1939 Berlin Auto Show Guidebook

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1939 BERLIN AUTO SHOW OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK

THE OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK FOR THE
INTERNATIONALE
AUTOMOBIL UND
MOTORRAD
AUSSTELLUNG
BERLIN 1939
(INTERNATIONAL CAR AND
MOTORCYCLE EXHIBITION
IN BERLIN IN 1939)

The enormous ,,Internationale Automobil und Motorrad Ausstellung Berlin 1939’’ was held from 17 February through 5 March 1939 in nine huge exhibit halls adjacent to Berlin’s Witzleben train station at the Kaiserdamm / Funkturm exhibit grounds. Tens of thousands of visitors from around the world came to see the product of the German auto industry at its apex, before World War II intervened and left it in ruins.

Opened by Adolf Hitler and displaying every sort of car, truck and motorcycle, the exhibit also showcased the German Reichsautobahn, state railway and the manufacturers of components for automotive products. The book we offer here is a very rare surviving example of the ,,Amtlicher Führer’’ or Official Guidebook for the last great German Auto Show. The rare softcover book measures 5-7/8 x 8-1/4 inches and contains about 350 pages of very, very heavily illustrated full-color and black & white advertising, promotion and information about the hundreds of show exhibitors.

Naturally, all the big name manufacturers were there from Ford Motor Company to Mercedes-Benz, Opel, BMW, Steyr, Tatra, DKW, Audi, Horch, Skoda, Stoewer, NSU, Triumph, Victoria, Puch, Zündapp, etc. The big truck and bus manufacturers also showed and advertised their products. Component and will-fit replacement part makers like Continental, Philips, Notek, Hella, Jurid and Blaupunkt saw fit to attend and advertise their wares in the guidebook. It is a treasure trove of Third Reich automotive advertising and art.

A nicely written text at the front of the book is illuminated with excellent black & white photos. It explains the state of not only the German auto industry in 1939, but of the country’s automotive support infrastructure as well. The future could not have looked brighter!

The final 20 pages of the book contain advertising for Berlin’s nightlife which must have appealed to the out-of-towners attending the ,,Internationale Automobil und Motorrad Ausstellung Berlin 1939’’.

Ads include those for restaurants, cabarets, girlie shows, dance bars, stand-up comics, the opera, theaters and even a “Swing” bar! The corners of two of the 350 text pages have for some reason been clipped off, but otherwise this rare book is complete and in very good condition.

This official 1939 Berlin Auto Show guide book is **SOLD**.

Other original Third Reich automotive material offered on the USM website:

- March 1939 Motor Schau magazine with super rare KdF car transparency insert.

- February 1939 Motor Schau revealing the "secrets" of the KdF Wagen or VW Beetle.

- KdF car purchase agreement material for KdF Wagen number 1149.

- The rare 1939 KdF glove box-type manual ,,Der KdF Wagen von A bis Z’’ .

- An original KdF Sparkarte or KdF Car saving stamp card.

This USM Books website is Copyright © 2006 by USM, Inc., and the text and images on it are fully protected by international copyright law. It is therefore, illegal for anyone to take any of the material found here and use it for their own purposes without our written permission, irrespective of any excuse they may feel they have for doing so.