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2005 Australian International Motor Show Sydney Auction
Lot
4

1959 Borgward Isabella TS Coupe

$20,000

Sold

Specifications

Engine In-line four-cylinder, 1493cc
Gearbox 4-speed manual
Body Work Coupe
Colour Silver

Description

This lot is no longer available

One of the more elegant German cars of the 1950s was the Borgward Isabella, a high quality saloon offering exceptional performance from a smallish engine and beautifully finished coachwork. It was rumoured Dr. Carl Borgward conceived the Isabella Coupe in response to a remark by his wife indicating a certain fondness for the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia.

The Isabella Coupe was powered by the same 1.5-litre four-cylinder unit as that employed in the saloon, using a cast iron block with an alloy cylinder head. Developing 75bhp in TS form thanks to a Solex twin-choke carburettor (all Coupes built between 1957 and 1961 came with the more powerful engine), power was delivered through an all-synchromesh four-speed gearbox and suspension was fully independent thanks to wishbones and coils up front and a swing axle at the rear.

The downside to the Isabella was the fiendishly expensive price in export markets and sales were restricted as a result, making the car very rare in Australia. The Isabella Coupe was praised for its handling abilities, superb build quality and luxuriously appointed interior and is today a well regarded piece of classic German engineering from the 1950s.