Goliath GP700 / GP900 History

Launched in 1950 alongside the Lloyd LP300, the Goliath GP700 was Borgward's answer to Germany's postwar hunger for affordable, economical transport. Powered by a transversely mounted 688 cc two-cylinder two-stroke engine producing 25 bhp, it was a compact front-wheel-drive saloon with a claimed top speed of 102 km/h (63 mph). Its pontoon styling was considered modern for its era and was said to have influenced larger German rivals.

The landmark moment came in 1952: the GP700 Sport became one of the first production cars in the world to use Bosch direct fuel injection, a technology that would not appear on the celebrated Mercedes-Benz 300 SL until 1954. The injected Sport produced 32 bhp from an 845 cc engine and could reach 125 km/h (78 mph). Bosch injection subsequently became available on the standard GP700 saloon (designated GP700 E, 'E' for 'Einspritzung'), alongside the carburettor version.

In 1955 the range was expanded with the GP900 E, which bored the two-stroke unit out to 886 cc and raised output to a claimed 50 bhp — a 38 percent jump over the carburettor GP700 — giving a maximum of 120 km/h (75 mph). The GP700 and GP900 continued side by side until 1957, when both were replaced by the wholly different Goliath 1100.