Borgward Isabella History

Launched in June 1954 as the replacement for the Hansa 1500, the Isabella was originally to be badged Borgward Hansa 1500, but the name 'Isabella' had become popular among the engineering staff and the media after appearing on test cars — and it stuck. In its first full year, 11,150 Isabellas were built, an early sign that it would become the marque's best-selling car by a wide margin.

The Isabella used a 1493 cc overhead-valve inline-four with an alloy cylinder head, producing 60 PS in standard form; the TS (Touring Sport) variant, introduced first in the cabriolet, used a twin-choke carburettor and raised output to 75 PS. The coupé — a rakish 2+2 body built in-house — began production in January 1957 and became one of the most admired German car designs of the decade. Construction was by modern unitary body with independent wishbone front suspension.

By the time the Borgward group collapsed in August 1961, 202,862 Isabellas had been assembled in Bremen, with smaller runs in Indonesia, Argentina, and Mexico. Assembly continued briefly after the bankruptcy, and production equipment was subsequently shipped to Mexico, where the Isabella was built in Monterrey until 1970. The model's combination of genuine quality, stylish coachwork, and competitive pricing made it the standard by which German competitors measured themselves in the late 1950s.