Econom

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Econom
legal form
founding 1948
resolution 1956
Seat Berlin - Haselhorst and Wilmersdorf , Germany
management Hellmuth Butenuth
Branch Automobile manufacturer

Econom was a commercial vehicle manufacturer (1948–1956) in Berlin-Spandau OT. Haselhorst , Rhenaniastraße 14 and Berlin-Wilmersdorf , Landhausstraße 19/20.

Prehistory and foundation

In 1948 Hellmuth Butenuth founded the company in Spandau as the first new company to manufacture automobiles in Germany after the Second World War . Hellmuth Butenuth was Hanomag's technical director in the 1920s and 1930s . In 1932 he went to Berlin for the production of all kinds of vehicles independently , but remained active for Hanomag. In 1937 he took over the major agency for Ford in Berlin .

During the war, he and Günther Lenz founded a commercial vehicle workshop in Berlin-Wilmersdorf to convert Ford BB trucks . Foreign forced laborers were used. As early as 1942, 100 Soviet and 40 French workers were housed in the company's own camps; later probably more. In 1948 the Econom plant was founded in Berlin-Spandau to produce municipal vehicles and the like. a. for clearing rubble to build.

Commercial vehicle construction

The first trucks were provisionally restored from used commercial vehicles. The approximately 50 employees now built trucks that initially had to be made from old car parts due to a lack of supplies. In 1950, the first Econom truck with a 25 HP Kämper diesel engine was presented at the Berlin Motor Show. From 1952 the 45 HP “Econom-Kommunal-Vehicle” was built, which was quite successful because of its economy. A stir a three-axle truck with two steered front axles and 6.5 t GVW . By 1955, the plant had produced around 1000 trucks with 200 employees.

Car

In 1949, a four-wheeled car called "Econom Teddy" was developed, which was nicknamed "Krabbe". The model was stylistically very modern and offered modern accessories. It was planned as a Sédan and a convertible . Due to a lack of customer interest, the Teddy was unable to prevail against the resumed series production of cars by major manufacturers. The model was built in small numbers until June 1950. A planned successor model remained a prototype.

Work task

In 1956, the truck manufacturing company was closed because it was unable to hold out against the large series production that had meanwhile been re-established on the market. Hellmuth Butenuth then enlarged his Ford agency in Berlin, which was founded in 1937. In 1978 he had eleven car dealerships and around 260 employees.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Health Department of the Wilmersdorf district, report on medical care for foreigners' camps, November 30, 1942, Landesarchiv Berlin, C Rep. 375-01-08 No. 7818 / A 06.
  2. ^ A b c Harald H. Linz, Halwart Schrader : The International Automobile Encyclopedia . United Soft Media Verlag, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8032-9876-8 .