Christian Borgward, grandson of the founder of the car company that bears his name, has got behind the wheel of the new Borgward BX7 AWD which is set to spearhead a comeback for the classic German marque.
During the brand’s World Meeting in Bremen, he had the opportunity to drive the technical grandson of the models from the 1960s for the first time. "My idea to continue my grandfather's dream is now a reality," he said. "The Borgward brand is back on the road again - it's a feeling beyond description!"
The BX7 is a near-production prototype targeting the increasingly popular sector for large mid-size SUVs. The newcomer, which is 4.70 metres long and seats up to seven occupants, features all-wheel drive, plug-in hybrid technology and Multiple Interaction, claimed to be the most advanced online communication and entertainment system on the market.
Safety features include the PROTECT occupant protection concept, which comprises preventive vehicle dynamics and driver assistance systems that can help avoid collisions. This is backed up by a ‘highly stable’ occupant cell with precisely defined deformation zones, as well as passive restraint systems which can mitigate the consequences of an accident.
Borgward says the brand’s guiding principle of ‘Modern Tradition’ was at the forefront of the designers’ minds as they developed its new design language. From their base at the Design Centre in Renningen, near company headquarters, the team merged modern sculptural shapes with the brand's traditional values to create “superior automobiles that exude self-confidence,” says BORGWARD.
The Borgward brand's hometown of Bremen saw as many as 100,000 vehicles rolling off the lines every year up until 1962 at the Sebaldsbrück plant that's now operated by Daimler.
After finishing up his first-ever drive in the BX7, the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Borgward Group AG said: "Obviously, our premiere model is facing some high-powered competition in the world's most dynamic vehicle segment. Nevertheless, the Borgward BX7 effectively reinterprets the genes of the successful models from the 1950s and 1960s for the modern era, and the vehicle is going to be successful. It's more or less exactly the vehicle my grandfather would have built in today's market environment if he were still alive."
For the first time since 1990, members of the international Borgward fan community gathered together for a World Meeting, establishing contact with the reborn brand for the first time. Along with legendary classic cars such as the Isabella, Arabella, and P 100, which celebrated their return to their native city, the event also showcased prototypes of the brand new BX7 premiere model.