The Geneva Motor Show is known as the launching platform for some of the newest cars in the planet. The 2015 Geneva Motor Show is going to see the revival of a brand which is literally coming back from the dead!
Borgward Group’s innings started a year after the first Great War ended and had to meet its grave rather too soon due to bankruptcy back in 1961. The company is being revived by the founder’s grandson Christian Borgward, the seeds of which were sown in 2008 in Switzerland.
While the name may seem relatively new in India, the company holds a lot of significance. Between 1929 and 1961, the time period in which it was operational, the group, which comprised of four brands of cars (Borgward, Hansa, Goliath and Lloyd), produced over a million units, making it Germany’s largest car maker of its time. It made some of the most iconic cars of the early 20th century as well as a large range of commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, fire engines, boats, electric cars, sports cars and even helicopters.
The company was known for its technological innovations. The 1949 Borgward Hansa 1500 was the first German sedan with an aerodynamic pontoon body, which is the precursor of modern automotive styling. The Borgward Isabella TS of 1955 was the first road car combining the comfort of a family limousine with the agility and performance of a sports car. Another of its product, the Borgward P100 made back in 1959 was the first German passenger car which featured a self-leveling air suspension.
It also had a great sporting lineage. Apart from competing in competitions such as 24 hour Le Mans, 1,000 km Nurburgring and Carrera Panamericana, its 16 valve 1,500 cc engine was also used by a few private Formula One participants in 1961!
Fulfilling his childhood dream, Christian Borgward, grandson of Carl F.W. Borgward and President of Borgward AG, will reveal further revival plans on March 3, 2015.
