https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Ledwinka
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatra_V570
Quote:
Volkswagen controversy
Both Hitler and Porsche were influenced by the Tatras.[1] Hitler was a keen automotive enthusiast, and had ridden in Tatras during political tours of Czechoslovakia.[1] He had also dined numerous times with Hans Ledwinka.[1] After one of these dinners Hitler remarked to Porsche, "This is the car for my roads".[1][2] while the book Car Wars, quotes Hitler as saying it was "the kind of car I want for my highways".[3] In any case, of Ledwinka, Porsche admitted "Well, sometimes I looked over his shoulder and sometimes he looked over mine" while designing the Volkswagen.[1][2][3] There is no doubt that the Beetle bore a striking resemblance to earlier Tatra.[1] Tatra launched a lawsuit, but this was stopped when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia. At the same time, Tatra was forced to stop producing the T97. The matter was re-opened after World War II and in 1961 Volkswagen paid Ringhoffer-Tatra 1,000,000 Deutsche Marks in an out of court settlement.[4]
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all rumors and speculations aside - VW definitely paid Tatra