central to hirohito's strategy, 351 00:19:43,850 --> 00:19:47,894 backing the rapid expansion of japan's first car companies. 352 00:19:47,937 --> 00:19:50,104 - When it's left to private enterprise, 353 00:19:50,148 --> 00:19:54,317 then the pace of change is comparatively slow. 354 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:56,527 But when governments can pour money in, 355 00:19:56,571 --> 00:19:58,446 then all of a sudden you can build these big factories. 356 00:19:58,489 --> 00:20:00,156 You can try out different models. 357 00:20:03,369 --> 00:20:04,994 - [narrator] but kiichiro toyoda, 358 00:20:06,456 --> 00:20:09,916 whose family is known for making looms, not cars, 359 00:20:09,959 --> 00:20:12,460 has been left off the list. 360 00:20:13,713 --> 00:20:15,087 Without government backing, 361 00:20:15,131 --> 00:20:17,798 he's failed to design a viable car. 362 00:20:18,885 --> 00:20:20,927 He looks to shake things up 363 00:20:20,970 --> 00:20:25,348 by changing the company name from toyoda 364 00:20:25,391 --> 00:20:27,516 to toyota. 365 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:32,146 The subtle change from d to t gives a whole new meaning. 366 00:20:33,399 --> 00:20:37,026 - Literally toyoda means rice field in japanese, 367 00:20:37,070 --> 00:20:39,612 and they thought that that sounded a bit too provincial 368 00:20:39,656 --> 00:20:43,157 for a modern machine like the automobile. 369 00:20:43,201 --> 00:20:44,992 Not only that, but the number eight 370 00:20:45,036 --> 00:20:47,203 is considered a very lucky number. 371 00:20:47,247 --> 00:20:50,498 Toyota can be written with eight brushstrokes in japanese. 372 00:20:50,541 --> 00:20:53,334 Whereas toyoda needs 10. 373 00:20:54,921 --> 00:20:56,712 - [narrator] with family expectations 374 00:20:56,756 --> 00:20:59,173 and his own pride at stake, 375 00:20:59,217 --> 00:21:01,509 toyota continues to siphon money 376 00:21:01,552 --> 00:21:03,803 from the family loom business 377 00:21:03,846 --> 00:21:07,181 as he struggles to get his first car to market. 378 00:21:07,225 --> 00:21:10,893 - When kiichiro toyoda first started experimented with cars, 379 00:21:10,937 --> 00:21:12,270 he knew nothing about them. 380 00:21:13,439 --> 00:21:14,897 He literally had to buy an engine, 381 00:21:14,941 --> 00:21:16,983 buy a transmission from overseas, 382 00:21:17,026 --> 00:21:19,902 tear them down and figure out what made them work. 383 00:21:21,906 --> 00:21:23,531 - [narrator] desperate for a shortcut, 384 00:21:23,574 --> 00:21:25,491 he reverse engineers the work 385 00:21:25,535 --> 00:21:27,952 of the world's greatest car makers, 386 00:21:27,996 --> 00:21:32,999 bringing his first car to market, the toyota aa, 387 00:21:33,376 --> 00:21:36,252 at a price that undercuts competitors 388 00:21:36,296 --> 00:21:39,588 including the one from detroit he copied. 389 00:21:39,632 --> 00:21:42,675 - The aa resembled a chrysler airflow 390 00:21:42,719 --> 00:21:43,926 because at the time, 391 00:21:43,970 --> 00:21:47,179 the airflow was the most advanced american car. 392 00:21:47,223 --> 00:21:50,599 It was the first car to use aerodynamics and streamlining 393 00:21:50,643 --> 00:21:52,393 as a concept in its design. 394 00:21:53,563 --> 00:21:55,146 - [narrator] after six years of trying, 395 00:21:56,316 --> 00:21:59,233 toyota is finally mass producing cars, 396 00:21:59,277 --> 00:22:02,486 but the rising threat of conflict soon intervenes. 397 00:22:04,741 --> 00:22:08,451 In 1937, japan invades china, 398 00:22:08,494 --> 00:22:13,164 turning long simmering tensions into all out war. 399 00:22:15,209 --> 00:22:16,709 Eight months later, 400 00:22:16,753 --> 00:22:21,172 hitler annexes austria and parts of czechoslovakia, 401 00:22:22,925 --> 00:22:27,136 bringing an end to his hollow promise of a people's car. 402 00:22:28,598 --> 00:22:31,640 - Germany becoming a country where every citizen could 403 00:22:31,684 --> 00:22:35,895 afford a well-performing, efficient, cheap car 404 00:22:35,938 --> 00:22:37,438 was of course a very big deal. 405 00:22:37,482 --> 00:22:39,899 That's what hitler wanted everyone to see. 406 00:22:39,942 --> 00:22:42,902 But the whole thing was basically a scam and a fraud. 407 00:22:42,945 --> 00:22:46,864 No german civilian ever ended up getting a new beetle. 408 00:22:48,201 --> 00:22:52,078 - [narrator] in 1939, germany invades poland 409 00:22:52,121 --> 00:22:54,622 and world war ii begins. 410 00:22:56,042 --> 00:22:58,834 The volkswagen factory quickly transforms 411 00:22:58,878 --> 00:23:01,087 from making civilian cars 412 00:23:01,130 --> 00:23:03,631 to producing a light military vehicle 413 00:23:03,674 --> 00:23:06,592 designed by ferdinand porsche. 414 00:23:06,636 --> 00:23:09,428 - The kubelwagen was the german equivalent of the jeep, 415 00:23:09,472 --> 00:23:10,679 but it was based on 416 00:23:10,723 --> 00:23:13,349 the original porsche volkswagen mechanicals. 417 00:23:13,393 --> 00:23:16,894 It was unfortunate for the people who just wanted a car, 418 00:23:16,938 --> 00:23:21,273 but it did say a lot about porsche's engineering skill 419 00:23:21,317 --> 00:23:22,525 and that he could make something 420 00:23:22,568 --> 00:23:25,486 that was both a super cheap family car 421 00:23:25,530 --> 00:23:29,407 and an extremely effective wartime utility vehicle. 422 00:23:31,202 --> 00:23:33,077 - [narrator] as war rages in europe, 423 00:23:34,747 --> 00:23:37,581 on December 7th, 1941, 424 00:23:38,668 --> 00:23:40,835 japan bombs pearl harbor, 425 00:23:44,924 --> 00:23:47,550 pulling the u s into the war 426 00:23:47,593 --> 00:23:50,553 along with its manufacturing might. 427 00:23:50,596 --> 00:23:53,597 - The united states became, as franklin roosevelt said, 428 00:23:53,641 --> 00:23:55,683 the arsenal of democracy. 429 00:23:55,726 --> 00:23:58,519 And what the united states and the world discovered 430 00:23:58,563 --> 00:24:03,315 in world war ii is plants that can churn out automobiles 431 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:04,984 by the hundreds and the thousands 432 00:24:05,027 --> 00:24:06,527 and the hundreds of thousands 433 00:24:06,571 --> 00:24:09,697 can also churn out planes by the tens of thousands. 434 00:24:10,867 --> 00:24:13,242 - [narrator] by 1944, allied planes 435 00:24:13,286 --> 00:24:16,662 are hammering germany's military manufacturing, 436 00:24:16,706 --> 00:24:20,332 including the porsche's operation in stuttgart. 437 00:24:20,376 --> 00:24:23,127 (powerful music) 438 00:24:33,973 --> 00:24:36,223 - [man] you have everything? 439 00:24:36,267 --> 00:24:38,559 - I think I should stay here. 440 00:24:38,603 --> 00:24:40,352 I'm needed at the factory. 441 00:24:40,396 --> 00:24:42,229 - It's a factory they're aiming for. 442 00:24:44,942 --> 00:24:45,900 Dad. 443 00:24:46,777 --> 00:24:47,860 - What? 444 00:24:47,904 --> 00:24:49,820 - It's not worth dying over. 445 00:24:54,327 --> 00:24:55,451 We have to go. 446 00:24:57,121 --> 00:24:58,329 - Right. - Now. 447 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,500 - It's time to go. 448 00:25:03,794 --> 00:25:05,294 Where? - Doesn't matter. 449 00:25:05,338 --> 00:25:06,837 Anywhere. - Here I come. 450 00:25:08,049 --> 00:25:13,010 (warfare explosions) (somber music) 451 00:25:27,443 --> 00:25:29,610 the porsche's escaped germany. 452 00:25:33,574 --> 00:25:37,201 While in japan, elevated by the emperor 453 00:25:37,245 --> 00:25:40,079 to one of japan's top vehicle producers, 454 00:25:40,122 --> 00:25:43,374 toyota's factories are rolling out military trucks. 455 00:25:44,794 --> 00:25:47,503 Honda is now making piston rings for those trucks, 456 00:25:47,547 --> 00:25:51,507 but his factory is soon destroyed by american bombers. 457 00:25:56,097 --> 00:26:00,975 Then in 1945, after six long years of war, 458 00:26:01,018 --> 00:26:03,394 world war ii finally ends. 459 00:26:04,814 --> 00:26:07,356 (light music) 460 00:26:08,776 --> 00:26:12,194 - there was only one real winner in world war ii, 461 00:26:12,613 --> 00:26:13,737 the united states. 462 00:26:13,781 --> 00:26:15,948 Britain and the soviet union were ruined 463 00:26:15,992 --> 00:26:19,034 economically or structurally by the war. 464 00:26:19,078 --> 00:26:21,662 - [narrator] in america, 10 million victorious 465 00:26:21,706 --> 00:26:24,915 u.S. Servicemen and women return home 466 00:26:24,959 --> 00:26:29,753 seeking jobs, homes, cars, and starting families. 467 00:26:31,215 --> 00:26:34,800 - You had these gis coming home and making a baby boom. 468 00:26:34,844 --> 00:26:37,761 And they were moving out to the suburbs. 469 00:26:37,805 --> 00:26:39,597 And of course, to get to and from work, 470 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:42,516 you're not taking the train, you're taking the car. 471 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:44,268 - [narrator] as families expand, 472 00:26:44,312 --> 00:26:46,645 it triggers an economic boom 473 00:26:46,689 --> 00:26:50,107 that thrusts the car to the center of american culture. 474 00:26:51,819 --> 00:26:55,696 While america rebels in its postwar euphoria, 475 00:26:55,740 --> 00:26:59,158 in europe and asia, the settling dust of world war ii 476 00:26:59,201 --> 00:27:02,286 reveals total annihilation. 477 00:27:03,289 --> 00:27:05,414 Millions are dead. 478 00:27:05,458 --> 00:27:09,251 Tens of millions more are jobless and hungry. 479 00:27:10,546 --> 00:27:14,298 In japan, american bombing has obliterated 480 00:27:14,342 --> 00:27:16,342 the country's infrastructure. 481 00:27:16,385 --> 00:27:18,636 Industry is at a standstill. 482 00:27:19,847 --> 00:27:21,680 - Unlike america, its cities were destroyed. 483 00:27:21,724 --> 00:27:23,432 Its industry were destroyed. 484 00:27:23,476 --> 00:27:27,102 The japanese economy was absolutely devastated. 485 00:27:30,399 --> 00:27:32,024 - [narrator] for soichiro honda, 486 00:27:32,526 --> 00:27:35,653 war has destroyed his piston ring factory 487 00:27:35,696 --> 00:27:38,364 and his car making dreams. 488 00:27:38,407 --> 00:27:41,033 But among the ruins of hamamatsu, 489 00:27:41,077 --> 00:27:43,827 he finds a reason to be hopeful. 490 00:27:43,871 --> 00:27:45,412 - One day in 1946, 491 00:27:45,456 --> 00:27:49,750 soichiro honda sees a surplus mikuni generator 492 00:27:49,794 --> 00:27:51,794 at his friend's workshop. 493 00:27:51,837 --> 00:27:54,672 These were used to power radios during the war. 494 00:27:54,715 --> 00:27:56,590 - Just picture, like, a tiny one cylinder, 495 00:27:56,634 --> 00:27:57,800 little air-cooled motor. 496 00:27:57,843 --> 00:27:59,843 So it wasn't really clear what else 497 00:27:59,887 --> 00:28:02,179 you could use this thing for. 498 00:28:02,223 --> 00:28:03,347 - [narrator] honda is certain 499 00:28:03,391 --> 00:28:06,392 he'll find a use for the surplus motor, 500 00:28:06,435 --> 00:28:09,645 but for the moment, he's not sure what. 501 00:28:11,148 --> 00:28:14,024 - So honda decides to take a little bit of time off. 502 00:28:14,068 --> 00:28:16,026 During that time, you know, he hung around the house, 503 00:28:16,070 --> 00:28:18,028 played music, drank whiskey. 504 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:21,740 He had a lot of ideas that he wanted to see 505 00:28:21,784 --> 00:28:23,200 turned into reality. 506 00:28:23,244 --> 00:28:26,078 And so during what he called his human vacation, 507 00:28:26,122 --> 00:28:29,289 he spent a lot of time thinking about these things. 508 00:28:29,333 --> 00:28:31,125 - [narrator] with roads in ruins, 509 00:28:31,168 --> 00:28:34,211 limited gas and high unemployment, 510 00:28:34,255 --> 00:28:36,672 bicycles are the best way to get around. 511 00:28:37,842 --> 00:28:40,551 But for honda's wife who rides all day 512 00:28:40,594 --> 00:28:43,262 to find black market rice, 513 00:28:43,305 --> 00:28:45,222 traditional bikes aren't working 514 00:28:47,435 --> 00:28:49,059 and neither is her husband. 515 00:28:53,023 --> 00:28:56,817 - Soichiro honda was not a guy who gave up. 516 00:28:56,861 --> 00:29:01,405 Soichiro would see a potential for something. 517 00:29:01,449 --> 00:29:03,907 And even if it seemed absurd, 518 00:29:03,951 --> 00:29:06,994 he wouldn't quit until he figured it out. 519 00:29:07,037 --> 00:29:09,747 (powerful music) 520 00:29:11,625 --> 00:29:13,834 he could see these two very different things, 521 00:29:13,878 --> 00:29:15,919 a bunch of generators for radios 522 00:29:15,963 --> 00:29:18,672 and a bunch of people who needed to get around faster. 523 00:29:19,759 --> 00:29:21,842 - [narrator] if honda can't build cars, 524 00:29:23,012 --> 00:29:26,054 he'll have to make do with what he has. 525 00:29:32,313 --> 00:29:35,189 For the porsche's, moving on from the wartor] n devastated, postwar japan, 526 00:29:35,232 --> 00:29:38,358 soichiro honda, like most, is starting over. 527 00:29:39,612 --> 00:29:42,196 With his piston ring factory destroyed, 528 00:29:42,239 --> 00:29:44,823 he's hoping to build a new business: 529 00:29:44,867 --> 00:29:48,827 Powering bicycles with small surplus generator motors 530 00:29:48,871 --> 00:29:50,704 leftover from the war. 531 00:29:50,748 --> 00:29:52,456 - You know, the bicycles were cheap. 532 00:29:52,500 --> 00:29:55,667 The generators were surplus, so no one was using them. 533 00:29:55,753 --> 00:29:57,085 So with that, he was able to create 534 00:29:57,129 --> 00:30:00,964 a very, very affordable mode of transportation. 535 00:30:01,008 --> 00:30:03,550 - [narrator] but with gasoline strictly rationed. 536 00:30:03,594 --> 00:30:05,719 Fueling it will be difficult. 537 00:30:09,433 --> 00:30:11,725 Led by general douglas macarthur, 538 00:30:11,769 --> 00:30:15,938 the occupation of japan has a very specific goal: 539 00:30:15,981 --> 00:30:18,816 Rebuild the country as a democracy. 540 00:30:20,236 --> 00:30:22,569 A new constitution is written. 541 00:30:22,613 --> 00:30:26,490 Elections are held and the new parliament is installed. 542 00:30:28,244 --> 00:30:29,993 For macarthur, the goal 543 00:30:30,037 --> 00:30:33,038 is both humanitarian and geopolitical. 544 00:30:34,458 --> 00:30:39,169 - They decided very early on that japan needed to be rebuilt 545 00:30:39,213 --> 00:30:42,089 to avoid the radicalism that they saw in the past. 546 00:30:42,132 --> 00:30:44,591 In addition to that, there was a fear of communism. 547 00:30:44,635 --> 00:30:47,177 The emerging cold war was an incentive 548 00:30:47,221 --> 00:30:50,180 to get the japanese economy going again. 549 00:30:52,601 --> 00:30:54,518 - [narrator] but for kiichiro toyoda, 550 00:30:54,562 --> 00:30:57,855 the americans aren't moving fast enough. 551 00:30:57,898 --> 00:30:59,356 - Immediately after the war, 552 00:30:59,400 --> 00:31:01,650 the american occupational forces were governing 553 00:31:01,694 --> 00:31:05,070 what industries could proceed and which ones couldn't. 554 00:31:05,114 --> 00:31:07,281 - [narrator] the u.S. Led transitional force 555 00:31:07,324 --> 00:31:09,241 has halted car production, 556 00:31:09,285 --> 00:31:13,537 putting the jobs of toyota's 3000 employees in jeopardy. 557 00:31:14,707 --> 00:31:17,207 - The problem that kiichiro toyota faced 558 00:31:17,251 --> 00:31:19,626 was he can't just decide 559 00:31:19,670 --> 00:31:21,086 he wants to make more passenger cars 560 00:31:21,130 --> 00:31:23,547 because his hands were really pretty tied. 561 00:31:23,591 --> 00:31:25,382 - That's just not gonna happen. 562 00:31:26,427 --> 00:31:27,759 - So, toyoda's point of view 563 00:31:27,803 --> 00:31:30,637 was that we will do our everything we can 564 00:31:30,681 --> 00:31:35,225 to get along and cooperate with the american military. 565 00:31:35,269 --> 00:31:37,644 And they just put on hold building cars 566 00:31:37,688 --> 00:31:39,146 and toyota was anxiously waiting 567 00:31:39,189 --> 00:31:41,607 to find out what their future would be. 568 00:31:41,650 --> 00:31:44,443 - [narrator] toyoda is failing his father 569 00:31:44,486 --> 00:31:47,237 and his nation's ambitions. 570 00:31:47,281 --> 00:31:51,408 In 10 years, he's made just 1900 cars 571 00:31:51,452 --> 00:31:55,579 while ford is producing that many every 36 hours. 572 00:31:57,875 --> 00:32:01,752 For toyoda, bankruptcy is a real possibility. 573 00:32:04,757 --> 00:32:06,673 6,000 miles away, 574 00:32:06,717 --> 00:32:10,010 the allies are completely reshaping germany 575 00:32:10,054 --> 00:32:11,386 and its economy. 576 00:32:11,430 --> 00:32:13,013 - Shortly after germany surrendered, 577 00:32:13,057 --> 00:32:15,515 the allied leaders decided to carve it up. 578 00:32:15,559 --> 00:32:18,101 The soviets got their zone in the east, 579 00:32:18,145 --> 00:32:20,312 the british in the north, the french in the west, 580 00:32:20,356 --> 00:32:22,439 the americans in the south. 581 00:32:22,483 --> 00:32:25,150 - [narrator] as the u.S. Pumps $15 billion 582 00:32:25,194 --> 00:32:27,778 into the marshall plan to rebuild germany, 583 00:32:29,657 --> 00:32:33,784 the british military works to repair volkswagen's factory. 584 00:32:35,579 --> 00:32:38,538 - It was still surprisingly pretty operable 585 00:32:38,582 --> 00:32:42,125 and it was absolutely crucial in the recovery of germany 586 00:32:42,169 --> 00:32:45,462 after the war that this factory actually was able to start 587 00:32:45,506 --> 00:32:48,340 producing small runs of cars. 588 00:32:48,384 --> 00:32:50,342 - [narrator] realizing the scope of the project 589 00:32:50,386 --> 00:32:53,971 is too great, they reach out to henry ford ii, 590 00:32:54,014 --> 00:32:58,183 offering to hand over the factory for free. 591 00:32:58,227 --> 00:33:00,727 But ford is advised it isn't worth a damn 592 00:33:00,771 --> 00:33:03,021 and passes up the offer, 593 00:33:03,065 --> 00:33:05,482 missing out on a chance to own a company 594 00:33:05,526 --> 00:33:08,652 that today is worth over $500 billion. 595 00:33:11,532 --> 00:33:14,866 As the british worked to bring volkswagen back, 596 00:33:14,910 --> 00:33:18,662 the french go after its designers, the porsche's. 597 00:33:19,873 --> 00:33:22,749 Both are arrested on suspicion of war crimes, 598 00:33:22,793 --> 00:33:25,002 and ferdinand is thrown in jail 599 00:33:26,046 --> 00:33:27,379 where he's pressured 600 00:33:27,423 --> 00:33:30,549 to improve on french car maker renault's designs. 601 00:33:30,592 --> 00:33:33,927 - [man] so how do we fix this, mr. Porsche? 602 00:33:33,971 --> 00:33:35,387 - Porsche would have been considered 603 00:33:35,431 --> 00:33:37,723 a very valuable asset for anyone who got their hands on him 604 00:33:37,766 --> 00:33:41,018 because he actually went through so far down the road 605 00:33:41,061 --> 00:33:42,769 of all that testing, all the planning, 606 00:33:42,813 --> 00:33:45,272 the design of the factory before, you know, 607 00:33:45,315 --> 00:33:46,523 everything went to hell. 608 00:33:55,409 --> 00:33:56,700 - I don't work for you. 609 00:33:56,744 --> 00:34:00,871 - Look, I have all the time in the world. 610 00:34:04,918 --> 00:34:06,877 Please make yourself at home. 611 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,421 - [narrator] with the french in no hurry to release him. 612 00:34:09,465 --> 00:34:10,797 - [man] open up. 613 00:34:10,841 --> 00:34:12,716 - [narrator] the pressure is on porsche 614 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:14,718 to share his engineering knowledge. 615 00:34:23,187 --> 00:34:25,604 - Paper, sir.N japan where postwar scarcity 616 00:34:25,647 --> 00:34:27,230 requires ingenuity, 617 00:34:28,442 --> 00:34:31,485 soichiro honda has built a motorized bicycle 618 00:34:31,528 --> 00:34:33,070 using a surplus engine, 619 00:34:34,490 --> 00:34:37,699 but there's no way to legally fuel it. 620 00:34:37,785 --> 00:34:41,578 - After the war, gasoline was incredibly scarce in japan. 621 00:34:42,831 --> 00:34:43,955 - [narrator] with military forces 622 00:34:43,999 --> 00:34:46,500 strictly controlling the sale of gasoline, 623 00:34:47,336 --> 00:34:49,086 there's only one option: 624 00:34:51,340 --> 00:34:52,422 The black market. 625 00:34:53,801 --> 00:34:56,009 - There were food shortages, gas shortages. 626 00:34:56,053 --> 00:35:00,430 The black market was the one thriving market in japan. 627 00:35:03,310 --> 00:35:04,101 - [man] honda. 628 00:35:05,729 --> 00:35:07,604 - (whispering) shh, close the door. 629 00:35:09,358 --> 00:35:11,900 - [narrator] if honda gets caught using gasoline-- 630 00:35:11,985 --> 00:35:12,818 - is that it? 631 00:35:13,070 --> 00:35:14,194 - This is it. 632 00:35:14,238 --> 00:35:16,113 - [narrator] he could lose everything. 633 00:35:17,491 --> 00:35:19,950 He desperately needs an alternative. 634 00:35:24,373 --> 00:35:27,040 Like carl benz decades earlier, 635 00:35:27,084 --> 00:35:31,878 honda keys in on a household chemical. 636 00:35:31,922 --> 00:35:33,296 Turpentine. 637 00:35:36,260 --> 00:35:38,927 - The turpentine had several advantages. 638 00:35:39,012 --> 00:35:40,762 It was readily available. 639 00:35:40,848 --> 00:35:46,017 It could extend the gasoline and it was a good way to mask 640 00:35:46,061 --> 00:35:47,769 the fact that you were getting your gasoline 641 00:35:47,855 --> 00:35:48,895 from the black market. 642 00:35:56,905 --> 00:35:58,113 - [narrator] with that, 643 00:35:58,198 --> 00:36:01,575 honda rolls out his first motor vehicle. 644 00:36:02,744 --> 00:36:05,078 - That prototype became the first, 645 00:36:05,122 --> 00:36:06,830 you could say, honda motorcycle. 646 00:36:08,250 --> 00:36:11,042 Once people in the village started seeing that 647 00:36:11,086 --> 00:36:13,461 driving around, word spread very quickly 648 00:36:13,547 --> 00:36:16,214 and orders came pouring in. 649 00:36:16,258 --> 00:36:19,593 - [narrator] honda can barely keep up with demand, 650 00:36:19,678 --> 00:36:21,761 but he knows dodging the authorities 651 00:36:21,805 --> 00:36:23,597 won't be possible forever. 652 00:36:28,478 --> 00:36:30,437 - There must be something more that we can do. 653 00:36:32,107 --> 00:36:33,815 - I can't keep 3000 people busy 654 00:36:33,901 --> 00:36:35,025 making pots and pans. 655 00:36:36,570 --> 00:36:39,279 - [narrator] with civilian car manufacturing banned, 656 00:36:39,323 --> 00:36:42,157 kiichiro toyoda and his cousin eiji, 657 00:36:42,242 --> 00:36:44,576 an up and coming executive at the company, 658 00:36:44,620 --> 00:36:46,494 are running out of options. 659 00:36:46,580 --> 00:36:50,457 - In japan, a company's seen as a citizen 660 00:36:50,542 --> 00:36:52,667 and a contributing member of society. 661 00:36:52,753 --> 00:36:55,337 As a result, kiichiro toyoda felt the duty 662 00:36:55,422 --> 00:36:57,547 to look after his employees 663 00:36:57,591 --> 00:37:00,091 by making bowls and plates 664 00:37:00,135 --> 00:37:02,302 and growing crops for them. 665 00:37:02,346 --> 00:37:05,847 - [narrator] but toyoda is quietly doing more. 666 00:37:05,933 --> 00:37:07,224 - Come take a walk with me. 667 00:37:08,769 --> 00:37:11,603 - [narrator] determined to build a car making empire, 668 00:37:11,647 --> 00:37:13,563 he takes a huge risk, 669 00:37:16,318 --> 00:37:18,652 secretly designing a new model 670 00:37:20,572 --> 00:37:24,574 and adding four of them to an american military order. 671 00:37:24,618 --> 00:37:27,035 - Have you lost your mind? 672 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:28,745 - My father taught me to make cars 673 00:37:30,499 --> 00:37:32,082 and that's what I'm going to do. 674 00:37:33,210 --> 00:37:34,834 - The u.S. Military put in an order 675 00:37:34,878 --> 00:37:38,213 of 50 vehicles to be built by toyota. 676 00:37:38,298 --> 00:37:40,799 Toyota was so committed to building a passenger car 677 00:37:40,842 --> 00:37:43,718 that they kind of bent the rules 678 00:37:43,804 --> 00:37:46,346 and snuck in four prototypes. 679 00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:47,931 - [kiichiro] I call it the sa. 680 00:37:49,101 --> 00:37:49,933 What do you think? 681 00:37:53,689 --> 00:37:54,521 - It's risky. 682 00:37:56,775 --> 00:38:00,485 - Not only would failure have tarnished the family name, 683 00:38:00,529 --> 00:38:02,153 it would have almost been a symbolic failure 684 00:38:02,197 --> 00:38:05,073 of japan's industry because toyoda 685 00:38:05,158 --> 00:38:08,243 was one of the premier industrial families of japan. 686 00:38:08,328 --> 00:38:09,119 - I'm in. 687 00:38:10,998 --> 00:38:12,539 - [narrator] despite the ban, 688 00:38:12,582 --> 00:38:15,375 toyoda is determined to produce cars 689 00:38:15,419 --> 00:38:17,294 made by japanese hands, 690 00:38:18,463 --> 00:38:21,214 cars that would make his father proud. 691 00:38:22,426 --> 00:38:26,052 And for inspiration, he looks not to america, 692 00:38:26,096 --> 00:38:27,137 but to germany. 693 00:38:28,598 --> 00:38:31,391 - The volkswagen was the car of the people in germany 694 00:38:31,435 --> 00:38:33,184 and kiichiro wanted to create the car 695 00:38:33,228 --> 00:38:35,228 of the people in japan. 696 00:38:35,272 --> 00:38:37,772 So he copied a lot of the elements 697 00:38:37,858 --> 00:38:39,357 of the volkswagen beetle, 698 00:38:39,401 --> 00:38:42,110 making a very simple, functional, basic car 699 00:38:42,195 --> 00:38:43,486 that they could sell cheap. 700 00:38:47,784 --> 00:38:49,909 - [narrator] but the designers of the volkswagen 701 00:38:49,953 --> 00:38:52,412 have even bigger problems. 702 00:38:52,456 --> 00:38:54,706 - [soldier] thank you, sir, move along. 703 00:38:54,750 --> 00:38:56,958 - [narrator] as his father sits in a french prison 704 00:38:57,044 --> 00:38:59,377 accused of war crimes, 705 00:38:59,421 --> 00:39:02,714 ferry porsche has been held under american control 706 00:39:02,758 --> 00:39:04,883 in western germany. 707 00:39:04,926 --> 00:39:07,427 Following his release, he's desperate 708 00:39:07,471 --> 00:39:08,845 to get back to stuttgart 709 00:39:10,057 --> 00:39:13,600 to rebuild the family company and his life. 710 00:39:18,940 --> 00:39:19,856 - [soldier] paper, sir. 711 00:39:26,782 --> 00:39:28,239 Where are you headed? 712 00:39:28,283 --> 00:39:29,908 - [ferry] stuttgart. 713 00:39:29,951 --> 00:39:31,368 Just trying to get back home. 714 00:39:34,289 --> 00:39:35,789 - Just wait here for me, sir. 715 00:39:37,167 --> 00:39:39,542 (dark music) 716 00:39:43,965 --> 00:39:45,799 - [narrator] but as a porsche 717 00:39:45,842 --> 00:39:48,968 known for being a nazi collaborator, 718 00:39:49,054 --> 00:39:51,554 moving on maybe harder than he thinks. 719 00:39:57,229 --> 00:40:01,189 Next time on "the cars that built the world." on "s 720 00:40:01,233 --> 00:40:03,483 ferry porsche is left with nothing 721 00:40:03,568 --> 00:40:05,527 but the ruins of his father's legacy. 722 00:40:05,612 --> 00:40:08,279 - We need access to vws infrastructure. 723 00:40:08,365 --> 00:40:10,907 - [narrator] now he must create one of his own. 724 00:40:10,992 --> 00:40:13,660 - For porsche really, this is a generational shift, 725 00:40:13,745 --> 00:40:14,994 it's the handling of the baton 726 00:40:15,080 --> 00:40:16,913 from ferdinand to ferry. 727 00:40:21,044 --> 00:40:22,293 - [narrator] in occupied japan-- 728 00:40:22,337 --> 00:40:24,546 - what's this? - Two companies rise 729 00:40:24,631 --> 00:40:26,464 from the ashes of war. 730 00:40:26,508 --> 00:40:27,382 - Mr. Toyoda. 731 00:40:27,467 --> 00:40:28,675 - [narrator] toyoda rebuilds 732 00:40:28,718 --> 00:40:30,969 by partnering with the victors 733 00:40:31,012 --> 00:40:34,305 before developing a way to try to overtake them. 734 00:40:34,349 --> 00:40:35,807 - It really launched toyoda 735 00:40:35,851 --> 00:40:39,352 as one of the elite players in the global field. 736 00:40:39,396 --> 00:40:40,812 - [narrator] and honda struggles 737 00:40:40,856 --> 00:40:42,981 to make his name in motorcycles. 738 00:40:43,024 --> 00:40:45,733 - This wasn't what the japanese government was looking for 739 00:40:45,819 --> 00:40:47,026 in an automaker. 740 00:40:47,070 --> 00:40:49,654 - [narrator] then races into the car industry. 741 00:40:49,698 --> 00:40:51,364 - Congratulations! (clapping) 742 00:40:51,408 --> 00:40:53,241 - [narrator] starting far behind europe 743 00:40:53,326 --> 00:40:56,327 and in the shadow of american supremacy for decades. 744 00:40:56,371 --> 00:40:57,704 - This is an embarrassment. 745 00:40:57,789 --> 00:40:59,330 We've all failed. - The japanese car makers 746 00:40:59,374 --> 00:41:03,084 will have to fight for their place at the top. 747 00:41:03,170 --> 00:41:05,044 - Get me an american car.