Borgward set for Irish return next year

The Borgward brand is set to return to Ireland next year almost six decades since the original company disappeared, writes Brian Byrne.

Based in Stuttgart with Chinese backing, the revived Borgward has been back on the road for the last three years, and has now entered into a strategic partnership with the automotive sales specialist International Motors and IM Group Ltd for the British and Irish markets.

The petrol-engine BX5 and BX7 SUVs are already available in Europe but the brand’s intention is to sell electric vehicles once production starts on the BXi5 and BXi7.

Production of right-hand drive variants is expected to start in early 2019 in anticipation of a UK and Irish launch towards the end of 2019. Price, specification and line-up of the Irish offering will be announced closer to the time.

The original company was founded by Carl F W Borgward (1890–1963). The brand's Isabella was one of the most popular German premium models in the 1950s.

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Electric Borgward for Europe production

This will be the first Borgward built in Europe for half a century, writes Brian Byrne.

It’s an electric version of the Borgward B7 SUV, built in China by the owners of the Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC).

The vehicle will be produced in new manufacturing facility which the company will build in Borgward’s home city of Bremen, Germany.

BAIC debuted the B7 at Frankfurt in 2015 and began sales ion China last year. A second, smaller B5 is also now on sale.

Borgward was founded in 1929 and ceased production in 1961. It was revived in 2008 by Carl Borgward's grandson, Christian Borgward, with his partner Karlheinz L Knöss, and assistance from Chinese investment.

The brand’s most famous car was the Isabella of 1959, pictured above by Lothar Spurzem via Wikipedia.

BAIC also produces cars based on Saab 9-3 and 9-5 technology, though not as Saabs.

Borgward to come back with SUV

They were beautiful, they were technically good, they were German and they had a very short life, writes Brian Byrne.

The Borgward Isabella began production in 1954, but ceased ... MORE