Busch 43109 H0 Passenger car model Borgward Isabella Coupe

The engineer Carl Friedrich W. Borgward, born in 1890, became self-employed in 1921 by taking over the Bremen radiator factory. Just three years later, he built his first car, a small three-wheeled truck. In 1931, he acquired the Hansa-Lloyd works, where trucks and armored vehicles were produced during World War II. Shortly after the war ended, in 1949, Borgward introduced the Hansa 1500, the first German passenger car with a pontoon body. With the Borgward model Isabella, released in 1954 and designed by the founder himself, the Bremen Borgward works consistently continued the successful pontoon line. The most beautiful body variant is considered to be the Isabella Coupé, available from 1957, which was not just a variant but a new development and thus a new car. From mid-1958, two visible details were changed compared to the first edition: the Borgward diamond in the grille was made smaller, and the Borgward lettering on the front fenders was moved forward. The Isabella Coupé became the crowning glory of the Borgward image, a car myth, and the only truly successful attempt to break into the upper class. A novelty was that Borgward fulfilled all special requests, even those not listed on the price list. Among the bizarre but official extras were the added tail fins and the electric steel sunroof. With a base price of 10,925 DM initially and later 11,725 DM, better-off ladies and gentlemen were the target audience. Critics claimed it was a proud price for a rolling luxury item with only two full-size seats. However, this did not diminish its popularity. With nearly 10,000 units produced, the Isabella Coupé remains a coveted collector's item, significantly rarer than, for example, a Mercedes 190 SL, of which there were 26,000. For the beautiful convertible, one initially had to pay 15,600 DM and later even 17,000 DM.