Borgward Is Ambitious
Typically, when someone tries to re-launch a dead brand, they start with a high-performance, low-production vehicle; this is not only beneficial for the brand’s image, but it also means that an established dealer network isn't needed right from day one.
When a consortium announced that they wanted to revive Borgward (a German manufacturer that had its heyday between 1919 and 1961), we expected at the very least a sporty coupe, especially since Borgward’s most popular car was the Isabella convertible.
This is why we were surprised to see the above picture, which announces the first new Borg in nearly 60 years. The brand hasn’t announced many details, but it’s easy to see that this new vehicle is an SUV.
The vehicle has been developed in partnership with Beiqi Foton Motor Co., a Chinese commercial vehicle maker. According to rumours, the SUV could be a plug-in hybrid.
Borgward isn’t aiming at a global release yet (obviously); the vehicle would be sold in China for now. That would make sense, because even if it is engineered and styled in Germany, it will probably be assembled in somewhere in Asia.
The manufacturer currently has around 1,000 people on its payroll, but they have big ambitions; by 2020 they intend to sell 800,000 vehicles annually. To do this, a larger lineup will be needed.
Borgward will launch its SUV at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall.
There is another way they could quickly ramp up their sales numbers: their Chinese partner sells commercial trucks, and Borgward was once very successful in this business. The storied German brand could be a gateway for those vehicles into the rest of the world.