Just like their American car-manufacturing counterparts, Ford were very much involved in the production of weaponry and vehicles for the brutal Nazi war machine. Also involved in the lawsuit brought about by Holocaust survivors for using slave labourers in Germany, Ford profited from the Allies and the Axis Powers during World War II by manufacturing military vehicles for both sides. Ford even received approximately £50,000 a year from the Nazi government between 1940 and 1943 to continue producing goods for Germany. In addition, Henry Ford - founder of the company - was actually one of Hitler's heroes. He is name-dropped in Hitler's political-manifesto Mein Kampf,he was awarded the Nazis' highest honour for foreign diplomats and figures the Grand Cross of the German eagle, andthe Fuhrer even hung a picture of Ford above his desk, such was his admiration for the American businessman. Hitler even referred to Ford as his "inspiration" in 1931. An unlikely mutual respect maybe, but Ford was also an ardent and public anti-Semite - so the pair are far more comfortable bedfellows than you might first envisage.
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.