I've always found it amusing how the VW Beetle got its cultural associations. Maybe some things just stand on their own regardless of their origins.

You must be joking.

Yes, Henry Ford had Nazi sympathies. But VW was literally founded by the Nazis:

> "Volkswagen was established in 1937 by the German Labour Front (German: Deutsche Arbeitsfront) as part of the Strength Through Joy (German: Kraft durch Freude) program in Berlin" [0]

> "The German Labour Front (German: Deutsche Arbeitsfront, pronounced [ˌdɔʏtʃə ˈʔaʁbaɪtsfʁɔnt]; DAF) was the national labour organization of the Nazi Party, which replaced the various independent trade unions in Germany during the process of Gleichschaltung or Nazification." [1]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen#:~:text=1932–1944:%...

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Labour_Front

Besides, both Mercedes (as Daimler-Benz) and BMW made Nazi tanks during that time.

All those brands are now squeaky-clean.