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 protection against corrosion. Typically, the protection is achieved by a process of surface finishing or treatment. Depending on mechanical wear or e ...

process for automobiles.

Early years

Ziebart was born on 27 July 1920 in

West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, before it became part of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. He served in the German Army during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. After the war, Ziebart became an auto mechanic before coming to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in 1953. He landed in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

, where he worked at a Packard 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, the company currently has a range of 1,000 products sold in about 3,000 stores, divided b ...

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( ...

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 Franchise may refer to: Business and law * Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees * Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...

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 northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is located in central Whitewater Township, which is part of Grand Traverse County. M-72 runs directly through the town. History There is evidence ...

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