Adolf Rosenberger

Mercedes, the German car still hated by many Jews, actually had Jewish roots. You can read all about those in the Emil Jellinek profile.

Volkswagen, for all its Nazi ties, had some Jewish influences (that were swept under the rug). You can read all about those in the Josef Ganz profile.

Porsche? Talk about sweeping under the rug!

The obvious story is that Porsche was founded by, well, Ferdinand Porsche. The co-founder is given as his son-in-law, Anton Piech. But there was a third, unnamed partner: Adolf (not the best name) Rosenberger.

Rosenberger was a race car driver whose financial backing was essential in creating the company. He also wielded influence in the engine design. So it's pretty clear that there would be no Porsche without Rosenberger... except no one had heard much about Rosenberger until as recently as three years ago, when his contributions came to the forefront. After the Nazis took over, Rosenberger was erased from the annals. (He did make out alright, emigrating to the US and changing his name to Alan Robert. It's a good change.)

Audi and BMW? That's all Nazi.