A vehicle manufacturer, lost in time, is coming back from the metaphorical grave after its bankruptcy more than 50 years ago.
Borgward Group AG, founded in 1929 and at one time second only to Volkswagen in mid-1950’s Germany, lost it all in 1961. The company today is mostly remembered by a handful of fans and car enthusiasts for its Isabella coupe and P100 sedan models.
However, in 2008 Borgward was revived by Karlheinz L. Knöss and Christian Borgward – the grandson of the company’s original founder, Carl. F.W. Borgward.
Newly founded in Sweden, Christian and Knöss sought out a partnership in China with truck maker Beiqi Foton Motor Company, in 2015. Borgward and Beiqi Foton slated production of new Borgward brand vehicles to begin in mid-2016, which brings us today.
In a recent press release from Borgward, the company announced a partnership with KUKA, one of the worlds biggest industrial robot suppliers.
KUKA will cover the joint development of production lines, the standardization of processes and the development of versatile systems and tools for all Borgward manufacturing facilities.
Borgward Group AG has already introduced its Borgward Sustainable Platform (BSP) at its first plant, located near Beijing, where they hope to simultaneously produce a number of vehicle models with different wheelbases and drive technologies on a single assembly line. The platform will also be used in all future Borgward plants.
Christian’s revival of the family legacy is no doubt an exciting experience and a powerful gesture, but today’s automotive market is extremely competitive and doesn’t allow much room for small manufacturers to turn a profit – take Tesla’s profit woes for example, despite their dominating marketing presence.
Was it true that Borgward was just too good for the ‘50s? Can the company survive today?
Well, let’s take a look at Borgward’s first car model in 55 years, the BORGWARD BX7 AWD.
Christian Borgward test drives the BORGWARD BX7 AWD premiere model, the company's newest car model in over 50 years. (Image courtesy Borgward Group AG.)
The BX7 premiere model is an all-wheel-drive SUV with a length of 4.71 m and a wheelbase of 2.67 m.
The vehicle’s interior is full-grain leather, with a Multiple Interaction online infotainment system with a touch screen and direct access buttons, as well as hands-free Bluetooth cell phone connection and voice-controlled dialing.
The BX7 gets a bit more high-tech with a lane-changing assistance system and standard city braking assistant, which warns the driver if they get too close to a vehicle ahead. The vehicle also comes equipped with a traffic sign recognition system that depicts traffic signs in urban settings on the dashboard display.
A 360-degree camera helps with tight maneuvers.
Borgward’s focus on quality and luxury aesthetics will no doubt make for a great product, but none of these features are particularly ground breaking.
“Our premiere model is facing some high-powered competition in the world’s most dynamic vehicle segment,” said Christian. “Nevertheless, the BORGWARD BX7 effectively reinterprets the genes of the successful models from the 1950s and ‘60s for the modern era. It’s more or less exactly the vehicle my grandfather would have built in today’s market environment, if he were still alive.”
However, Borgward seems to know you can’t survive in a competitive market on nostalgia alone. The company plans to include hybrid and electric models of the BX7 to their market presence in Europe in 2017, keeping up with current automotive trends.
The electric BX7 will operate with a PIH or a purely electric drive system with a range of 250 km, with minimized recharging times.
Although Borgward’s entry into the North American market is not yet confirmed, I believe it is inevitable.
Do you think Borgward has what it takes for a comeback this strong? Comment below, and for more information visit www.borgward.com.