Lloyd Arabella
| Lloyd Arabella (1959-1961) Borgward Arabella (1961-1963) |
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Carl F. W. Borgward GmbH |
| Production | 47,042 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style |
2-door saloon 2-door Sport coupé (Frua) |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 897 cc Boxer 4-cylinder 34/38/45 PS (HP): 25/28/33 kW |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual Saxomat semi-automatic optional |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,200 mm (87 in) |
| Length | 3,800 mm (150 in) |
| Width | 1,510 mm (59 in) |
| Height | 1,395 mm (54.9 in) |
| Curb weight | 730 kg (1,610 lb) (empty) 1,075 kg (2,370 lb) (loaded) |
The Lloyd Arabella was a passenger car produced by the Borgward Group in West Germany between 1959 and 1961. After the company's controversial bankruptcy the Arabella continued to be produced, albeit in greatly reduced quantities, and now branded as the Borgward Arabella till 1963. By the standards of the time and place it would have been defined as a small family car.
The Arabella was the first (and as matters turned out the last) car from Borgward's Lloyd division to be fitted with a four cylinder engine.
The Arabella was a completely new design, owing nothing to the Lloyd Alexander which it initially complemented and then replaced in the manufacturer's range. It was developed in just 23 months, which later commentators have asserted was much too short a period in which to identify and eliminate "teething-troubles" ahead of launch. It was constructed using a frame of tube-steel with cross-members.
The front wheels were suspended with double-wishbone connectors with coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, and the back wheels on trailing arms with coil springs with and anti-roll bar. The brakes, considered advanced at the time, were applied using a hydraulic linkage, with four light-alloy 200 mm brake drums. The hand brake was operated mechanically and worked on the rear wheels. Almost as innovative at the time was the specification of Tubeless tyres on the 13" wheels. The rack and pinion steering required 3.36 between opposite locks, and the turning circle was 10.7 m (35 ft).
The all-steel body followed modern styling trends, and featured a "panoramic wrap-around" rear window and tail fins. There was space for four people, although the two in the back would have found their head room rather restricted. The sales material of the time makes much of the car's passive safety features, such as the two spoke steering wheel with a recessed central hub, rounded door handles and a lock on the front seat-backs to prevent them from tilting forwards unexpectedly. The padded dashboard and interior window frames were also unusual, and the claim can certainly be made that in terms of secondary safety (US English: "crashworthiness") the Lloyd Arabella marked a step forward for cars of this class. The spare wheel was stowed below the rear luggage compartment. It was stowed externally which meant it could be accessed without having to empty out the luggage locker.
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Wikipedia