Still In The Barn: 1961 Borgward Isabella
Borgward GmbH was a German car builder from the 1920s to the early 1960s. They produced automobiles to compete with the likes of Opel on the low end and Mercedes on the high end. The Isabella was one of their more popular autos from 1954 to 1961, but the company ran out of money about that time and folded up shop. This ’61 Isabella looks to have been sharing spare for some time in a barn with a C4 Chevy Corvette and it may not be complete. It would be a cool restoration project – if you could source the needed parts and pieces. Located in Chipley, Florida, this rarely-seen auto can be found here on Facebook Marketplace for $3,975. Tip finder Chuck Foster comes through again!
Except for a few prototypes, all Isabella’s were built with two doors, even the wagons. The car was originally slated to be called the Hansa 1500, but the Isabella name proved more appealing in testing so that’s what they used in 1954. Sales were brisk for the first year but declined thereafter even though a 2-door coupe (hardtop) like the seller’s car was added in 1957. These vehicles were priced cheaper than both Opel and Mercedes which should have helped with demand as they were especially roomy for their size.
The Isabella was designed without a separate chassis, using the monocoque technique which was becoming the norm in the 1950s. The car was propelled by a 1493-cc inline-4 engine that was rated at 75 hp in later years, so the Isabella was hardly a racehorse. Said engine was paired with a then-innovative hydraulic clutch and a 4-speed full synchromesh gearbox with a column-mounted lever (4-on-the-tree?). Company founder Carl Borgward gave one of the coupes to his wife who drove it into the 1980s, long after he passed away.
We don’t know much about the seller’s two-tone Isabella. Considering it’s a 1961 model, it may have been built toward the end of the car and the company’s run. It hasn’t operated in ages, which is not surprising, and given its location, we have to wonder how well the metal and other parts of the car have done at holding off rust and barn critters. We hope the C4 black ‘Vette in the background has been there less time.
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Comments
Interesting car that kind of reminds me of a Karman Ghia. I doubt you will have any luck with the ladies if you tell them you drive a Borgward. It will all be up to you with your display of character. I’m fascinated with the inline 4 with the carburetor that seems to be sitting on top of the valve cover. Looks to be an interesting design. You might have a problem finding any missing trim parts on this. What little cars were made are long gone by now.
Plenty of them in South Africa where they were very popular. Not too many of them were Coupes as most of them were two door saloons. I owned a 1961 Borgward Isabella TS and it was one of the best cars I have ever owned, and I have owned many cars, English, American, Italian, German etc.
alphasud,
If you look closely, you might discover the carb bolts directly to the cylinder head, as there is no separate intake manifold, the air/fuel passenges are 100% inside the head! The 2 long thin covers on either side of the carb are the actual vlave covers, allowing access to adjust the valves.
While parts are available, they come from overseas [Germany & south America mostly] and can be expensive. This is likely going to be a parts car, due to the high restoration costs. That’s a shame, as the hardtop coupes are very rare in north America.
There is a prescription medication commercial on the TV [Tremfya?] that features a red Borgward Isabella hardtop that the roof was chopped off [probably for the commercial, as there is no folding top or evidence of a tonneau cover], so this car might make a great parts car and roof assembly!
Hello sir…I need a distributor cap ,plugs,wires,carb kit and a fuel pump for my 61 Borgward Isabella….Isabella say what?! Good luck finding parts but maybe there’s a club for these?. Neat looking car with some unique features though.Definetely turn some heads if it ever gets road worthy.
Maggy, There is a big Borgward – Hansa – Lloyd club in Europe, do a search and I’m sure it will pop up. The parts you need are not that difficult to find. Borgwards were also assembled and sold in south America, you might be able to find suppliers there who might be cheaper.
There’s a club for everything.
Your problem is easy to solve….look for distributor cap ” BREMI 8016 ” ( could give you cross – reference if necessary ) – what carburettor is it ? 60 h.p or 75 h.p. ? ( Solex 32 PBIC or Solex 32 PAITA ? ) Petrol – pump was also used by Ford and can be reconditioned ( diaphragm ) Regards from Europe
If the body and frame are in good shape what a fun starting point to build something really interesting, my thought goes to buying a wrecked mid engine corvette and pull the drive train and make it fit in the back of this thing because then you would have a pretty fast car that few would know what it was
That would be a full fab job since the description says it’s monocoque. Of course you have to read to see that.
Apparently you don’t understand the concept of metal fabrication in my youth I put a 454 in the center of a Volkswagen bus. Building the frame was the hard part.
There’s currently an ad for some dreadful drug on one of those TV channels that has old shows like “Hogan’s Heroes” etc. and there’s a couple driving the convertible version of the Isabella in the ad. Very pretty — the car, too.
RB
Reg,
That red car didn’t start life as a convertible, It’s a coupe with the roof cut off.
These models have a Karman Ghia/Mercedes vibe going on. I checked out some pictures of restored cars and the two tone colors really stand out.
There’s a couple of extremely active clubs in Europe. Parts aren’t hard to source though shipping complicates everything. In I believe 2017 I was on Highway 126 in California when I saw probably ten Borgwards heading westbound. I assume there’s either a California Club or Europeans who had their cars shipped over. It’s one of those cars it’s better to appreciate from afar. They’re well made but stodgy.
Do n o t expect too much of ” Clubs in Europe “. Most spares are ” reproductions ” of very poor quality at an exorbitant price. Might be allright to show off a car, but not for daily drivers…thank God I am old enough and organized everything I need decades ago. It is now v e r y difficult to get a Borgward roadworty. As far as the Coupe is concerned : good luck taking off the rear radius arms…as far as I am concerned, it is far too dear considering the work involved. Missing parts do not improve the situation…everything can become a problem. Without ” Borgward – experience ” – I would not recommend to start; it will soon become very frustrating.
I love the way a great historian can pull together the desperate realities that creates a car of present reality, no matter the make of 50’s, 60s or 21st century,
thnx Russ.
He mentions not the MB ‘squash’ of BW or other points of note but goes straight to excellence of components and all round design.
Never underestimate the reality that U will never achieve outside (over/beyond) that of the “tops” of ur ‘car’s’ ‘design/achievement’ related to others of the same era. Example: a 1967 Cherokee is not better than a 1967 Bronco as the motor, suspension, rear gear, etc are better. Just can’t B done. And so, here’s an excellent vehicle for top class DD IN COMFoRT’N STYLE. no matter the condition U C it now (sorry 4 caps).
Could you repeat that in English?
My first car was a Borgward Isabella Combi. It was a great car, but I rolled it over trying to miss a squirrel in Yosemite, where I lived at the time. My next vehicle was a VW Microbus and I’ve had more VWs, Porsches, and Mercedes since then. The Borgward made me fall in love with German cars.