Borgward’s homecoming. The return of a legend.
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• The legendary German car brand Borgward returns to the international automotive industry
• The company’s exciting plans for the future will be announced at the 85th International Motorshow in Geneva
• For Christian Borgward, grandson of founder Carl F.W. Borgward, it is a childhood dream come true
• The Borgward press conference will take place on 3rd March 2015, 13.00 CET in hall 2, booth 2051
• A short film has been produced by Borgward to commemorate its heritage and is now available to view at www.youtube.com/borgward
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Borgward, one of the most innovative brands in car
history, returns to the circle of internationally renowned car manufacturers after more than 50 years. On 3rd March 2015, the company will announce its exciting plans for the future and present its new business model to global media at the 85th Geneva International Motorshow.
From 1919 to 1961, the Borgward Group wrote automotive history. As one of Germany’s largest and most successful car manufacturers of its time, Borgward created some of the most iconic cars of the early 20th century as well as a large range of commercial vehicles, trucks, buses, fire engines, boats, electric cars, sports cars and even helicopters. Innovation and bold ideas were always at the heart of the Bremen based company steered by the visionary entrepreneur Carl F.W. Borgward who continuously pioneered technical novelties that set new standards in the industry. The 1949 Borgward Hansa 1500 was the first German sedan with an aerodynamic pontoon body, the precursor of modern automotive styling. The Borgward Isabella TS of 1955 was the first road car combining the comfort of a family limousine with the agility and performance of a sports car. The Borgward P100 of 1959 was the first German passenger car featuring a revolutionary self-leveling air suspension. From 1950 to 1958 Borgward was also active in international motorsport. With the Borgward Hansa 1500 the team successfully competed in various racing series such as the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, 1,000km of Nurburgring, Carrera Panamericana and the race of Montlhéry were it broke 12 records overall.
Thirty years of innovative design, a production of more than one million vehicles retailed worldwide combined with the success of such automotive icons as the famous Isabella have driven Christian Borgward, grandson of Carl F.W. Borgward and President of Borgward AG, to plan the revival of the legendary brand. “Relaunching Borgward is a childhood dream come true for me”, says Borgward, inspired by the unique heritage of his grandfather’s legacy. Together with his partner Karlheinz L. Knöss and a team of highly skilled experts all over the world, Borgward has been working over a decade on the rebirth of the brand and his vision of turning it into a modern, profitable and world-class global car company again. “We began shaping and designing the future of Borgward nearly ten years ago and are now ready for the next step. Incorporating the values and cutting-edge technologies that Borgward stood for, combined with our ambition, drive and commitment to succeed, 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”.
The Salon de l’Automobile de Genève – one of the most prestigious car shows of the year – is the place where the Borgward Hansa 1500 was unveiled in 1949 as the very first automobile construction after the war. Fans of the legendary Hanseatic brand can now re-experience the unique spirit of Borgward and its fascinating history ahead of the motorshow: a short video commemorating the brand’s heritage is available to view and embed at www.youtube.com/borgward.
Ends.
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Notes to editors:
The Borgward Group was founded in 1919 by engineer Carl F.W. Borgward and produced a wide range of vehicles and engines under the brands Borgward, Goliath and Lloyd. Between 1929 and 1961, the Borgward Group produced over one million vehicles, which made Borgward one of Germany’s largest car manufacturers of its time, employing over 20,000 people at its production facilities in Bremen and selling its products all over the world. Its most prestigious models were the Borgward Hansa 1500, Borgward P100 and Borgward Isabella model which sold more than 200,000 units globally.
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Further information
Lena Siep Borgward AG
Phone: +41 (0) 41 562 5906
Email: media@borgward.com
Website www.borgward.com
Youtube www.youtube.com/borgward
Facebook www.facebook.com/borgward.official
Twitter @borgward_ag
