Just in time for the start of 2017, Peter Kurze looks back sixty years with his almost hundred-page book "Borgward Chronik 1957" and describes the models and activities of the entire Borgward Group. "A look back at cars, employees and everyday life at Borgward, Goliath and Lloyd" is the subtitle on the cover.
This is the third part of a small series of books, which already provided a real enrichment on the bookshelf with the years 1958 and 1959.
The history of the Borgward Isabella Coupé
The latest part of the series, which actually predates the previous volumes in terms of history, again deals with all the industrial activities of the Borgward Group, showing the various models and also activities outside of automobile construction.
However, it is the in-depth chapters that make the book particularly interesting, such as the development of the Borgward Isabella Coupé, which is illustrated with many historically interesting photos.
The mysterious plastic coupé from Lloyd
Little has been heard of Lloyd's attempt to create a plastic sports coupé. However, the vehicle, which was visually similar to the Arabella, was not created by Lloyd itself, but by suppliers who were interested in producing a plastic body. The pretty vehicle, decorated with tail fins, also appeared at Bayer. On the whole, however, the prototypes remained, as the long-term qualities of the plastic bodies in particular were not convincing.
The whole episode is documented by Peter Kurze on ten pages.
Racing too
Borgward vehicles were also successful in racing, the Borgward RS was an advanced racing car with a tubular frame and twin-camshaft four-valve four-cylinder engine. Direct injection and dual ignition were also added, which was ultimately sufficient for 150 hp from 1.5 liters of displacement.
The car had been developed in 1956, but it was used from 1957, particularly in the newly organized European Hillclimb Championship for cars with a displacement of up to two liters. However, this was then dominated by the Swiss Willy P Daetwyler in the Maserati 200 SI, which made better use of the displacement limit than Borgward and Porsche. Borgward achieved individual successes and class victories.
Kurze, or rather Bernhard Völker, meticulously documents all of this in his guest article with text and pictures.
Figures and statistics
The 90-page booklet is also interesting because of the many statistics and data collections scattered throughout the volume. Whether production figures or new prices, you will find a lot of interesting figures here, even comparisons with the competition, which show that the Borgward Group often swam as a small fish in the big pond in terms of numbers.
Wonderful photos from the time
Peter Kurze also draws on a wealth of material in the "1957" volume, as he has access to around 100,000 images from the archives of the factory photographers of the time and from collections that he has gathered over the years.
There are also wonderful public photos, as well as documentary images showing everyday life at the plant and production.
Not just for Borgward fans
The book can be recommended to enthusiasts with a general interest in cars of the fifties as well as to Borgward or Lloyd fans. At EUR 19.90, it may not be cheap, but it is definitely worth the money.
Bibliographical information
- Title: "Better driving, Borgward driving 1957" (Borgward chronicle 1957)
- Author/Publisher: Peter Kurze
- Language: German
- Publisher: Peter Kurze
- Edition: 1st edition (September 2016)
- Format: Hardcover, 17 cm x 24 cm
- Size: 96 pages, over 120 illustrations and photos, some in color
- ISBN: 978-3-927485-57-0
- Price: EUR 19.90
- Buy/Order: Online at amazon.de, online at the publisher Peter Kurze or in bookstores
