The Isabella was supposed to launch as the "Borgward Hansa 1500" — but engineers and the press liked its internal test-car nickname so much it became the official name instead.
Median 72 hp across 46 similar cars
Lead trim: Isabella 1493 cc four (60 bhp)
Borgward Isabella saloon and estate1954–1962
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Borgward Isabella saloon and estate yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe Isabella was supposed to launch as the "Borgward Hansa 1500" — but engineers and the press liked its internal test-car nickname so much it became the official name instead.
The Borgward Isabella was manufactured by Carl F. W. Borgward GmbH in Bremen from June 1954 to 1962 (also built in Indonesia, Mexico and Argentina, where 999 were made by Dinborg from 1960 to 1963). It was to have been marketed as the Borgward Hansa 1500, but the Isabella name used on test vehicles proved popular with engineering staff and media and only the first few hundred cars were built without Isabella badging (Hansa badging was used through 1957). It had a smaller engine and was marginally shorter than the Hansa it replaced; 11,150 were produced in 1954 and 202,862 by the end, making it probably Borgward's most lucrative model by a considerable margin. The body was more curvaceous than the Hansa's with more chrome trim; it had a rear swing axle and coil springs on all four wheels, and the four-cylinder 1493 cc engine had a claimed 60 bhp (45 kW) with a then-innovative hydraulic clutch and a column-shift four-speed full-synchromesh gearbox. An estate followed a year after the sedan. Borgward had many unsold Isabellas when it went bankrupt in 1961, and production continued at Bremen to 1962, the line later shipped to Mexico where the P100 (Big Six) was built. Wheelbase 2,600 mm (102.4 in), length 4,390 mm (172.8 in), width 1,705 mm (67.1 in), height 1,480 mm (58.3 in), curb weight 1,010 kg (2,230 lb).
Collectors Spotted in the Borgward Isabella Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Borgward Isabella yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isabella 1493 cc four (60 bhp) | 1954–1962 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 60 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Turning the Isabella's unibody into a cabriolet took serious re-engineering to keep it rigid without a roof, and buyers paid a steep premium for the trouble.
The Isabella was supposed to launch as the "Borgward Hansa 1500" — but engineers and the press liked its internal test-car nickname so much it became the official name instead.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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