Don't let the title of this book distract you. It is not about Switzerland, where the Hazy Osterwald sextet's hit "Geh'n Sie mit der Konjunktur" came from, nor is it primarily about scooters (or microcars, as we like to call them today), as the subtitle suggests. No, it is about the development of mobility in post-war Germany in the 1950s. This period is known as the "economic miracle years" and is probably almost unparalleled in history.
In just a few years, Germany managed to transform itself from a war-traumatized and shattered state into an economic nation that now had to take a back seat to the USA. In his new book, Alexander Franc Storz characterizes this period with concise sentences and also explains how this happened.
Of course, the economic miracle also included the development of a strong German automotive industry, which could hardly have been predicted in 1950. It took a lot of energy and some lucky turns of events for this to happen. And not everyone was successful along the way, as the examples of Glas and Borgward show.
Pictures in particular ...
As we know from other of his numerous books, Storz has an extensive archive of photographs, most of which were taken privately. Although these do not always meet professional standards, they show scenes from everyday life and, in addition to the cars, the people who drove them.
These photos, mostly taken on black-and-white negative or slide film, have survived the passage of time with some color shifts, but they have survived well. The author rightly asks whether this will also be the case with today's digital recordings ...
... with very extensive explanations
The more than 300 photos would only be half as interesting if Storz had not enriched them with a great deal of knowledge and information in the form of captions. In fact, the text for many of the pictures is almost a story in itself and you can find some interesting facts that you have long forgotten or never knew.
The resulting layout is a clear departure from the "coffee table book", so if you only want to look at aesthetic pictures, you're in the wrong book.
From motorcycles to streetcars
Although the 200 pages are dominated by automobiles, primarily the German brands (Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Opel, DKW and others), Storz also takes a trip into the world of commercial vehicles, tractors and even streetcars. Here, mobility is understood as broadly as in modern times, with the exception of the bicycle.
Instead, you can look forward to many illustrations of more or less well-known cabin scooters and motorcycles, which had to provide mobility when budgets were tight, are also included.
It is not for nothing that one chapter is called "Only cash is king", because in the post-war years there was no leasing, small loans (for buying a car) or car sharing. You had to work for a car and if you couldn't afford a new car, you had to use a two- or three-wheeler.
In an emergency, a pre-war vehicle was refurbished with a new body; these designs were also included in the book.
Continuation and not a new edition
Incidentally, there was a predecessor to this book in 2012, it was called "So rollten die Fünfziger: Unterwegs im Wirtschaftswunder". Back then, it was 176 pages long. According to author Storz, instead of reissuing the previous volume, the decision was made to publish a sequel and all of the images were recompiled during the design process.
Fans of the "first part" are therefore sure to be interested in the sequel. Anyone who does not own the 2012 volume will certainly enjoy the new version if they are interested in the automotive fifties. EUR 24.90 seems a fair price for the wealth of information and images. And it also makes a valuable Christmas present ...
Bibliographic information
- Title: Go with the economy - The fifties roll on
- Author: Alexander Franc Storz
- Language: German
- Publisher: Motorbuch Verlag
- Edition: 1st edition, November 2021
- Format: Hardcover, 23 x 26.5 cm
- Size: 200 pages, 327 pictures (black and white and color)
- ISBN: 978-3-613-04405-0
- Price: EUR 24.90
- Buy/order: Online at amazon.de, online at Motorbuch Verlag or in relevant bookstores
