A lore post on my car company Rosenthal that will cover its the past, present and future of the brand. From humble honest beginnings to shady dealings and cloak-and-dagger activities I hope to use this space to finally flesh out the brand’s cars and other things built by them. As a side note i will try keep irl brands as ambiguous as possible & since ive been playing the game since early 2020 alot of cars will jump in quality since i have to fill in the gaps.
Rosenthal Motor Company or simply Rosenthal is a Japanese multinational manufacturer of automobiles and is headquartered in Tokyo. With their booming success Rosenthal became the first automobile company to release a dedicated security branch, MilTech, in the late 80’s the likes of which manufacture “power equipment” for the global market. Since the 80’s Rosenthal has been involved with artificial intelligence/robotics research and released their first drone under it’s MilTech branch at the tail end of 89’. In modern times Rosenthal still holds firm as a strong auto maker while its security branch MilTech and its equipment can be found anywhere from guard posts to military instillations.
After the end of WW2 former German panzer tank engineer Strauss Rosenthal would make multiple attempts at trying to get a foothold in the German auto market, failing each time due to his “unostentatious ideology”. All that would change however when he moved to Japan in 1952 and was able to quickly win over the Japanese populace with his efficient I.C.E. powered bicycles giving even native automakers a run for a short period as Japan’s leading motorcycle manufacturer. However Strauss wanted to further his standing by once again attempting to step into the auto market and with his engines already being a favorite among the Japanese he felt ready to take the plunge. With financial backing from German institutes Strauss would go on to create a fledgling company called “SR Motors” in 1956 with plans on producing their first car following close behind.
However not all would go according to plan for Strauss and his new company as he would lose his financial support from Germany effectively leaving him with a sink or swim ultimatum. Not wanting to loose out on the foothold he had obtained in Japan Strauss would sell all his assets and create his own company under the name “Rosenthal” officially licensing the company as a Japanese automaker! With a new company under his belt all that was missing was a car, though he had sold his assets his former defunct fledgling company SR Motors still had a shipment of 500 rolling shells sitting at a Japanese pier and through grey areas and loop holes Strauss now had a small fleet of cars he could use to turn a profit.
With the 1960s fast approaching Strauss and a team of roughly 42 individuals working for him at the time were able to completely utilize all 500 of the cars and with a deal struck with jdm automaker, Strauss and his company Rosenthal would go on to successfully sell all 500 of the original “530 R Types” with orders of up to an additional 1,500 having to be produced in timely fashion. The car pictured was Strauss Rosenthal’s personal 530 R Type nicknamed “Dame blau” (Lady Blue) for it’s sleek hood lines and shimmering blue color.
After the well-received launch of the 530, Rosenthal started on the development of a larger companion model. Rosenthal’s original concept for a larger, quieter, more powerful and comfortable car was a four-door sedan powered by a 1300cc inline-six engine. Designated Project MT (many have speculated the abbreviation stood for Modest Travel but records show Rosenthal never truly explained the meaning) prototypes were tested on “hastily modified 530s” starting in the summer of 61’ with the first proper road car testing in the winter of 62’ the new car simply called the 1000 would be released to the public, with its extended nose, cabin and rear, the 1000 was a logical step up from the stubby design of the 530 while providing ample leeway for use of 530-derived components. The end result meant a car that was popular with the marginally wealthy individuals and corporates executives with a build cost at a fraction of the sale price.
With the success of both the 530 and 1000 Rosenthal then felt a need to further round out its lineup by introducing a vehicle for the working class, specifically rural farming towns. Development quickly went underway as Rosenthal would again use the 530 as its test bed, this time equipping models with beefed up suspension along with a stronger powertrain. By the spring of 64’ Rosenthal would have a small fleet of T660s ready for sale all over Japan. The end results were a T660 that was produced as a conventional rear wheel drive pickup truck, meant to handle the unpaved side roads. The T660 soon gained the nickname “mini horse” for its stubbornness and refusal to get stuck while loaded down with supplies.
