Borgward Hansa 1500

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Borgward Hansa 1500
Borgward Hansa 1800
Hansa 1800, most readily distinguishable from the 1500 by the more prominent positioning of the direction indicators
Manufacturer Carl F. W. Borgward GmbH
Production October 1949 - 1954
Successor Borgward Isabella
Body style(s) 2 or 4 door saloon, estate, cabriolet
Layout FR layout
Engine(s) 1498 cc straight-4 (1500)
1758 cc straight-4 (1800)
Transmission(s) 3 speed manual (1500)
4 speed manual (1800)
Wheelbase 2600 mm (102.4 in) [1]
Length 4450 mm (175.2 in) [1]
Width 1620 mm (63.8 in) [1]
Height 1560 mm (61.4 in) [1]
Curb weight 1120 kg (2469 lb) - 1245 kg (2745 lb)
At launch, the direction indicators were positioned below the headlights
At launch, the direction indicators were positioned below the headlights
Confusingly, this Hansa 1500 estate has had its indicators repositioned so that to the casual observer it resembles a Hansa 1800. The name on the diamond in the centre of the grill is nonetheless ‘Hansa 1500’.
Confusingly, this Hansa 1500 estate has had its indicators repositioned so that to the casual observer it resembles a Hansa 1800. The name on the diamond in the centre of the grill is nonetheless ‘Hansa 1500’.
The view through the steering wheel was remarkably unencumbered. Also visible here are the column mounted gear shift and the front bench seat which made the Hansa, unusually in Europe, a genuine six seater.
The view through the steering wheel was remarkably unencumbered. Also visible here are the column mounted gear shift and the front bench seat which made the Hansa, unusually in Europe, a genuine six seater.
This profile was strikingly original in 1949.
This profile was strikingly original in 1949.

The Hansa 1500 is a medium sized saloon that was manufactured by the Bremen based auto-manufacturer Carl F. W. Borgward GmbH. The strikingly modern car first rolled off the production line on October 13 1949 [2] and was replaced by the Borgward Isabella in 1954. It is claimed 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 three box form that subsequently became mainstream in Germany and across much of Europe.

Contents

[edit] The body

The car was launched as a two or four door saloon with an all steel body built around a central steel frame. 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.[3] 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[4] , 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.

A two door estate version and a five seater two door cabriolet were available along with a two seater sports cabriolet. The cabriolets were both assembled by the coach builders Hebmüller in Wülfrath until May 1952.[4]

[edit] Engine, transmission and chassis

The Hansa was introduced with a 1498 cc four cylinder ohv engine providing a claimed power output of 48 bhp (35 kW).[4] For 1952 the engine was modified to produce 52 bhp (38 kW). A 66 bhp (49 kW) output version of this engine was installed in the sports cabriolet.

The column mounted gear lever controlled a three speed gear box.

The wheels were independently sprung, the rear wheels being attached to a swing axel and supported by springs with hydraulic shock absorbers. All four wheels were connected to the foot brake via a hydraulic system, while the hand brake was a mechanical one operating on the rear wheels.

[edit] More power

1952 saw the introduction of the faster Borgward Hansa 1800, with a 1758 cc 4 cylinder engine producing 60 bhp (44 kW). The Hansa 1800 benefited from a four speed gear box, with synchromesh between the top two ratios. The front direction indicators which on the Hansa 1500 had been located beneath the headlights, now migrated to the top of the front wings on the Hansa 1800.

As before, the two and four door saloons were complemented by cabriolet and estate versions.

The next year the Hansa 1800 became available with a diesel engine of the same capacity as the petrol / gasoline fuelled unit, but with a power output of 42 bhp (31 kW).

An 1800 diesel saloon version tested by the British The Motor magazine in 1954 had a top speed of 68 mph (109 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-50 mph (80 km/h) in 27.9 seconds. A fuel consumption of 45.6 miles per imperial gallon (6.19 L/100 km/38.0 mpg US) was recorded. The test car cost £1493 including taxes in the United Kingdom. [1]

[edit] Sources and further reading

  1. ^ a b c d e "The Borgward 1800 Diesel" (March 10 1954). The Motor. 
  2. ^ Schmidt, Georg (1986). Borgward – Carl F. W. Borgward und seine Autos. Stuttgart: Motorbuchverlag. ISBN 3-87943-679-7. 
  3. ^ Auto und Motorrad-Welt," Issue 6, 20. March 1953
  4. ^ a b c Peter Kurze. Carl F. W. Borgward Automobilwerke, Verlag Peter Kurze, Bremen 2001, ISBN 3-9806977-3-8

This article is based on a translation of the article Borgward Hansa 1500 from the German Wikipedia.

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