How difficult it is to revive a faded car brand using the Borgward BX7 as an example
09/15/2015
Expectations were high: the Geneva Motor Show in March 2015 wasall about the rebirth of the famous Bremen car brand Borgward.
Apart from an old Isabella, there was still no car on show, neither a study nor a production vehicle. But the new logo and the philosophy behind the brand were presented in detail. "Accessible Premium" is the name of the "code for the future", as Borgward writes.
Well made, but characterless
At the IAA Frankfurt, the Stuttgart-based company is now putting its money where its mouth is.
The first photos of the Borgward BX7 say little about the high expectations regarding "precision, progressiveness and outstanding quality" (press release). Unfortunately, they do reveal that the designers around Einar Hareide had a hard time transporting Borgward's design language from its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s into 2015. Because what we look at in amazement in the photos is a reasonably well-made, but also confusingly characterless automobile.
This is exactly what should not have happened. Because if Borgward wants to enter the premium segment, the design has to stand out. Others are already doing that. The SUVs from the German premium manufacturers are very independent, as are the off-road vehicles from Jaguar and Bentley presented in Frankfurt. Cadillac is also a good benchmark in terms of independence and distinctiveness. The examples mentioned show, albeit in some cases in higher price and dimension classes, that a traditional origin and a modern appearance are not mutually exclusive.
Missed opportunity
And Borgward has missed this opportunity. Retro design would have been out of place. Nevertheless, there was an opportunity to play with the striking rhombus or the downward-opening radiator grille. The three-dimensionally shaped hood and the wheel arches, which merge seamlessly into the sill, were also a Borgward specialty. Not to mention the balanced proportions of almost all models. The BX7 has none of this. As I said, it is not an ugly car, but it is all too easily confused with other brands. Unfortunately, this also applies to the model designation. Here too, instead of a cryptic combination of numbers, we would have preferred a name that resonated.
Sure, we understand the pressure to realize a car that has to please everyone and not become a shelf warmer because of an overly eccentric body. Ssangyong can tell you a thing or two about that. But that doesn't mean that it has to fall into despondency and lethargy. The promising revival would have deserved a successful packaging ...
