Kurt Ziebart

Ziebart was born on 27 July 1920[2] in West Prussia, Germany, before it became part of Poland. He served in the German Army during World War II.[3] After the war, Ziebart became an auto mechanic before coming to the United States in 1953. He landed in Detroit, where he worked at a Packard factory outlet that housed several auto dealerships.

It was while working in a Detroit body shop that Ziebart saw the effects of rust 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.[4][5]

in 1959, he founded Auto Rustproofing Company with two other investors, and opened the first shop in Detroit on Harper Avenue.[6] The company's first franchise was sold in 1962.[6]

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.[6] By 2011, the company he had founded, now called Ziebart International, had grown to over 400 shops in 30 countries.[1]

Kurt Ziebart died at his home in Williamsburg, Michigan on 12 September 2011. He was 91. No cause was given.[1][7]