1959 Borgward Isabella Combi

• 38,652 miles from new, lovely original condition, a real rarity anywhere
• Right-hand drive, manual gearbox, UK car and one family-owned for most of its life
• Smart original interior in Red and White. Classic period dashboard. Grundig push-button radio
• Fitted with a Weber downdraught twin-choke carb and adapter plate
• Currently a non-runner. May not take much. Difficult to find another one like it

NB. On offer from a private collection, this vehicle has not been used for some time. It is a non-runner and is strictly sold as seen.

German engineer/designer Carl Borgward progressed from general engineering to the manufacture of three-wheeled trucks under the Blitzkarren and Goliath names in the mid-1920s. Hansa-Lloyd was taken over by the Borgward group in 1931, but it was not until 1939 that the Borgward name first appeared on a motor car.

The company resumed production after WW2 with the Lloyd LP300, a small saloon built initially with timber/fabric bodywork, and then in 1952 Borgward introduced the Hansa 1800. Germany's first all-new design of the post-war era, the Hansa boasted a backbone chassis, independent suspension all round and an all-synchromesh gearbox. The best-selling Isabella arrived in 1954. Badged as the 'Hansa 1500' until 1957, the Isabella (its factory code name) boasting a modern, unitary construction body/chassis and eye-catching American-influenced styling.

It was just what the German public had been waiting for and went on to become the most successful Borgward ever. More powerful (75bhp) Cabriolet and Coupe versions joined the range and were excellent performers, with a 95mph maximum speed and exemplary road manners. Production ceased, in the wake of Borgward's controversial bankruptcy, in 1962.