decars1-1, Exercise 1: What you already believe

Model answer (one possible set; check each):

1. The Autobahn has no speed limit. Claimed in popular accounts; partly documented, since some stretches are unrestricted and others are limited (see Chapter 9). The proportion needs checking.
2. Carl Benz invented the car. Documented in outline: his patent of January 1886 is the best-documented date, but the answer depends on the definition and on the work of Daimler, Maybach and others (see Chapter 2).
3. Hitler built the Autobahn. Claimed and widely repeated; the evidence shows road plans and a first motorway before 1933, and a large Nazi programme afterwards (see Chapters 4 and 5).
4. The Beetle was designed by Ferdinand Porsche. Documented that Porsche led the design team for the KdF-Wagen; the contributions of others and the earlier work of designers such as Hans Ledwinka are debated (see Chapter 6).
5. The Trabant was the car of East Germany. Documented that it was the most common car there (see Chapter 8), though waiting lists and the Wartburg complicate the picture.

The point is to see which beliefs rest on records and which on repetition.