1959 Borgward Isabella Coupe
There are not many motoring stories that start on a boat but this one does. In fact, this automotive tale began in 2012 on a yacht. Les was sailing with his friend off the coast of Queensland enjoying the salt air and wind swept spray on his skin when he noticed a sheet of newspaper in the water. Reaching out he retrieved the rubbish and in doing so the classifieds section caught his eye. Les freely admits that he never buys or even reads the Courier Mail so it was complete serendipity that this sheet of cars for sale washed up against the boat he was on. The car advertisement that took his fancy was for a 1959 “Borgward Isabella”. As a child, Les had admired a Borgward in his hometown of Cairns in Far North Queensland and now the ad for the curvaceous two door coupe piqued his interest.
Returning to shore, Les made some calls and became the proud owner of the cream coloured Borgward. Like all car lovers his first instinct was to add his own touch to the distinctive automobile. A fresh set of white wall tyres and some supple red leather upholstery on the front seats and she seemed like a whole new car. The previous owner was so envious of the transformation that he immediately raced out to purchase another Borgward, this time from the Fred Hollows Foundation clearance sale.
Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was blind luck, but the Borgward was definitely blessed to have found Les who not only knew what a Borgward was but also appreciated the story of Carl Borgward, the man behind the brand. You see once upon a time, Borgward was a serious competitor in the automotive industry. In its heyday Borgward was larger than Volvo, Alfa, Saab and BMW. The story of Carl Borgward, his passion for cars and the machines he built is a tale for the ages.
Born in Germany in 1890 with 12 siblings, Carl Borgward was the son of a coal merchant and completely obsessed with the automobile. As children many of us played with Hot Wheels and Matchbox toy cars, but as a child Carl was designing and building his own toy cars to race across the kitchen table. As a young man he completed a metal working apprenticeship and went on to study mechanical engineering while continuing to design and develop machines for his paying customers. In the mid 1920s, Carl unveiled his first automobile the “Blitzkarren”.
By today’s standards the three-wheel machine was very basic but it ticked all of the boxes for his target market. It was affordable, easy to fix and very practical. In 1931 Carl stepped his car design game up delivering the “Goliath Pionier” and it was instantly a huge success. This second car in the Borgward stable was a cunning design that slipped through many bureaucratic loopholes resulting in an automobile that did not require a driving licence to operate it and it did not incur any vehicle tax. Feeling a little bit chuffed with himself, Carl decided to push his limits a little more and bring the struggling Hansa-Lloyd-Werke company into the Borgward family. In doing so, he took the Borgward enterprise from small time producer to a major player and industrial scale manufacturer overnight. World War II struck a blow for many businesses in Germany, but where others saw disaster, Carl saw opportunity. He quickly turned his manufacturing plants into war machine factories. Had Germany won the war, things may have turned out very differently for Carl, but instead the Americans bombed his factories and locked Carl up in a Prisoner of War Camp until 1946. Yet again, Carl saw hope where others saw despair. As he served time in the prison camp, Carl took note of the American vehicles, studying them and pondering the possibilities.
BORN IN GERMANY IN 1890 WITH 12 SIBLINGS, CARL BORGWARD WAS THE SON OF A COAL MERCHANT AND COMPLETELY OBSESSED WITH THE AUTOMOBILE
After his release from the prison camp Carl was almost 60 years old. Undeterred, Carl took his passion for cars, his new ideas inspired by U.S. automobiles, and the energy normally reserved for men a third his age, and began to rebuild his Borgward empire. Starting from scratch without loans from the bank or outside investors, Carl launched an upper mid-range saloon in 1949 to debut his revolutionary Pontoon shape. Other automotive manufacturers in post war Germany rapidly adopted the Pontoon shape in their designs.
It may have been the first time that Carl’s innovation and design genius was embraced by other manufacturers but it most certainly wasn’t the last. Borgward led the way by introducing technical innovations such as direct fuel injection, automatic transmissions, air suspension and turn signals into production vehicles.
By 1959, Borgward was a serious business employing 20,000 people to produce a full range of automobiles for many purposes. Borgward was the largest industrial company and corporate taxpayer in Bremen and the second largest auto producer in Germany.
In 1959, Les’s Borgward Isabella was built. The elegant two door coupe was created to compete with Ford and Opel and to provide the driver with a cheaper alternative to a Mercedes Benz. Her feminine curves and classic appointments of polished timber, shiny chrome trim and sumptuous leather enable her to stand out in a car park. Deep in the belly of the beast is a compact four-cylinder motor punching out a whopping great sixty ponies. The interior seats four adults comfortably and wishbone independent suspension provides them with a smooth ride.
The 1960s saw the American market move to a more compact car and European car exports began to dwindle. This change hit the Borgward company hard and without finance from banks or investors it quickly faltered. In 1961 Borgward was insolvent and forced into liquidation; the behemoth that was Borgward was no more. Carl sold off assets and paid back creditors but at 72 years old he ran out of steam. Carl Borgward died in 1963 but the dream that he began in 1919 lives on. Today the Borgward brand has been reborn offering a selection of SUVs and a thrilling new concept car.
Les has a selection of unique vintage cars scattered across the planet yet the Borgward remains a favourite of his. When asked if he would own another Borgward or upgrade to the newer models, he politely declines. The cream coloured lady Isabella suits him perfectly and to know that it comes from Carl Borgward, a man who shared Les’s passion for all things automobile makes her all the more special to him.
LEFT: Built to compete with the entry level offerings from Ford and Opel this Borgward Isabella was champaign on a beer budget. THIS PAGE: The Borgward remains a favourite for Les. Steeped in history and a rare sight on the road. It's no wonder it holds a special place for him. The original key and owners wallet for the Isabella
LEFT: Borgward was larger than Volvo, Alfa, Saab and BMW, but has all but faded away today.
AS HE SERVED TIME IN THE PRISON CAMP, CARL TOOK NOTE OF THE AMERICAN VEHICLES, STUDYING THEM AND PONDERING THE POSSIBILITIES.