Advertising Last completed movie pages 1958 Borgward IsabellaClass: Cars, Sedan — Model origin: 
— Made for: 
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Comments about this vehicle| Author | Message |
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◊ 2022-02-26 18:47 |
Wow, those were sold in the US?! I imagine they didn't sell too well due to their older appearance compared to domestic cars of the same time. |
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◊ 2022-02-26 20:00 |
Borgward sales in US seem to have started in 1949 with Hansa, but very few arrived. It got serious when the Isabella was launched in late 54, and in 55 US took 40% of total Isabella production (24,658). Similar numbers in later years (1958 - 6561 from 29889; 1959 - 7629 from about 38000). Borgward went bust in 61. |
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◊ 2022-02-26 20:16 |
Well, take the most obvious competitor in size and economy, the 1958-60 Rambler American, and you'll realise that the domestic competition was actually not that far ahead in terms of styling. |
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◊ 2022-02-26 20:28 |
“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".[6] 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 60 bhp (45 kW), 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.” From Wikipedia. How many of the modern looking American cars of the time had that sort of specification plus an ohv engine? The major problem would have been that the cars were not rugged enough for American conditions of use. Find a picture of the Isabella cabriolet below, or the Coupé, and think again. A friend and I were looking at one of the very few Cabriolets in U.K. at an open air car show last summer, and he (an architect) was most impressed with the design. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borgward_Isabella -- Last edit: 2022-02-26 20:44:34 |
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◊ 2022-03-24 15:52 |
Would've been a challenge to keep running over a decade after the company went out of business but if it were doable anywhere outside Germany, LA would be the place. |
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