Borgward Hansa 1500

Borgward Hansa 1500 Borgward Hansa 1800
Borgward Hansa 1800
Overview
Manufacturer	Carl F. W. Borgward GmbH
Production	October 1949 - 1954
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door saloon 4-door saloon 2-door cabriolet 2-door station wagon 2-door panel van
Layout	FR layout
Powertrain
Engine	1498 cc straight-4 (1500) 1758 cc straight-4 (1800)
Transmission	3-speed manual (1500) 4-speed manual (1800)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,600 mm (100 in)
Length	4,450 mm (175 in)
Width	1,620 mm (64 in)
Height	1,560 mm (61 in)
Curb weight	1,120 kg (2,470 lb) - 1,245 kg (2,745 lb)
Chronology
Successor	Borgward Isabella

The Borgward Hansa 1500 is a medium-sized automobile that was manufactured by the Bremen based auto-manufacturer Carl F. W. Borgward GmbH from 1949 to 1954. It was first presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1949 and production commenced on 13 October 1949. The similar Hansa 1800 was introduced in 1952. The Hansa was replaced by the Borgward Isabella in 1954.

It is often seen as the first all new model launched by the German auto industry after the war. Introduced nearly four years before the better remembered ’Ponton Mercedes’ the Hansa featured the then revolutionary ponton, three-box design that subsequently became mainstream in Germany and across much of Europe.

The car was launched as a two- or four-door saloon with an all-steel body built around a central steel frame, which bears a resemblance to a 1949 Ford. The wings were fully integrated into the bodywork, and the passenger cabin filled the full width of the car. At a time when competitor vehicles from Opel and Mercedes Benz were still based on conventional looking prewar designs, the interior width of the Hansa, emphasized by the inclusion of bench seats both at the back and in the front, attracted favourable press comment. The car was seen as a genuine six-seater. Also noteworthy in 1949 was the separate lid that permitted the boot / trunk to be accessed from outside the car. At the other end, the bonnet / hood was hinged at the side and could be opened from either the left or the right side as necessary. Instead of traditional semaphore style direction indicators, the Hansa featured flashing lights for use as direction indicators, the flashing being replicated within the tri-functional rear lights which included within a single unit rear lights and brake lights along with the US style flashing direction indicators.

The driver was faced by a steering wheel linked to its central boss by three sets of four thin spoke like rods. The design of the steering wheel, reminiscent of the early Porsches, ensured minimal disruption of the view of the instruments behind it. Also behind the steering wheel was the column-mounted gear lever.