Once-defunct car firm Borgward will re-enter the automotive industry with a new range of models this year, and will present its first model at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
Re-launching the German brand after an absence of more than 50 years, Borgward officials told journalists at the Geneva motor show they will bring a range of “luxurious, inventive and bold,” models to market.
Borgward are back at Frankfurt Motor Show 2017
Following the unveiling of the first model, Borgward says it will introduce up to three new cars annually. The firm’s initial focus will be on Germany and emerging markets - understood to include China and the Middle East - where Borgward will set up local manufacturing plants. For now, the company will make its headquarters in Stuttgart.
While details on Borgward’s future styling and powertrain developments haven’t been revealed, the company has said it is working on a plug-in hybrid system, suggesting that at least part of its upcoming model range will be electrified.
The company is also placing a big focus on in-car connectivity, promising that its telematics concept, dubbed “Multiple Interaction”, will “change the way you think about the car".
The revival of the firm is being led by Christian Borgward, grandson of company founded by Carl F W Borgward. He said: “We are rolling out Borgward cars that are worthy of the name because they are luxurious, inventive, and bold. Just like those of my grandfather.”
Borgward CEO Karlheinz L. Knoss said: “When I first began discussing the idea with Christian Borgward, we kept asking ourselves the same question: “What would have happened if Borgward had endured?
“Unique companies and brands are characterised by passion, a pioneering spirit and enduring values. Borgward personified these attributes instilled by the strong and single-minded personality of Carl F. W. Borgward, his ideas, his products and his visionary business leadership.”
Borgward was founded in 1919 but went bankrupt in 1961 and has not appeared as a name on the global motoring scene since then. Notable models from the company's past include the Borgward Isabessal TS from 1955, the Borgward P100 from 1959 and the Borgward Hansa 1500 from 1949. A Borgward Hansa team also competed in events like the Le Mans 24hr and the Nürburgring 1000km.
Read more Geneva motor show news
Get the latest car news, reviews and galleries from Autocar direct to your inbox every week. Enter your email address below:
Join the debate
Add your comment
Borgward Isabessal?
I wonder how they will position the new Borgward
But how do you introduce an entirely new brand? You can't compete in the mainstream sectors. so is it going to be another Noble? Just the name tacked onto another me-too mid-engined bathtub?
And the name itself is a problem. Nobody knows it these days so it has no connotations. It just sounds a bit ugly and difficult to say if you say it properly.
I do hope it's something interesting and not just another expensive and ludicrously fast sports car for the Stig to drive.
Borg Ward?