Kurt Ziebart (27 July 1920 – 12 September 2011) was a German-born American who is best known for inventing the

rustproofing Rustproofing is the prevention or delay of rusting of iron and steel objects, or the permanent wikt:protection, protection against corrosion. Typically, the protection is achieved by a process of surface finishing or treatment. Depending on mec ...

process for

automobiles A car, or an automobile, is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of cars state that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, peopl ...

Early years

Ziebart was born on 27 July 1920 in

West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (; ; ) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and from 1878 to 1919. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1773, formed from Royal Prussia of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonweal ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

, before it became part of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. He served in the

German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. After the war, Ziebart became an

auto mechanic An auto mechanic is a mechanic who services and repairs automobiles, sometimes specializing in one or more List of car brands, automobile brands or sometimes working with any brand. In fixing cars, their main role is to Diagnosis, diagnose and ...

before coming to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1953. He landed in

Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

, where he worked at a

Packard Packard (formerly the Packard Motor Car Company) was an American luxury automobile company located in Detroit, Michigan. The first Packard automobiles were produced in 1899, and the last Packards were built in South Bend, Indiana, in 1958. One ...

factory outlet that housed several auto dealerships.

Rustproofing

It was while working in a Detroit

body shop The Body Shop International Limited, trading as the Body Shop, is a British cosmetics, skin care, and perfume company founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick, who opened her first store in Brighton, England. The company is now based in London Bridge ...

that Ziebart saw the effects of

rust Rust is an iron oxide, a usually reddish-brown oxide formed by the reaction of iron and oxygen in the catalytic presence of water or air moisture. Rust consists of hydrous iron(III) oxides (Fe2O3·nH2O) and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH) ...

and began looking for a way to protect cars against it. That is when he developed the process to rust proof automobiles. The process is often called "Ziebart-ing" or "Ziebart-ed", the generic term for rustproofing. in 1959, he founded Auto Rustproofing Company with two other investors, and opened the first shop in Detroit on Harper Avenue. The company's first franchise was sold in 1962.

Later years

In 1963, Kurt Ziebart sold his rustproofing company to an investor group. He also sold the rights to the name ''Ziebart'' which he registered with the company's trademark, a helmet and shield design. In addition, he sold the rights to the exclusive tooling designed by Ziebart. By 2011, the company he had founded, now called Ziebart International, had grown to over 400 shops in 30 countries.

Death

Kurt Ziebart died at his home in

Williamsburg, Michigan Williamsburg is an unincorporated community in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is located in Whitewater Township, Grand Traverse County. The community is home to Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel. As an unincorporated community, William ...

on 12 September 2011. He was 91. No cause was given.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ziebart, Kurt German emigrants to the United States 1920 births 2011 deaths