Karosseriebau Unternehmen Gebrüder Ludewig

	1919 the coachbuilding starts in 199 Steeler Straße, Essen with the name "Kopp & Ludewig" (still in use as repair and special workshop).
	1924 Dealership of Bugatti is obtained.
	Ludewig builds combination vehicles to use cars and trucks for both passenger and cargo. The name Aero coms from a patent on cabriolet roofs that can be opened while driving.
	1934 Stop of cabriolet and limo production on Bugatti, Ford and Horch chassis. Focusing on bus coach works in Essen-Altenessen, with ca. 300 workers. (period picture of the main factory.)

From a pre-war sales brochure

Ludewig of Essen is the name most people put on the so called "Standard Model" or "Wehrmacht model" for 3 ton buses. They where and are much more than that. Ludewig has build busses long before the war and has until 1976. As all other production facilities in Germany and occupied countries they had to turn out as many standardized products as they could. They build the "Wehrmacht bus" also on Ford and MAN chassis. Until 1945 2,880 of these buses where build.

The era of the 1933-1940 rise of the national socialism of hitler was also an era of travel. The highways that Germany is still famous for where extended immensely for future quick maneuverability in these years. The whole nation was looking forward and was fascinated by progress. Streamlining busses was pioneered by Ludewig. Magnificent examples where drawn and build. After the war, streamlining was considered a thing of the nazi regime and therefore "not done". The company "Ludewig" itself hardly tells anything about their big achievements on their website. They have evolved into a completely different market.

Ludewig 'Aero'

Click the pictures for the "Aero" in the Streamliners story.

Click the picture for the last remaining part of an "Aero".

In the Commercial Motor archive an article on the Bussing doubledecker seen on the 1934 Berlin Motor show.

From the Ruhr Museum Archive, some 95 pictures remain. Some are previously seen, others completely new. See the list.

index | | last revised: September 9 2013