Borgward heralds its return after 50 years with Geneva Auto Show announcement

By Alexander Kalogianni February 9, 2015

1955 Borgward Isabella — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Borgward, a now defunct German auto manufacturer, was once the third biggest car manufacturer in the country during the 1950’s. The company, started by Carl F. W. Borgward, ran successfully from 1919 to the 1960’s when the company filed for bankruptcy after struggling with manufacturing costs while other companies dominated the market. Now, some 50 years later, Borgward announces its return, ready to show the world its plan for the future at the 2015 Geneva Auto Show.

1959 Borgward Isabella — 1959 Borgward Isabella Image used with permission by copyright holder

Geneva was the venue in which Borgward unveiled the Hansa 1500 back in 1949, so it makes sense that this would be the place to showcase its return as an automaker. At the front of the company’s resurrection is Christian Borgward, grandson of the automaker’s founder, who has always wanted to bring the brand back to prominence. “… We believe that, given the will to succeed, you can achieve anything. You have to set a target and pursue it with all your heart, and if you have a dream, as we do, you will fight for it. Everything is then possible,“ says Borgward.

Plans to bring the company back started more than ten years ago, as the younger Borgward and his business partner Karlheinz L. Knöss began assembling a team of engineers and designers to quietly work on the brand’s revival. The team now feels like it’s ready to move on to the next step. “I believe we are now perfectly placed to open up this new chapter in Borgward’s history”, says Knöss. “Geneva is an important step into our promising future and we cannot wait to be back there”.

What that future is has yet to even be hinted at, apart from a vehicle’s silhouette at the end of the “homecoming” video that has a very retro styled profile. While its statement says that the brand’s vision to be a “modern, profitable and world-class global car company,” it makes sense that its initial outing as a modern automaker be a throwback design with modern components, something like the British-made Eagle Speedster or even how Singer modifies classic Porsches. Whatever they have planned, we are curious to see what surprises are in store for us at Geneva.

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Alexander Kalogianni

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…

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