The head designer of the German Autobahn, Fritz Todt, is born on this day in 1891. Born to a father who owned a small factory, he would go on to study engineering, receiving a degree in construction engineering from Technische Hochschule Karlsruhe and later receive his doctorate from Technische Hochschule München after writing his thesis titled “Sources of failure in building state roads from tar and asphalt” (translated from German). He would join the Nazi party in January 1922, becoming an early member. In 1931 he obtained the rank of senior colonel, the same year he completed his doctorate. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933 and the following July Hitler appointed Todt as Generalinspektor für das deutsche Straßenwesen (Inspector General for German Roadways). He was immediately involved with Reichsautobahnen, the construction company responsible for building German’s new roadways, best known as the Autobahn. While many people believe the Autobahn is a single road, it is actually a large network or controlled-access highways all over Germany which have no speed limit for certain classes of vehicles. Todt was killed in 1942 after his plane crashed shortly after takeoff. It has been suggested this was an assassination as Todt had recently complained to Hitler about the the lack of quality equipment on the Eastern front in the war with the USSR. He told Hitler the war should be ended with the USSR unless better equipment and infrastructure could be obtained. Hitler, ignored this suggestion and continued the battle. PhotosFritz Todt By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1969-146-01 / Röhn / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de,Map of the German Autobahn in September 2014
The best way to support This Day in Automotive History is to become a monthly subscriber on Facebook.
Subscriber benefits include:
- Most importantly, you’re supporting great content about Automotive History
- Early access to content on Facebook
- Discounts on our store
- Special live videos
If you learned something today, please buy me a beer!
POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE
November 26, 1969 – Nissan exports one millionth car from Japan
November 26, 2024
March 12, 1947 – The first Ferrari is completed
March 12, 2024
Cars & Bars Episode 1: 1955 Ford Thunderbird
February 3, 2022
10 Most Expensive Cars Sold at the 2024 Monterey Car Week
August 23, 2024
RECENT POSTS
December 15, 1969 – The last Plymouth Superbird
December 15, 2024
December 14, 1987 – AMC Eagle production ends
December 14, 2024
December 13, 1939 – The first Lincoln Continental
December 13, 2024
December 12, 2000 – GM announces end of Oldsmobile
December 12, 2024
December 11, 1990 – The 1990 I-75 Fog Disaster
December 11, 2024
This Day in Automotive History - the book!
This Day In Automotive History
By Brian Corey
This book tells fascinating tales, bringing individual days to life with short stories, photographs and illustrations.
This Day in Automotive History
This Day in Automotive History is a transportation history, car history and general automotive history website dedicated to providing informative and entertaining content.
We encourage you to share our page and connect with us on Facebook or sign up for our automotive history newsletter. If you’d like your car featured, reach out to us!
We encourage you to share our page and connect with us on Facebook or sign up for our automotive history newsletter. If you’d like your car featured, reach out to us!
Related Posts
December 15, 1969 – The last Plymouth Superbird
December 15, 2024
December 14, 1987 – AMC Eagle production ends
December 14, 2024
December 13, 1939 – The first Lincoln Continental
December 13, 2024
December 12, 2000 – GM announces end of Oldsmobile
December 12, 2024
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER!
Connect with us on Facebook or sign up for our automotive history newsletter to keep in touch.