Borgward Isabella

In 1954, its first year of production, a total of 11,150 Isabellas were produced, an early indicator that commercially this would be the most successful Borgward ever. The early cars enjoyed an enthusiastic reception in the market place, but were afflicted by teething troubles that reflected a rushed development schedule. The advertised launch price of DM 7,265 was higher than that of competitor family sedans, the Opel Rekord and Ford Taunus, but significantly less than Mercedes-Benz was asking for their 180 model. In view of the car's spacious cabin and impressive performance, the pricing was perceived as competitive. A road test at launch reported a maximum speed of and fuel consumption of 8.4 L/100 km or 28 mpg. The testers described the modern structure of the car in some detail: they particularly liked the wide cabin with its large windows, and they commended the effectiveness of the brakes. The inclusion of a cigarette lighter and a clock also attracted favourable mention. Unlike the Mercedes 180 however, (and unlike its predecessor) the Isabella was only available with two doors. The Isabella was constructed without a separate chassis, applying the monocoque technique which during the 1950s was becoming the norm. Like its predecessor, the car was designed with a modern ponton, three-box design, but the line of the Isabella was more curvaceous than that of the first Hansa, and the car’s body made greater use of chrome trim. Ground clearance was 6.9 inches. The Isabella featured a swing axle at the back: it was supported by coil springs on all four wheels. The four-cylinder 1493 cc engine had a claimed power output of , and was connected by means of a then innovative hydraulic clutch to the four-speed full synchromesh gear box. Gear changes were effected by means of a column-mounted lever. ==Variants==

A year after presenting the sedan, Borgward presented the Isabella estate version. Also introduced in 1955 was a two-door cabriolet, known as the Isabella TS and featuring a more powerful motor. Production of the cabriolet was contracted to the firm Karl Deutsch in Cologne: converting an early monocoque design to a cabriolet necessitated considerable modification in order to achieve the necessary structural rigidity, and the resulting cost was reflected in a much higher selling price for this version. Initial sales volumes were not maintained. Responding to a sales decline of almost a third in 1955 and 1956, Carl Borgward decided to produce a restyled Isabella with a shortened roof line. The Borgward Isabella Coupé was developed, and the four hand built prototypes were well received by the press. Borgward gave one of these prototypes to his wife, Elisabeth, who would continue to drive it into the 1980s. Commercial production of the coupé, powered by the more powerful TS version of the engine first seen in the cabriolet, commenced in January 1957. The coupe appeared to have achieved its marketing objective of further distancing the Isabella’s image from similarly sized competitors from Opel and Ford. By 1958, the more powerful TS motor had also found its way into the more upmarket Isabella sedan and estate versions. Vehicles were exported to several markets, including Australia, and New Zealand; ten were sold in Malaysia. File:2005-08-27 Borgward Hansa 1500 Isabella (bearb).jpg|Borgward Hansa Isabella Saloon File:Borgward Isab Cabrio (2014-08-29 6584).JPG|Borgward Isabella Cabriolet File:Borgward Isabella Combi 1959 (1).jpg|Borgward Isabella Combi 1959 File:Borgward Isabella Coupé front 20110611.jpg|Borgward Isabella Coupé (2+2) File:2005-08-27 Isabella Coupé Cabrio (bearb).jpg|Borgward Isabella Cabriolet (2+2) File:Borgward Isabella TS 1961.jpg|Borgward Isabella TS Saloon 1961 File:Isabella-PickUp heck.jpg|Borgward Isabella PickUp File:Borgward Isabella 4-tür (2014-08-29 6621).JPG|One of probably two 4 door Borgward Isabellas ==In competition==

English racing driver and tuner Bill Blydenstein raced a Borgward Isabella in the 1950s with some success. ==End of production==

Borgward had many unsold Isabellas when it went bankrupt in 1961. Nevertheless, the model's production at the Bremen plant continued until 1962, suggesting that overstocking had not been restricted to finished vehicles. By the end, 202,862 Isabellas had rolled off the Borgward production line; overall, and despite being hit by falling demand in the economic slump that briefly hit Germany in the early 1960s, the car is believed to have been the firm's most lucrative model by a very considerable margin. ==Concept (2017)==

A Borgward Isabella concept was presented by Borgward Group at IAA 2017 as a four-door, four seat electric coupe. It has been designed under the direction of Anders Warming. ==References==