It might sound like a chapter in a Harry Potter book, but the Borgward Isabella is actually descended from the Borgward automobile company that ceased its German production in 1961. This reincarnation is a sleek design from the pen of Anders Warming who was involved in the design of the current MINI.
The original Borgward Isabella was built in Bremen from 1954 until 1962 – one year after the company’s bankruptcy – as a luxury automobile. This new Borgward concept is a Chinese/German collaboration revealed at this year’s very successful Frankfurt Motor Show.
Borgward has already launched itself successfully in China with the delivery of 70,000 Borgward models – sadly nothing like this Borgward Isabella though, as the company has so far produced the BX7 SUV, which is manufactured at the Foton plant in China.
The company’s German plant will adhere to the past and be based in Bremen, from where Borgward plan to launch in Europe at the end of this year. Though the models that will be released into the German market will all initially be petrol vehicles. Yet the long-term plan for the company is to mainly be selling electric vehicles.
The all-electric Borgward Isabella concept is a striking looking car but grounded enough to show potential for a production release, so will this actually happen? Not in the foreseeable future sadly, which is a shame. The company have not even released any technical information aside from telling us it’s an electric vehicle.
What we do know is that the car itself is a 2+2, much like the original Isabella, with a 2-tone paintjob that echoes the look and feel of the fifties and sixties, as well as Anders Warming’s love of classic vehicles. Apart from these nods to the past, it’s a decidedly modern vehicle though, with impressive looking sliding doors and futuristic lighting and colours on the inside.
Borgward plan to be producing 800,000 cars by 2020 and 1.6 million by 2025. Lofty ambitions that will hopefully not forget the electric Borgward Isabella concept and let it fall by the wayside.
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