In the fifties, the Borgward cars for motorsport gained international acclaim through copious record-breaking race car victories worldwide.

Cities were in shambles and the regime was divided into East-West; but, despite this situation, the 1950s marked a new period of peace after World War II. Confounded about the future, the national sentiment was low in Germany. Suffering from the past, but having great expectations for the future, Carl Borgward, as an international automaker, hoped to be a voice of hope for his fellow countrymen.

In 1949, Carl Borgward encountered racing fan August Momberger (head of Auto Union – Sports Car Division) and his racing blood started boiling. HeedingAugust Momberger’s suggestion, Carl Borgward improved Hansa 1500’s chassis, designed a lightweight engine, and streamlined the body to reduce wind resistance. Soon thereafter, the INKA was born, featuring a 66PS engine and streamlined aluminum alloy body.

In 1950, all eyes were on the silver INKA, an aluminum alloy body Borgward racing car. INKA broke an overwhelming 12 international world records on its initial debut. Furthermore, with Borgward and Porsche having tied rankings in this 1950 race, media colloquially declared that Borgward and Porsche emerged as “The Heroic Duo”.

The Borgward Hansa 1500 RS, one of Borgward cars for motorsport, emerged from the 1,000-kilometer race at the Nürburgring as class winners and finished third overall behind a 4.5-litre Ferrari and a Jaguar. Legendary was the 1953 Carrera Panamericana, with two Hansa 1500 RS race cars competing against the Porsche Spyders. It would have ended with a class victory –if the leading Borgward had not exceeded the stage’s three-hour time limit by a mere seven seconds. That same year, Borgward entered two cars in the 24 Heures du Mans.

Borgward also documented notable successes in touring car racing, including a particularly remarkable achievement in 1954, when a more-or-less standard-equipped Isabella finished the Carrera Panamericana in sixth place in the European touring car class.

In 1956, Borgwards’s racing division in Bremen set about developing a 1.5-liter four-valve engine, based on the Isabella, with fuel injection and dual ignition. The resulting 150hp engine powered the Borgward RS to numerous class victories. In 1959, this model was ideal for the newly established 1.5-liter Formula Two. Stirling Moss was driving a Cooper-Borgward and recorded four wins in the first four races. The famous racecar driver is quoted as saying that Formula Two meant little to him at the time – until he sat in the Cooper with the Borgward engine.

Weighing in at just 650 kilograms and generating an output of 165hp, the Borgward Hansa RS 1500 was the most feared opponent of the 135hp Porsche 550 Spyder in the 1.5-liter class. The Hansa RS also had a 1.5-liter engine, which powered the aluminum racer to more than 155 mph – and this at the end of the 1950s. “The engine was brilliant,” said owner Ralf Jüttner, “Simply an outstanding performer.” This was the view of an expert – as managing director of Joest Racing, he is responsible for Audi’s Le Mans entries. Motor racing is in his blood: In 1949, his father Fritz was both a member of Borgwards’s racing division and a Borgward racecar driver.

Soon after, and based on Isabella’s 1.5L four-valve engine, Borgward designers developed a monstrous 150PS engine with direct fuel injection and dual ignition. This further solidified Borgward’s leading position in racing technology and safeguarded numerous victories. Borgward’s victories in motorsport became a symbol of freedom and optimism for Germans, and with the reconstruction of Germany after WWII, citizens began to reclaim their hometown spirit. This regained sense of national pride mended broken hearts, and Germans publicly celebrated Borgward as the first “Light of Freedom” for Germany after WWII.

From 1950 to 1958, Borgward broke 51 world records, and it, along with Porsche, was named “The Heroic Duo” of the track. Scores of victories depended on its proprietary technology and its talented race car drivers. Adolf Brudes, a legend with an astounding 49-year career, the longest racing career in the world, had set dozens of world records in Borgward cars, and some of them remain unbroken to this day.

German car brand Borgward has already announced the beginning of its partnership with DSM Global Company as an official importer and distributor of Borgward automobiles in the Nepalese market. The first batch of the BX5 premium compact SUV has already arrived in the capital and the car will be launched soon.  Read about the Borgward BX5 here