Looking backward, moving forward: reviving Borgward

The resurrection of buried car brands has become a very fashionable business these days, especially with German companies. BMW has obviously found success with the new MINI; Mercedes-Benz a little less so with the eccentric Maybach; while the VW Group brought back Bugatti like a phoenix from the ashes. These cases all revolved around major German manufacturers buying and resuscitating a brand, but now Christian Borgward is maneuvering to revive his grandfather's car company that bears their family name.

Borgward made cars from 1924 through 1961, when the company went bankrupt. Following Carl Borgward's death in 1963, the tooling was sold to a factory in Mexico that continued building the cars until 1970.

Unlike other revival marques, Borgward is not out to create a media storm. What is known is that the brand is planning to make its comeback from Bremen, Germany, with investment from venture capital firms, an initial two-car line-up aimed in between the Ford Mondeo and BMW 3-Series (two of the biggest sellers in the UK) and an ambitious sales target of 10,000 per year. Manufacturing will probably be contracted to Magna, who build the BMW X3 and contributed to the upcoming Fiat Bravo, although Italian design houses like Bertone and Pininfarina (which also have limited production capabilities) may be thrown into the mix.

Given the historical roots on which the company will be trading and the current popularity of retro styling, we can expect the design to go that route. It will likely be some time before the new Borgwards are on the road, but we'll stay tuned for what could be an interesting alternative to the usual driveway fodder.

[Source: Edmunds' Inside Line]